Currently, tandem mass spectrometry is typically performed by selecting a single mass peak in a time of flight or quadrupole mass spectrometer, which is then fragmented through collision, after which the products are mass-selected in a quadrupole or similar secondary mass spectrometer. A Wayne State University researcher has developed an alternative approach which records the full 2-D tandem mass spectrum at once, revealing the correlations between the mass speaks formed in the first and second step. Velocity map imaging is coupled with pulsed electric deflection in a reflectron configuration to achieve spatially-resolved mass dispersion without the use of magnetic fields. Furthermore, when orthogonal deflection pulses are employed with an intervening fragmentation step such as laser induced fragmentation, then a two-dimensional image of the full tandem mass spectrum is obtained at once.
Commercial Applications
· Tandem mass spectrometry is proteomics applications and disease diagnosis
Technological Advantages
· Improves sensitivity and accuracy of mass spectrometry by recording a full 2-D tandem mass spectrum at once, whereas current applications rely on one-dimensional data recording
Patent Status
U.S. Patent 7,534,996
Tech ID
06-787