LASER DESORPTION AND IONIZATION MASS SPECTROMETER WITH QUANTITATIVE REPRODUCIBILITY

摘要

Laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer ("LDI-TOF-MS") devices, and methods, that accurately measure the mass of analytes contained in a sample and which also measure the quantities of analytes present in a sample in a consistent manner from instrument-to-instrument and over time on a single instrument. In particular, the invention provides LDI-TOF-MS devices and methods in which: 1) the energy of the laser pulse and the area of the sample illuminated (fluence) is consistent and controlled so as to produce consistent conditions for analyte desorption and ionization; 2) the mass analyzer behaves in a reproducible manner; and 3) the detection system produces a signal that consistently represents the arrival of ions of different masses.