Provided is a sample support body that includes a substrate, an ionization substrate, a support, and a frame. The ionization substrate has a plurality of measurement regions for dropping a sample on second surface. A plurality of through-holes that open in a first surface and the second surface are formed at least in the measurement regions of the ionization substrate. A conductive layer is provided on peripheral edges of the through-holes at least on the second surface. The frame has a wall provided on peripheral edges of the measurement regions on the second surface to separate the plurality of measurement regions when viewed in the direction in which the substrate and the ionization substrate face each other.

A sampling apparatus (100) employs a cell-positioning system to move a sample capture cell (138) relative to a specimen positioning system (124). The cell-positioning system may be controlled to move sample capture cell (138) opposite to movement of the specimen positioning system (124) to maintain alignment of the sample capture cell (138) with an optical path of a laser beam of a sample generator (108). Alternatively or additionally, the cell-positioning system may be controlled to move sample capture cell (138) in response to alignment deviation of a reference beam on a quadrant detector (404).

Provided is a sample support body that includes a substrate and an ionization substrate. The ionization substrate has a measurement region for dropping a sample on a second surface. A plurality of through-holes that open in a first surface and the second surface are formed in at least the measurement region of the ionization substrate. A conductive layer is provided on peripheral edges of the through-holes on at least the second surface. At least a part of the substrate which is adjacent to the ionization substrate is formed to enable the sample to move to the inside of the substrate.

Humidification systems and methods to introduce water vapor to a laser-ablated sample prior to introduction to an ICP torch are described. A system embodiment includes, but is not limited to, a water vapor generator configured to control production of a water vapor stream and to transfer the water vapor stream to at least one of a sample chamber of a laser ablation device or a mixing chamber in fluid communication with the laser ablation device, wherein the mixing chamber is configured to receive a laser-ablated sample from the laser ablation device and direct the laser-ablated sample to an inductively coupled plasma torch.

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 mass spectrometry apparatus, including a mass spectrometer and a sample plate. The mass spectrometer includes: a sample plate holder configured to hold a sample plate in an engaged position. The mass spectrometer is configured to perform a mass spectrometric analysis of a sample only when the sample is located on a sample plate that is held in the engaged position by the sample plate holder. The mass spectrometer includes one or more engagement features configured to engage with a sample plate so as to prevent the sample plate from being held in the engaged position by the sample plate holder unless the sample plate includes one or more engagement features configured to limit use of the sample plate to a specific analytical technique or a range of analytical techniques to be performed using the mass spectrometer. The sample plate is configured for use in the specific analytical technique or range of analytical techniques, wherein the sample plate includes the one or more engagement features configured to limit use of the sample plate to the specific analytical technique or range of analytical techniques.

The sample support includes a substrate having a plurality of through holes opened in a first surface and a second surface, a frame surrounding a measurement region of the substrate and supporting the substrate when viewed in a thickness direction of the substrate, and a protective layer disposed to face the first surface and having a facing portion facing the measurement region. A through hole penetrating in the thickness direction is formed in the facing portion. The through hole of the facing portion includes a narrow portion having a width smaller than an outer diameter of a tip of a pipette tip for dropping a sample solution into the measurement region.

The sample support is used for ionization of a sample contained in a sample solution dropped using a pipette tip. The sample support includes a substrate formed with a plurality of through holes opened in a first surface and a second surface, and a frame that is formed with a through hole penetrating in a thickness direction of the substrate so as to overlap a measurement region when viewed from the thickness direction and that is bonded to the first surface of the substrate. The through hole of the frame includes a narrow portion having a width smaller than the outer diameter of a tip of the pipette tip.

The present invention relates to a method for determining at least one analyte of interest. The present invention further relates to a sample element, a device, a kit and the use thereof for determining at least one analyte of interest.