Pulsed Blue Laser Diode Thermal Desorption Microplasma Imaging Mass Spectrometry

An ambient air laser desorption, plasma ionization imaging method is developed and presented using a microsecond pulsed laser diode for desorption and the flexible microtube plasma for ionization of the neutral desorbate. Inherent parameters such as the laser repetition rate and pulse width are optimized to the imaging application. For the desorption substrate, copper spots on a copper-glass sandwich structure are used. This novel design enables imaging without ablating the metal into the mass spectrometer. On this substrate, fixed calibration markers are used to decrease the positioning error in the imaging process, featuring a 3D offset correction within the experiment. The image is both screened spot-by-spot and per line scanning at a constant speed, which allows direct comparison. In spot-by-spot scanning, a novel algorithm is presented to unfold and to reconstruct the imaging data. This approach significantly decreases the time required for the imaging process, which allows imaging even at decreased sampling rates and thus higher mass resolution. After the experiment, the raw data is automatically converted and interpreted by a second algorithm, which allows direct visualization of the image from the data, even on low-intensity signals. Mouse liver microtome cuts have been screened for dehydrated cholesterol, proving good agreement of the unfolded data with the morphology of the tissue. The method optically resolves 30 μm, with 30 μm diameter copper spots and a 10 μm gap. No conventional chemical matrices or vacuum conditions are required.