Microfocused Nanoparticulate ions to enable intracellular molecular imaging.

描述(申请人提供)：在单个单元格的体积内，排列大量的信息。目前使用质谱仪进行分子成像的范围通常是用有机酸基质淹没细胞体积，只是为了获得可观察到的信号。这就是问题所在。将更多的基质放入分析物(即细胞体积)，固有地使通过有机酸进行细胞内成像变得不可能。因此，Ionwerks开发了一套全面的仪器和纳米颗粒制备技术，将二维离子迁移率质谱仪和纳米颗粒组织制备结合在一起，为组织分析提供了一种手段，同时保留了它们的组织学属性。我们的研究表明，植入组织内不同深度的纳米颗粒的亚单层提供了令人满意的信号水平。这意味着，颗粒与分析物的比率比典型的制剂要小得多：化学信息得到保存和观察。纳米颗粒还将被微聚焦，以实现独特的分子二次离子质谱仪(SIMS)。此外，我们正在开发小型OTOF MS探测器，它可以与前沿表面成像技术相结合，创建一种可以对表面/组织进行形态成像的成像平台，并可以记录抛射离子的质谱图。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Within the volume of a single cell, lines an extensive amount of information. The current scope of molecular imaging using mass spectrometry typically swamps the cell volume with organic acid matrix just to get observable signals. Herein lies the problem. Putting more matrix that there is analyte (i.e. cellular volume) inherently makes intracellular imaging via organic acids improbable. Therefore, Ionwerks has developed a comprehensive set of instrumentation, and nanoparticulate preparation techniques which combine two dimensional ion-mobility mass spectrometry and nanoparticulate tissue preparation which provide a means to analysis of tissues while preserving their histological attributes. Our research has demonstrated that sub-monolayers of nanoparticulates implanted into various depths within a tissue, provide agreeable signal levels. This means, the particulate to analyte ratio is much less that typical preparations: the chemical information is preserved and observable. The nanoparticulates will also be microfocused to allow for unique molecular secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Furthermore, we are developing small format oTOF MS detectors which can be combined with leading edge surface imaging techniques to create a one of a kind imaging platform from which surfaces / tissues can be morphologically imaged, and mass spectra of ejected ions can be recorded.