A method is disclosed comprising obtaining or acquiring chemical or other non-mass spectrometric data from one or more regions of a target (2) using a chemical sensor (20). The chemical or other non-mass spectrometric data may be used to determine one or more regions of interest of the target (2). An ambient ionisation ion source 1 may then be used to generate aerosol, smoke or vapour (5) from one or more regions of the target (2).

The present disclosure relates to a sample plate for laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry comprising a substrate including a surface corrosion layer, and the surface corrosion layer constitutes at least a portion of the photoreaction catalyst layer, and a photocatalytic catalyst layer including a metal oxide formed on the substrate, wherein a sample to be analyzed is disposed on the photocatalytic catalyst layer.

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.

The present invention relates to a preconcentrator for vapors and particles collected from air. The vapor preconcentrator is made from plural layer of coils. The coil is made of resistance alloy. The pitch size of the coil is made to precisely trap/filter out certain size of the particles during preconcentration. Multiple coils could be made with different pitch sizes to achieve multiple step filtrations. When the sample flow enters the preconcentrator chamber, it passes through the coils. The particles of different sizes are trapped on different layer of coils. The vapor sample can be trapped on any coils when interacted with the coil surface. They could be trapped without any affinitive coating as the preconcentrator is at relatively low temperature. Different coils or different sections of the coil can be coated with different material to trap chemicals of different classes. During the desorption process, the coils are flash heated with controlled temperature ramping speed to evaporate the trapped chemicals. Various configurations, constructions, and methods of operation are presented.

A method of transferring neutral gaseous material includes the steps of passing heated gas through flow tube in a central gas stream; and permeating a chemical dopant inward to the central gas stream through walls of the flow tube.

The present invention is directed to a method and device to desorb an analyte using heat to allow desorption of the analyte molecules, where the desorbed analyte molecules are ionized with ambient temperature ionizing species. In various embodiments of the invention a current is passed through a mesh upon which the analyte molecules are present. The current heats the mesh and results in desorption of the analyte molecules which then interact with gas phase metastable neutral molecules or atoms to form analyte ions characteristic of the analyte molecules.

A mass spectrometer having a triple ionization interface for ionizing sample components is provided. The ionization interface of the mass spectrometer includes a means for ionizing sample components via electrostatic ionization, atmospheric pressure chemical ionization, and laser diode thermal desorption.

A method is disclosed comprising obtaining physical or other non-mass spectrometric data from one or more regions of a target using a probe. The physical 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 used to generate an aerosol, smoke or vapour from one or more regions of the target.

A direct sample introduction device includes: a pre-evacuating chamber that has an internal space extending in a first direction through which a sample introduction probe extends in the first direction; a first ventilation unit that is allowed to be opened and closed, with a first end thereof being connected to the pre-evacuating chamber; and a second ventilation unit a first end of which is connected to the pre-evacuating chamber and a second end of which is connected to a low pressure source.

A method of mass or ion mobility spectrometry is disclosed that uses the Leidenfrost effect to cause a liquid to be repelled away from a heated surface so as to levitate above there-above. The repelled liquid is urged so as to move along the surface in a predetermined direction, for example, by the geometric configuration of the heated surface.