Application of fast sensors to microscope mode spatial imaging mass spectrometry

The application of fast detectors to microscope mode spatial imaging mass spectrometry, in which the two-dimensional distributions of particular ion masses over a sample are projected onto a two-dimensional detector, allows the imaging of all mass peaks desorbed from a sample on each time-of-flight cycle. Detecting all fragments per duty cycle means that fewer ionisation and acquisition cycles are required for a full set of data, leading to a reduction in overall detection time, amount of sample required, and sample degradation. Results from a proof-of-concept experiment, in which a fast frame transfer charge-coupled device camera (CCD) with 10 ns time resolution was coupled to a modified velocity-mapped imaging apparatus, are presented.