MALDI Spot Focusing Method
Battelle Number(s): 13549
Patent(s) Issued
Available for licensing in all fields
Available for licensing in all fields
Schematic of MALDI spot focusing device in which light from a laser source on the right is transmitted through a fiber optic cable into a microscopic objective positioned under a MALDI sample holder on the left. Transmission of light through the objective is capable of producing a submicron spot size that provides high resolution images detailing individual protein locations within a sample. (Full size image)
Summary
This invention enables Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI) at a submicron spot size. By focusing the MALDI ionization beam using a confocal microscopic objective, the technique allows one to ionize and image a sample with much higher spatial resolution than previously possible.
The higher spatial resolution afforded by the technique is thought to be of value in many biological analytical applications, particularly those involving microbial populations.