A High-Lateral Resolution MALDI Microprobe Imaging Mass Spectrometer Utilizing an Aspherical Singlet Lens

We report the construction of a MALDI imaging mass spectrometer equipped with a specially designed laser focusing lens, a compact aspherical singlet lens, that obtains a high-lateral imaging resolution in the microprobe mode. The lens is specially designed to focus the ionization laser (${\lambda}$ = 355 nm) down to a $1{\mu}m$ diameter with a long working distance of 34.5 mm. With the lens being perpendicular to the sample surface and sharing the optical axis with the ion path, the imaging mass spectrometer achieved an imaging resolution of as good as $5{\mu}m$ along with a high detection sensitivity of 100 fmol for peptides. The mass resolution was about 900 (m/${\Delta}m$) in the linear TOF mode. The high-resolution capability of this instrument will provide a new research opportunity for label-free imaging studies of various samples including tissues and biochips, even for the study at a single cell level in the future.