| abstract |
A mass and/or ion mobility spectrometer comprises a first device adapted to accommodate a biopsy sample, a second device adapted to generate analyte ions from a sample within said first device, wherein said second device can generate analyte ions from a first position on said biopsy sample at a first time, and from a second position on said biopsy sample at a second time, and further comprising an analyser arranged and adapted to analyse said analyte ions. The second device preferably comprises an ambient ionisation ion source, for example for rapid evaporative ionisation mass spectrometry (“REIMS”) or desorption electrospray ionisation (“DESI”). A method of mass spectrometry or ion mobility spectrometry comprises providing a biopsy sample and generating analyte ions from first and second positions on said biopsy sample at two different times, and analysing the generated ions. A further method comprises sampling tissue using a biopsy needle to produce first and second biopsy samples, analysing the first biopsy sample in a first mode of operation comprising generating analyte ions from said first biopsy sample and analysing said analyte ions; and analysing the second biopsy sample in a different mode of operation. |