简介: |
Mass spectrometry is used to identify the molecular weights and chemical structures of the analytes in complex mixtures. It provides high sensitivity and selectivity for general purpose chemical analysis and has been widely applied for drug discovery, clinical diagnosis, environment monitoring, and control of food safety and drug abuse. This presentation will focus on the newly developed ambient ionization methods and the miniature mass spectrometry systems.
The ambient ionization allows direct analysis of analytes from raw samples, which significantly simplifies the MS analysis procedure by eliminating the sample preparation. Tissue imaging using desorption electrospray ionization has been developed and applied for human bladder, liver and brain cancer diagnostics. Paper spray has been applied for direct analysis of dried blood spots and tissue samples.
Miniature mass spectrometers are suitable for in-situ analysis such as for point-of-care applications. In comparison with in-lab mass spectrometers of hundreds of kilograms and thousands of watts, handheld ion trap mass spectrometers have been developed with a weight as low as 4 kg. The combination of the ambient ionization with the miniature mass spectrometer enables a powerful instrumentation platform for applications in clinical diagnosis and food safety. Examples for analysis of therapeutic agents in whole blood and identification of agriculture chemicals in fruits will be given. |
