Other

Bruker Daltonik Gmbh

Jens Hoehndorf

Andreas Haase

Armin Holle

The invention relates to a low-cost spring steel plate as the sample support on a dimensionally stable and precisely shaped substructure, machined from an aluminum alloy, for example, and using a pattern of embedded magnets so that said plate is removable and that a body is created overall which is suitable for use in robots, for example by giving it the dimensions of a conventional microtitration plate. The planarity of the surface onto which the (organic) samples are applied is provided within the near region by the spring steel plate itself and in the far region over the whole spring steel plate by the substructure. The spring steel plate may be designed for single use in order to satisfy IVD diagnostic regulations also, for example. It can be equipped with identification codes, sample site markings and pre-coatings for different types of analytical tasks, such as MALDI-TOF mass spectrometric analysis.

MALDI support with magnetically held spring steel plate

Maldi support with magnetically held spring steel plate

Mass spectrometers ionize samples by matrix-assisted laser desorption (MALDI). The samples are located on a moveable support plate, and irradiated by a pulsed laser. A fast positional control of laser spots is provided via a system of rotatable mirrors to relieve strain on a support plate motion drive. If the spot position is finely adjusted by the mirror system and follows the movement of the sample support plate, the intermittent movement of the sample support can be replaced with a continuous uniform motion. The fast positional control allows more uniform ablation of a sample area. Galvo mirrors with low inertia may be used between the beam generation and a Kepler telescope in the housing of the laser. The positional control can also provide a fully automatic adjustment of MALDI time-of-flight mass spectrometers, at least if the ion-optical elements are equipped with movement devices.

Laser spot control in maldi mass spectrometers

The invention relates to a mass spectrometer comprising a laser system for mass-spectrometric analysis with ionization of analyte molecules in a sample by matrix-assisted laser desorption. A mass spectrometer with a pulsed UV laser system produces a spatially distributed spot pattern with peaks of uniform energy density on the sample, increasing thereby the degree of ionization for analyte ions as compared to conventional spot patterns. The spot pattern with peaks of uniform energy density can be produced by homogeneous illumination of a pattern generator, for example a lens array. The homogeneous illumination can be generated by a low-cost beam-shaping element, which does not act on the UV beam but on the original infrared beam, in conjunction with changes to the beam cross-section and beam profile brought about by the nonlinear conversion crystals. This beam shaping not only produces a beam profile which illuminates the pattern generator homogeneously with low losses, but at the same time increases the efficiency of the frequency multiplication and the lifetime of the conversion crystals so that cost savings are achieved because less laser energy is required and the lifetime is increased.

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Bremen, Germany

Jens Hoehndorf