METHOD FOR THE ANALYSIS OF TISSUE SECTIONS

1 . A method for the histologic classification of a tissue section, comprising:

acquiring a mass spectrometric image and a light-optical image of the tissue section, the light-optical image having a higher spatial resolution than the mass spectrometric image; and

combining optical information concerning the structures of a subarea of the tissue section with mass spectrometric information on the subarea.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a section of the optical image which contains the whole or a part of the subarea is enlarged in order to visually obtain the optical information on the structures in the subarea.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the section is enlarged by taking a second optical image.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the section enlargement is computed from the optical image already taken.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein several sections of the optical image, which all contain the whole or a part of the subarea, are simultaneously or consecutively enlarged, with the location and/or the enlargement of the sections being different.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical image has a spatial resolution which is at least five times higher than that of the mass spectrometric image.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the mass spectrometric image has a spatial resolution of more than ten micrometers and the optical image has a spatial resolution of less than two micrometers.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the subarea is a single cell.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical information concerns intracellular structures.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mass spectrometric information consists of a local mass spectrum of the subarea.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mass spectrometric information consists of differences between a local mass spectrum of the subarea and other mass spectra of the mass spectrometric image and/or other mass spectra from additional data sources.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mass spectrometric information consists of an assignment of a local mass spectrum of the subarea to a class by a statistical analysis.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the statistical analysis compares the local mass spectrum to mass spectra of other subareas of the tissue section and/or to mass spectra from other data sources.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein optical and mass spectrometric information from several subareas of the tissue section is combined.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical image is acquired before the mass spectrometric image.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical image is acquired after the mass spectrometric image.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the tissue section is prepared with a matrix substance for ionization by matrix-assisted laser desorption before the mass spectrometric image is acquired.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the matrix substance is removed after the mass spectrometric image has been acquired and before the optical image is made.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the tissue section is stained after the matrix substance has been removed and before the optical image is made.

20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mass spectrometric information comprises a local mass spectrum of the subarea.

21 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mass spectrometric information comprises differences between a local mass spectrum of the subarea and other mass spectra of the mass spectrometric image and/or other mass spectra from additional data sources.

22 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mass spectrometric information comprises an assignment of a local mass spectrum of the subarea to a class by a statistical analysis.