Sample analysis for mass cytometry

1. A laser ablation system comprising:

a) a laser capable of producing laser illumination;

b) a laser ablation cell comprising a transparent substrate for holding a sample to be analyzed or a stage configured to receive the transparent substrate; and

c) an injector for carrying an ablation plume to an inductively coupled plasma (ICP), said injector defining an injector opening and an injector lumen,

wherein the (a), (b), and (c) are configured so that the laser illumination originates on one side of the stage or substrate and the injector opening is on the other side and wherein the laser illumination, the orientation of plume expansion, and a centerline of the injector lumen are aligned with each other.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an optical window, wherein the optical window and the laser are arranged such that the laser illumination passes through the optical window into the ablation cell.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the injector opening is configured so that the ablation of an area of the substrate results in an ablated plume formed downstream of a surface from which the laser illumination is emitted.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the surface is a lens or mirror.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the injector opening is configured such that the ablation of an area of the substrate results in an ablated plume formed at least partially in the injector.

6. The system of claim 1 , comprising a transfer gas source for producing a transfer flow in the injector and a capture gas source for producing a capture flow in the ablation cell.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to provide a single gas flow to direct the plume through the injector opening and transfer the distinctly captured plume towards the ICP.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the injector lumen is straight along its length.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the stage moves in x-y or x-y-z directions.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the laser ablation cell comprises the transparent substrate, and wherein the system further comprises a biological sample on the transparent substrate.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the biological sample is labeled with metal conjugated antibodies.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the injector has an inner diameter in the range from 0.2 mm to 3 mm.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the injector has a length of no more than 10 centimeters.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the injector has a length of no more than 5 centimeters.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the injector lumen is straight along its length.

16. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a power wash gas inlet configured to direct ablated plumes into the injector opening.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the power wash gas inlet comprises a nozzle having an aperture smaller than the diameter of the injector opening.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein an inner diameter of the injector varies along the length of the injector.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the injector is tapered at an end.

20. The system of claim 1 , further comprising the sample, wherein the sample is a tissue section.

21. A laser ablation system comprising:

a) a laser capable of producing laser illumination;

b) a laser ablation cell comprising a transparent substrate for holding a sample to be analyzed or a stage configured to receive the transparent substrate; and

c) an injector for carrying an ablation plume to an inductively coupled plasma (ICP), said injector defining an injector opening and an injector lumen,

wherein the (a), (b) and (c) are configured so that the laser illumination originates on one side of the stage or substrate and the injector opening is on the other side and wherein the laser illumination, the orientation of plume expansion, and a centerline of the injector lumen are aligned with each other;

wherein the system is configured to provide a single gas flow to direct the plume through the injector opening and transfers the distinctly captured plume towards the ICP;

wherein the injector has an inner diameter in the range from 0.2 mm to 3 mm; and

wherein the injector lumen is straight along its length.

22. A method of laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, the method comprising:

a) directing pulses of a laser beam, using a laser ablation system, to a plurality of sites of a sample to form a plurality of ablated plumes;

b) capturing each ablated plume of the plurality of ablated plumes distinctively;

c) transferring each of the plurality of distinctively captured ablated plumes to an inductively coupled plasma (ICP); and

d) ionizing each of the plurality of distinctively captured and transferred ablated plumes in the ICP;

e) analyzing the plurality of ionized plumes with a mass analyzer;

wherein the laser ablation system comprises:

i) a laser capable of producing laser illumination;

ii) a laser ablation cell comprising a transparent substrate for holding a sample to be analyzed or a stage configured to receive a transparent substrate; and

iii) an injector for carrying an ablation plume to an inductively coupled plasma (ICP), said injector defining an injector opening and an injector lumen,

wherein the (i), (ii) and (iii) are configured so that the laser illumination originates on one side of the stage or substrate and the injector opening is on the other side and wherein the laser illumination, the orientation of plume expansion, and a centerline of the injector lumen are aligned with each other.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the laser ablation system is configured to provide a single gas flow to direct the plume through the injector opening and transfer the distinctly captured plume towards the ICP.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising a power wash gas inlet configured to direct ablated plumes into the injector opening.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the power wash gas inlet comprises a nozzle having an aperture smaller than the diameter of the injector opening.

26. The method of claim 22 , wherein the injector lumen is straight along its length.

27. The method of claim 22 , wherein the laser ablation cell comprises the transparent substrate, and wherein the system further comprises a biological sample on the transparent substrate.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the biological sample is labeled with metal conjugated antibodies.

29. The method of claim 22 , wherein the injector opening is configured such that the ablation of an area of the substrate results in an ablated plume formed at least partially in the injector.

30. The method of claim 22 , wherein:

transferring each of the plurality of distinctively captured ablated plumes to an ICP comprises producing a transfer flow in the injector using a transfer gas source, and

capturing each ablated plume of the plurality of ablated plumes distinctively comprises producing a capture flow in the ablation cell using a capture gas source.

31. The method of claim 22 , comprising providing a single gas flow to direct the plume through the injector opening.

32. The method of claim 22 , wherein the injector has an inner diameter in the range from 0.2 mm to 3 mm.

33. The method of claim 22 , wherein the injector has a length of no more than 10 centimeters.

34. The method of claim 22 , wherein an inner diameter of the injector varies along the length of the injector.

35. The method of claim 34 , wherein the injector is tapered at an end.

36. The method of claim 22 , wherein the sample is a tissue section.