An apparatus for performing ambient ionization 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 vapor onto said collision assembly.

Method and devices are provided for assessing tissue samples from a plurality of tissue sites in a subject using molecular analysis. In certain aspects, devices of the embodiments allow for minimally invasive collection of liquid tissue samples and delivery of the samples for mass spectrometry analysis.

An apparatus is disclosed comprising a first device for generating aerosol, smoke or vapour from one or more regions of a target, an inlet conduit to an ion analyser or mass spectrometer, the inlet conduit having an inlet through which the aerosol, smoke or vapour passes, and a Venturi pump arrangement arranged and adapted to direct the aerosol, smoke or vapour towards the inlet.

The probe drive unit (21) collects a sample (8) at the tip of the probe (6) by lowering and raising the probe (6) under the control of the control unit (25). After that, the high voltage generating unit (20) applies a high voltage whose voltage value increases in a slope shape to the probe (6), and meanwhile, the mass spectrometry unit behind the capillary tube (10) performs product ion scan measurements on the two-step probe voltage, and the mass spectrum data obtained in each measurement is stored in the first and the second probe voltage corresponding data storage units (301 and 302). When the ionization efficiencies of the plurality of types of components contained in the sample (8) have a probe voltage dependence, ion peaks derived from different types of components appear in the two mass spectra. Thus, a plurality of types of components contained in the sample can be roughly separated, and the identification performance based on the mass spectrum and the quantitative performance based on the chromatogram can be improved.

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.

Methods and systems for delivering liquid sample to an ion source and subsequent analysis by mass spectrometry. In accordance with various aspects of the present teachings, MS-based systems and methods are provided in which desorption solvent is used in sampling interface to desorb analyte species from an SPME device that is coupled to an ion source to ionize analyte species desorbed into the desorption solvent for MS analysis (e.g., without a liquid chromatography (LC) column between the sampling interface and the ion source). In various aspects of the methods and systems described herein, configuring the sampling interface can be optimized so as to reduce the fluid volume dead space about the fluid inlet so as to concentrate the one or more analyte species desorbed at optimized conditions from the SPME substrate in a decreased volume of the desorption solvent when the SPME device is inserted into sampling interface.

This disclosure relates to reagents and their use for elemental imaging mass spectrometry of biological samples.

The invention generally relates to systems and methods for sample analysis using swabs. In certain aspects, the invention provides systems that include a probe having a conductive proximal portion coupled to a porous material at a distal portion of the probe that is configured to retain a portion of a sample that has contacted the porous material, and a mass spectrometer having an inlet. The system is configured such that the porous material at a distal portion of the probe is aligned over the inlet of the mass spectrometer.

The disclosure relates to an apparatus, method and process for detecting rare earth elements. The system includes an LED powered by a first power source and a focusing lens in optical communication with the LED. A shortpass filter is in optical communication with the focusing lens; and a fiber bifurcated cable in optical communication with the shortpass filter. The system includes a probe tip in optical communication with the fiber bifurcated cable and a sample; a first aspheric lens in optical communication with the fiber bifurcated cable. A longpass filter is in optical communication with the first aspheric lens and a second aspheric lens in optical communication with the longpass filter. The system includes a spectrometer connected to a power source, where the spectrometer is in optical communication with the second aspheric lens.

Method and devices are provided for imaging a surface, such as a biological tissue sample, by mass spectrometry. In certain aspects, devices of the embodiments allow for the placement and collection of a plurality of spatially separated liquid droplets on a sample and delivery of the droplets with extracted sample analytes for mass spectrometry analysis.