Method of mass spectrometry and a mass spectrometer

摘要

The present invention relates to a method of mass spectrometry, an apparatus adapted to perform the method and a mass spectrometer. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to a method of mass spectrometry comprising the step of associating parent and fragmentation ions from a sample by measuring the parent and fragmentation ions from two or more different areas of the sample and identifying changes in the number of parent ions between the areas in the sample, and corresponding changes in the number of fragmentation ions between the two areas.

主权项

1. A method of mass spectrometry comprising the steps of:
providing a sample; performing a method of association of parent analyte ions from a first area of the sample with fragment ions from the first area of the sample comprising the steps of: exciting a first spot in the first area on the surface of the sample to produce a first set of parent analyte ions; determining the mass to charge ratio of at least some of the ions from the first set of parent analyte ions as a function of ion mobility of the ions; exciting a second spot in the first area on the surface to produce a second set of parent analyte ions; determining the ion mobility of at least some of the ions of the second set of parent analyte ions; fragmenting at least a portion of the second set of parent analyte ions to produce a set of fragment ions; determining the mass to charge ratio of at least some of the ions from the set of fragment ions as a function of the ion mobility of the ions from the second set of parent analyte ions; associating the set of fragment ions with the first set of parent analyte ions by comparison of the ion mobility of the ions from the first set of parent analyte ions with the ion mobility of the ions from the second set of parent analyte ions associated with the fragment ions; performing the method of association for at least a second area of the sample; and assigning at least one ion from the set of fragment ions to an ion in the first set of parent analyte ions by identifying changes between the quantity of a parent analyte ion in the first area and at least the second area and corresponding changes in the quantity of at least one fragment ion in the first area and at least the second area.