Granted Patent B2

US 8,173,956 · App. 11/779,970 · Granted May 8, 2012

Abstract

Claims (20)

1. A method of scanning a sample, the method comprising:

(a) creating a virtual confined area in relation to the sample, the confined area being a grid divided into a plurality of parcels that are grid elements;

(b) striking the sample to be scanned with a laser beam so as to release analytes from the sample;

(c) displacing the laser beam and the sample substantially continuously relative to one another, so that the laser beam substantially continuously traces a predefined path within a grid element in the confined area, so that when the laser beam strikes the sample within the grid element, analytes are released from the sample, the laser beam substantially continuously traces a predefined path over the confined area by tracing a predefined path within each successive grid element until the entire predefined path over the confined area has been traced;

(d) obtaining mass spectra of the released analytes while the laser beam and the sample are displaced relative to one another; and

(e) performing a mass analysis of the released analytes.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mass analysis of the released analytes is used to plot a distribution of peak intensities of select compounds from the analytes released from the sample along the predefined path.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein size of the parcels are selected in relation to the size of the laser beam to set the resolution and sensitivity of the distribution plot.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sample is provided with an energy absorbent matrix.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the laser strikes the sample at a select pulsing frequency.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising virtually creating at least one other confined area in relation to the sample, the at least one other confined area defining the boundaries that the laser beam substantially continuously traces at least one other predefined path on the sample, and performing a mass analysis of released analytes from the laser beam in the at least one other confined area.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the mass analysis obtained from the first confined area and the at least one other confined area are used to plot a distribution of peak intensities of select compounds from the analytes within the respective confined areas.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the peak intensities from the regions where the first confined area and the at least one other confined area overlap are summed.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the peak intensities from the regions where the first confined area and the at least one other confined area overlap are de-convoluted mathematically.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein after tracing a first predefined path, the laser beam and the sample are subsequently displaced relative to one another so that the laser beam substantially continuously traces at least a second predefined path on the sample that is substantially coterminous with at least a portion of the first predefined path.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mass analysis is performed by a mass spectrometer.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the mass spectrometer is a time-of-flight mass spectrometer, triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, or ion trap mass spectrometer.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the confined virtual area is generated by a computer.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the displacement of the laser beam relative to the sample is controlled by the computer.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of parcels are pixels.

Assignments (8)