Shimadzu Corporation

Osaka University

Inter-university Research Institute Corporation National Institutes of Natural Sciences

Shuichi Shimma

Michisato Toyoda

Kiyoshi Ogawa

Mitsutoshi Setou

Yoshikazu Yoshida

Osamu Furuhashi

Takahiro Harada

Sadao Takeuchi

Kozo Shimazu

Hirofumi Nagao

Shigeo Hayakawa

An alkali metal introduction apparatus () includes: a dedicated fracture chamber () and a vacuum chamber (); vacuum pumps () and () for evacuating the insides of the dedicated fracture chamber () and the vacuum chamber (); an ampul fracturing section for causing, in the dedicated fracture chamber (), an alkali metal encapsulated in an ampul () to be exposed out of the ampul () by deforming the ampul (); a collision cell () configured to allow the ampul () to be introduced therein, the collision room () being provided inside the vacuum chamber (); and an ampul introducing section () for moving the ampul () between an exposure position where the alkali metal encapsulated in the ampul () is to be exposed out of the ampul () thus deformed and an introduction position where the ampul () is to be introduced into the collision cell ().

Alkali metal introduction apparatus and alkali metal introduction method

In a mass spectrometer for carrying out mass analysis while microscopically observing a two-dimensional area of a sample, the observation position for selecting a target portion while observing an image of the samplecaptured with a CCD camerais separated from the analysis position for carrying out the mass analysis of the sampleby delivering laser light from the laser-delivering unitonto the sample. The sampleis placed on a stage, which can be precisely moved between the observation position and the analysis position by a stage-driving mechanism. An observation optical systemcan be set close to the sampleat the observation position, without impeding the flight of the ions generated from the sampleduring the analysis or interfering with a laser-condensing optical system. Thus, the spatial resolution for observation is improved without deteriorating the ion-detecting efficiency.

Mass spectrometer

The present invention provides a laser irradiation mass spectrometer capable of analyzing components of living tissue or living cells with high accuracy. It includes a laser unit for irradiating a sample with a beam of laser light and controlling the irradiation spot of the laser beam on the sample; and a mass analyzer for performing a mass analysis of the ions generated at the irradiation spot, where the mass analyzer uses a frequency-driven ion trap and a time-of-flight mass spectrometer to carry out the mass analysis. The ion trap of this system assuredly traps ions having large mass to charge ratios, and enables the system to carry out analyses on samples of large molecules. Preferably, a digital driving method is used to drive the aforementioned frequency-driven ion trap. Also, a multi-turn time-of-flight mass spectrometer may preferably be used as the aforementioned time-of-flight mass spectrometer.

Laser irradiation mass spectrometer

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Aichi, Japan

Shuichi Shimma