A method of ion imaging is disclosed that includes automatically sampling a plurality of different locations on a sample using a front device which is arranged and adapted to generate aerosol, smoke or vapour from the sample. Mass spectral data and/or ion mobility data corresponding to each location is obtained and the obtained mass spectral data and/or ion mobility data is used to construct, train or improved a sample classification model.

A method is disclosed comprising providing a biological sample on a swab, directing a spray of charged droplets onto a surface of the swab in order to generate a plurality of analyte ions, and analysing the analyte ions.

The invention relates to a method for the determination and visualization of the spatial distribution of tissue states of a tissue sample, wherein a mass/mobility map is acquired at each of a plurality of sample sites of the tissue sample, the signal heights at each sample site are determined at characteristic signal positions in the corresponding mass/mobility map, from which a tissue state for each sample site is calculated with the aid of a mathematical/statistical classification algorithm, and the spatial distribution of the tissue states calculated for the sample sites is represented graphically.

Disclosed herein include systems, devices, and methods for droplet deposition for mass spectrometry. In some embodiments, a microfluidic device comprising wells is reversibly sealed to a mass spectrometry surface and used to deposit contents of droplets (e.g., enzymes and substrates), or products thereof, onto the mass spectrometry surface. The contents of droplets can be analyzed by laser desorption/ionization to, for example, identify a substrate of an enzyme or an enzyme capable of catalyzing a substrate to a product.

An ionization method includes: a first process of preparing a sample support body including an electrically insulating substrate having a first surface, a second surface on a side opposite to the first surface, and a plurality of through-holes opening on each of the first surface and the second surface and an electrically insulating frame attached to the substrate; a second process of mounting a sample on a mount surface of a mount portion and mounting the sample support body on the mount surface so that the second surface is in contact with the sample; and a third process of ionizing components of the sample that have moved to the first surface side via the plurality of through-holes by irradiating the first surface with charged-droplets and sucking the ionized components.

An imaging mass spectrometer includes an analysis executing section that executes MS.sup.n analysis (n≥2) for a target component on each of a plurality of micro regions set in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional measurement region on a sample to collect data; a product ion extracting section that extracts product ions observed in the sample based on at least a part of the data collected by the analysis executing section; a two-dimensional distribution image creating section that creates a two-dimensional distribution image based on data of precursor ions and two-dimensional distribution images based on data of the product ions at the time of the MS.sup.n analysis; and a distribution relationship visualization section that examines a relationship of the two-dimensional distribution images of the precursor ions and the product ions, creates a figure or graph indicating an inclusion relationship of the two-dimensional distribution images, and displays the figure or graph.

An imaging mass spectrometer includes an analysis executing section that executes MS.sup.n analysis for a target component on each of a plurality of micro regions set within a two-dimensional measurement region on a sample to collect data; an ion selecting section that selects a plurality of kinds of product ions derived from, or assumed to be derived from, the target component based on at least a part of the data collected by the analysis executing section; and a distribution image creating section that determines, using signal strength of each of the kinds of product ions in each micro region within the measurement region. a small region in which all of the kinds of product ions are detected or a small region assumed to have high reliability that all of the kinds of product ions are derived from the target component, and creates a distribution image visualizing the small region.

The invention relates to the identification and visualization of the spatial distribution of particular tissue states in histological tissue sections from mass spectrometric signals acquired with spatial resolution. The invention proposes a method by means of which regions of the tissue with similar mass spectra are found automatically, and it is further proposed that mass spectra of these regions are summed in order to improve the spectral quality to such an extent that known markers for tissue degenerations can be identified with increased certainty. Regions of similar mass spectra can be interconnected on a large scale, but can also be isolated from each other on a small scale.

A sample support is a sample support for sample ionization, including: a substrate formed with a plurality of through holes opening to a first surface and a second surface on a side opposite to the first surface; a conductive layer provided not to block the through hole in the first surface; and a frame body provided in a peripheral portion of the substrate to surround an ionization region in which a sample is ionized when viewed in a thickness direction of the substrate, in which a marker for recognizing a position in the ionization region is provided in the frame body.

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 el 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.