A method of mass spectrometry comprising the steps of:nproviding a sample;performing a method of association of parent analyte ions from a first area of the sample with fragment ions from the first area of the sample comprising the steps of:exciting a first spot in the first area on the surface of the sample to produce a first set of parent analyte ions;determining the mass to charge ratio of at least some of the ions from the first set of parent analyte ions as a function of ion mobility of the ions;exciting a second spot in the first area on the surface to produce a second set of parent analyte ions;determining the ion mobility of at least some of the ions of the second set of parent analyte ions;fragmenting at least a portion of the second set of parent analyte ions to produce a set of fragment ions;determining the mass to charge ratio of at least some of the ions from the set of fragment ions as a function of the ion mobility of the ions from the second set of parent analyte ions;associating the set of fragment ions with the first set of parent analyte ions by comparison of the ion mobility of the ions from the first set of parent analyte ions with the ion mobility of the ions from the second set of parent analyte ions associated with the fragment ions;performing the method of association for at least a second area of the sample; andassigning at least one ion from the set of fragment ions to an ion in the first set of parent analyte ions by identifying changes between the quantity of a parent analyte ion in the first area and at least the second area and corresponding changes in the quantity of at least one fragment ion in the first area and at least the second area.
›2.↳ 1The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the change in the quantity of a parent analyte ion in the first area and at least the second area and corres…d2
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the change in the quantity of a parent analyte ion in the first area and at least the second area and corresponding changes in the quantity of at least one fragment ion in the first area and at least the second area are proportional to each other.
›3.↳ 1The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of determining the mass to charge ratio of at least some of the ions from the first set of parent a…d2+1
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of determining the mass to charge ratio of at least some of the ions from the first set of parent analyte ions as a function of ion mobility of the ions comprises the steps ofnseparating the ions in an ion mobility separator; anddetermining the mass to charge ratio of at least some of the separated ions.
›4.↳ 3The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the ion mobility separator separates ions into bunches, the ions in each bunch having substantially equal mo…d3
The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the ion mobility separator separates ions into bunches, the ions in each bunch having substantially equal mobility.
›5.↳ 1The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second spots are the same spot.d2
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second spots are the same spot.
›6.↳ 1The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second spot is proximate to the first spot.d2
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second spot is proximate to the first spot.
›7.↳ 1The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising providing a matrix to the sample surface prior to exciting the spots.d2
The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising providing a matrix to the sample surface prior to exciting the spots.
›8.↳ 1The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of:nassociating the set of fragment ions with the first set of parent analyte ions by comparison of…d2
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of:nassociating the set of fragment ions with the first set of parent analyte ions by comparison of the ion mobility of the ions from the first set of parent analyte ions with the ion mobility of the ions from the second set of parent analyte ions associated with the fragment ions,is performed before the step of:assigning at least one ion from the set of fragment ions to an ion in the first set of parent analyte ions by identifying changes between the quantity of a parent analyte ion in the first area and at least the second area and corresponding changes in the quantity of at least one fragment ion in the first area and at least the second area.
›9.↳ 1The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of:nassigning at least one ion from the set of fragment ions to an ion in the first set of parent a…d2
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of:nassigning at least one ion from the set of fragment ions to an ion in the first set of parent analyte ions by identifying changes between the quantity of a parent analyte ion in the first area and at least the second area and corresponding changes in the quantity of at least one fragment ion in the first area and at least the second area,is performed before the step of:associating the set of fragment ions with the first set of parent analyte ions by comparison of the ion mobility of the ions from the first set of parent analyte ions with the ion mobility of the ions from the second set of parent analyte ions associated with the fragment ions.
›10.↳ 1The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising identifying unseparated isomers from the ion mobility separator by identifying parent analyte ion…d2
The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising identifying unseparated isomers from the ion mobility separator by identifying parent analyte ions and unassociated fragment ions and reviewing combined intensities of two or more unassociated fragment ions with the parent analyte ions.
›11.↳ 1The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the steps of:nexciting a first spot in the first area on the surface of the sample to produce a first set of…d2
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the steps of:nexciting a first spot in the first area on the surface of the sample to produce a first set of parent analyte ions; anddetermining the mass to charge ratio of at least some of the ions of the first set of parent analyte ions as a function of ion mobility of the ions;are carried out after the steps of:exciting a second spot in the first area on the surface to produce a second set of parent analyte ions;determining the ion mobility of at least some of the ions from the second set of parent analyte ions;fragmenting at least a portion of the second set of parent analyte ions to produce a set of fragment ions; anddetermining the mass to charge ratio of at least some of the ions from the set of fragmented ions as a function of the ion mobility of the ions from the second set of parent analyte ions.
›12.↳ 1The method of mass spectrometry according to claim 1, further comprising the step of correlating at least two related parent analyte ions to one anoth…d2
The method of mass spectrometry according to claim 1, further comprising the step of correlating at least two related parent analyte ions to one another by:nidentifying changes between the respective quantities of two parent analyte ions in the first area and the respective quantities of two parent analyte ions in the second area.
›13.↳ 1The method of mass spectrometry according to claim 1, wherein the step of identifying changes in the respective quantities of parent and/or fragment i…d2
The method of mass spectrometry according to claim 1, wherein the step of identifying changes in the respective quantities of parent and/or fragment ions between the first and at least second areas comprises:nproducing a spectrum for the set of parent/fragment ions from the first area;producing a spectrum for the set of parent/fragment ions for at least the second area; andconducting image analysis on the respective spectra to identify common patterns.
›17.↳ 1A mass spectrometer comprising a computer program element comprising non-transitory computer readable code means for causing a processor to implement …d2
A mass spectrometer comprising a computer program element comprising non-transitory computer readable code means for causing a processor to implement the method of claim 1.
›18.↳ 1A non-transitory computer readable medium having a program stored thereon, where the program is configured to make a computer execute a procedure to i…d2
A non-transitory computer readable medium having a program stored thereon, where the program is configured to make a computer execute a procedure to implement the method of claim 1.
