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

An analyzing device includes: a measurement data acquisition unit that acquires measurement data obtained by irradiating a plurality of irradiation positions on a sample with a laser beam and performing mass spectrometry on a sample component corresponding to each irradiation position; and an analysis unit that performs analysis of the measurement data by excluding a set of data corresponding to an excluded irradiation position among the plurality of irradiation positions each having a different irradiation portion from which a portion that has been already irradiated with the laser beam is excluded in an irradiation range irradiated when the laser beam is irradiated to each irradiation position.

The present disclosure provides methods of imaging neurotransmitters and metabolites present in a biological sample comprising: pneumatically spraying or having sprayed the biological sample with a nanoparticle, introducing the sample to a laser desorption ionization mass spectrometer to collect mass spectral data and identifying the neurotransmitters or metabolites in the sample based on the mass spectral data.

A secondary ion mass spectrometer comprising a primary ion beam device, and means for collecting, mass filtering and subsequently detecting secondary ions released from a sample due to the sample having been impacted by a plurality of primary ion beams. The secondary ion mass spectrometer is remarkable in that it uses a plurality of primary ion beams in parallel for scanning the surface of the sample.

In a device for processing imaging-analysis data, two kinds of imaging-analysis data are stored in a storage section 21: (a) first imaging-analysis data, in which measurement data of a target substance, acquired by performing a first predetermined analysis at each of a plurality of measurement points within an analysis target area of a sample S, is associated with spatial position information of the measurement point, and (b) second imaging-analysis data, in which measurement data of a reference substance, acquired by performing a second predetermined analysis at each of the measurement points, is associated with spatial position information of the measurement point. A normalization executer 28 normalizes the measurement data of the target substance at each measurement point, based on the measurement data of the reference substance acquired at the same measurement point.

An ion analyzer includes: a sample placement unit 2 on which a sample 1 is to be placed; an excitation beam irradiation unit 3 that irradiates the sample 1 placed on the sample placement unit 2 with an excitation beam in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the sample 1; a deflection unit 6 that makes at least some of ions generated from the sample 1 to fly in a direction deviating from an irradiation path of the excitation beam; and an analysis unit 8 disposed in a flight direction of ions deflected by the deflection unit 6, that separates and measures the ions in accordance with a predetermined physical quantity.

A method is disclosed comprising obtaining or acquiring image or other data from one or more regions of a target using an imaging sensor. The image or other data may then be used to determine one or more regions of interest of the target. An ambient ionisation ion source may then be used to generate aerosol, smoke or vapour from one or more regions of the target.

A mass spectrometry device includes: an image generation unit that generates an image indicating a mass spectrometry sample arranged on each sample mounting portion in which each position of a plurality of sample mounting portions in a sample plate for laser desorption/ionization corresponds to each position of the plurality of sample mounting portions in an image, wherein: in the image, a display element indicating a direction is displayed at a position corresponding to the sample mounting portion.

A mass spectrometer includes: a chamber; a support that, in a state in which, in a sample support body that includes a substrate in which a plurality of through-holes open in first and second surfaces are formed and a conductive layer that is at least provided on the first surface, the second surface thereof is in contact with a sample, supports the sample and the sample support body; a laser beam irradiation part that irradiates the first surface with a laser beam; a voltage application part that applies a voltage to the conductive layer; an ion detection part that, detects the ionized components of the sample in a space inside the chamber; a first light irradiation part that irradiates the sample with a first light from a side of the substrate; and an imaging part that obtains a reflected light image of the sample by the first light.

The present invention relates to the high resolution imaging of samples using imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) and to the imaging of biological samples by imaging mass cytometry (IMCTM) in which labelling atoms are detected by IMS. LA-ICP-MS (a form of IMS in which the sample is ablated by a laser, the ablated material is then ionised in an inductively coupled plasma before the ions are detected by mass spectrometry) has been used for analysis of various substances, such as mineral analysis of geological samples, analysis of archaeological samples, and imaging of biological substances. However, traditional LA-ICP-MS systems and methods may not provide high resolution. Described herein are methods and systems for high resolution IMS and IMC.