The invention relates to the field of physics and relates to an impulse-resolving photo-electron spectrometer, by means of which the physical properties can be determined. The aim of the invention is to provide an impulse-resolving photo-electron spectrometer enabling the device components to have a simple structure with a significantly reduced overall volume. The aim of the invention is achieved by means of an impulse-resolving photo-electron spectrometer comprising components arranged one behind the other in the direction of the optical axis at least in a vacuum and which are each at least one electron emission sample and a focusing system, wherein the focusing system consists of at least one electron lens and at least one detector, wherein the electron lens consists of three cylindrical elements, wherein the first cylindrical element has a potential=0 and the two subsequently arranged cylindrical elements have a potential of ≠0, and wherein the detector is one or more spatially resolved detectors which are arranged in the focal plane of the electron lens.

A problem to be solved by the present invention to perform an imaging mass spectrometry method capable of not only providing localization information of a biological substance in a single tissue section but also enabling quantitative comparison of an amount of a biological substance between multiple tissue sections.

By using a first derivatization reagent, a second derivatization reagent that is the isotopically-labeled first derivatization reagent, and a derivatized internal standard substance of a biological substance in the imaging mass spectrometry method, the amount of the biological substance can quantitatively be compared between multiple tissue sections.

A method for measuring the chirality of molecules in a sample of chiral molecules, the sample including at least one chemical species, the method including the steps of: introducing the sample of chiral molecules into an ionisation area; ionising the molecules by electromagnetic radiation in the ionisation area; and detecting a distribution of electrons produced by ionisation and emitted at the front and back of the ionisation area relative to the axis, z, of propagation of the electromagnetic radiation; wherein the electromagnetic radiation is elliptically polarised, the ellipticity varying continuously and periodically as a function of time, the method further including a step of: determining the chirality of the molecules from the electron distribution detected continuously as a function of time. A system is also provided for measuring the chirality of molecules using such a method.

A peak-waveform conversion processor detects a peak in a profile spectrum created based on data obtained at each measurement point in a sample's measurement area, and acquires a rod-like peak by performing centroid conversion processing on a waveform of the peak having a mountain shape. When an operator specifies a target compound to be observed, a mass difference calculation unit calculates a mass difference between a precise m/z of the target compound and an m/z of a rod-like peak at a position close to the precise m/z for each measurement point. A mass difference image creator creates an image showing a distribution of mass differences based on the calculated mass differences. A mass difference related information calculation unit acquires an index value such as an average value of a plurality of mass differences for each mass difference image, and creates a graph showing a frequency distribution of the mass differences.

A data processing device configured to create, based on a plurality of spectra each obtained from each of a plurality of specimens containing a predetermined component at known concentrations different from one another, a calibration curve showing a relationship between a concentration of the component in the specimen and an area of a peak corresponding to the component of a spectrum of the specimen, where each of the plurality of spectra has a peak top at a position depending on a component contained in a specimen. The device includes a display unit and a peak range setting unit configured to allow an operator to set both end positions of a peak or a position of a baseline corresponding to the component included in the displayed spectrum.

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.

A peak-waveform conversion processor detects a peak in a profile spectrum created based on data obtained in each micro area in a measurement area, and acquires a rod-like peak by performing centroid conversion processing on a waveform of the peak in a mountain shape. When receiving a precise m/z value Ma of a target compound and an allowable range ΔM of m/z, an image creator determines whether or not there is a rod-like peak in a range defined by “Ma±ΔM”, for each micro area. When there is a rod-like peak, a height value of the rod-like peak is defined as the signal intensity value of the target compound in the micro area. In contrast, when there is no rod-like peak in the range defined by “Ma±ΔM”, the signal intensity value of the target compound in the micro area is set to zero.

The invention relates to imaging mass spectrometry on thin sample sections, in particular using MALDI, where a high lateral image resolution means that a plethora of mass spectra has to be acquired and the image acquisition runs over many hours. The quality of the mass spectra deteriorates considerably over time in such cases. The invention is based on the finding that the decrease in spectral quality of continuous measurement series over many hours is only partially caused by a decrease in detector gain, and that another significant cause is a decrease in the number of usable ions per ion generating pulse, which is attributable to several phenomena that are difficult to regulate. The invention now proposes to instead regulate only the detector gain, and such that not only the decrease in the detector gain is compensated, but also the decrease in the number of usable ions per ion generating pulse.

In order to display an image which enables easy observation of the state of adhesion of a sample regardless of the kind of matrix, its distribution and other factors in a MALDI mass spectrometer configured to irradiate a sample on a sample plate (15) with laser light to ionize a component in the sample and perform a mass spectrometric analysis, the MALDI mass spectrometer includes: a plurality of light source units (30a, 30b), each configured to emit a beam of light with a different wavelength distribution; an illumination light switching section (42, 31) configured to selectively cast one of the beams of light emitted from the light source units, onto the sample plate as illumination light; and an imaging section (32) configured to acquire an optical image of the sample plate formed by the illumination light, the imaging section being common to the light source units.

Portable instruments for analyzing elemental composition of liquid and solid phase materials by laser induced ablation spectroscopy are disclosed. The optical path of a single pulsed laser beam in the instrument is directed to a position depending on the phase of the sample material. Liquid phase samples are aerosolized before streaming to an analysis zone where they are dissociated in a plasma plume. A wide range of physical and chemical characteristics of liquid materials can be analyzed by the instruments. A large number of sites within solid phase sample structures are analyzed using a movable x-y-z stage in the instrument and the results are displayed in a chemical map.