A method of analysis using mass spectrometry and/or ion mobility spectrometry is disclosed. The method comprises: using a first device to generate smoke, aerosol or vapour from a target comprising or consisting of a microbial population; mass analysing and/or ion mobility analysing said smoke, aerosol or vapour, or ions derived therefrom, in order to obtain spectrometric data; and analysing said spectrometric data in order to analyse said microbial population.

A method of analysis using mass and/or ion mobility spectrometry or ion mobility spectrometry is disclosed comprising: using a first device to generate aerosol, smoke or vapour from one or more regions of a first target of biological material; and mass and/or ion mobility analysing and/or ion mobility analysing said aerosol, smoke, or vapour, or ions derived therefrom so as to obtain first spectrometric data. The method may use an ambient ionisation method.

The invention relates to a biochemical diagnostic test performed on peripheral blood, which allows the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Specifically, the serum levels of at least 6 markers corresponding to 2 groups of functional lipids, esfingolipids and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) are measured, specifically: Ceramide C16:0, Ceramide C24:0, Deoxy dihydro-ceramide C24:1 and Sphinganin 1-phosphate, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), detecting a variation in concentrations with respect to the values for the control population.

A method of analysis using mass spectrometry and/or ion mobility spectrometry is disclosed. The method comprises: using a first device to generate smoke, aerosol or vapour from a target comprising or consisting of a microbial population; mass analysing and/or ion mobility analysing said smoke, aerosol or vapour, or ions derived therefrom, in order to obtain spectrometric data; and analysing said spectrometric data in order to analyse said microbial population.

A method of mass spectrometry or ion mobility spectrometry is disclosed comprising: providing an analyte; supplying a matrix compound to said analyte such that said analyte dissolves in said matrix; forming first droplets of the dissolved analyte; and colliding said first droplets with a collision surface. The use of matrix improves the analyte ion signal.

An apparatus is disclosed including a tool comprising a first device for generating aerosol from a target, the first device being deployed through an opening in a tubing of the tool, wherein the tubing is provided with aspiration ports or fenestrations such that the generated aerosol is aspirated into the tubing via the aspiration ports or fenestrations. The aspirated aerosol is then transferred to a mass spectrometer for subsequent mass analysis.

A method is disclosed comprising obtaining or acquiring chemical or other non-mass spectrometric data from one or more regions of a target (2) using a chemical sensor (20). The chemical or other non-mass spectrometric data may be used to determine one or more regions of interest of the target (2). An ambient ionisation ion source 1 may then be used to generate aerosol, smoke or vapour (5) from one or more regions of the target (2).

Disclosed herein is a method for predicting or diagnosing psychiatric disorders through analyzing skin tissues samples minimally invasive or non-invasively collected. The method disclosed herein makes it possible to diagnose psychiatric disorders through objective biomarkers at a very early age, without giving pain to subjects because of noninvasive or minimally invasive feature of skin sample collection method.

The field of extracellular vesicles (EVs) currently attracts substantial attention in biomedicine due to the proposed role of EVs in various biological processes and their potential of serving as biomarkers for diseases. However, the availability of approaches for reliable and reproducible standardised quantification of EVs is limited. Therefore, current interest in EV research urges reliable tools of standardization and accurate enumeration of EVs, preferably on the basis of lipid quantification. By definition, EVs are surrounded by phospholipid bilayers, therefore, lipids (such as phospholipids and cholesterol) are essential components of all EVs. The method of the invention avoids the overestimation of EV concentration based on the protein measurement, as it focuses on the defining component of EVs, the lipid bilayer. Our method can be used virtually in any standard laboratories where a fume hood, a thermoblock, and a spectrophotometer are available. The application does not require expensive equipment, therefore it can be an easy, reliable and quick method for quantification of EVs and standardisation of EV experiments.

An apparatus for performing ambient ionisation mass and/or ion mobility spectrometry is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a substantially cylindrical, tubular, rod-shaped, coil-shaped, helical or spiral-shaped collision assembly; and a first device arranged and adapted to direct analyte, smoke, fumes, liquid, gas, surgical smoke, aerosol or vapour onto said collision assembly.