Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for efficiently handling a large amount of data collected by an imaging mass analysis to present significant information for the analysis of the tissue structure of a biological sample or other objects in an intuitively understandable form for analysis operators. For each pixel 8b on a sample 8, a mass-to-charge ratio m/z(i) corresponding to the maximum intensity MI(i) in a mass spectrum is listed, and the largest value MII of the maximum intensities of all the pixels are extracted. A color scale corresponding to the intensity values within a range of 0 to MII is defined. For each pixel, the maximum intensity MI is compared with the color scale to assign a color to that pixel. A mapping image with the pixels shown in the respective colors is created and displayed.

Abstract: An ionization device includes an ionization chamber (1) and a charging chamber (20) separately prepared therefrom. The ionization chamber (1) has a discharge electrode (6) and an opposing electrode (10) in an interior (4) of a case having an ionizing gas introducing inlet (14). The opposing electrode (10) has an orifice (8) communicating with outside and formed at a position opposing the tip end of the discharge electrode (6). The charging chamber (20) is arranged adjacent to the orifice (8) side of the ionization chamber (1). An introduction inlet (28) of a charge object introduction portion of the charging chamber (20) is arranged at the position near the exit of the orifice (8). The size of the orifice (8) is set so that the charge object is sucked therein by a negative pressure generated when a gas containing ions is sprayed from the exit of the orifice (8) into the charging chamber (20) and the ionization chamber (1) has a higher pressure than the charging chamber (20).

Abstract: While applying a square wave voltage to the ion electrode (21) so that ions already captured in the ion trap (20) do not disperse, the frequency of the square wave voltage is temporarily increased at the timing when the ions generated in response to the short time irradiation of a laser light reach the ion inlet (25). This decreases the Mathieu parameter qz, and the potential well becomes shallow, which makes it easy for ions to enter the ion trap (20). Although the ions that have been already captured become more likely to disperse, the frequency of the square wave voltage is decreased before they deviate from the stable orbit. Thus, the dispersion of the ions can also be avoided. Accordingly, while the number of captured ions is not decreased, new ions are further added, and thereby the amount of ions can be increased. By performing a mass separation and detection after that, the signal intensity in one mass analysis can be increased.

Abstract: The present invention provides an analyzing system with which a serial analysis inclusive of a pretreatment can be easily performed in a liquid chromatograph, and even unskilled users can perform a desired analysis. The analyzing system according to the present invention includes: an edit screen display section 31 for displaying an edit screen for allowing a user to create a pretreatment program using an external variable; a batch table display section 32 for displaying a batch table used for serially executing a plurality of analyses, the batch table having an external-variable setting field for allowing the user to enter the aforementioned external variable; and a serial analysis execution section 33 for serially executing each of the analyses inclusive of a pretreatment operation of an auto-sampler according to the pretreatment program and the batch table.

Abstract: To sustain uniform generation of plasma constantly over a large area. In the surface wave excitation plasma processing device, a plasma source includes: a microwave generator, a microwave waveguide and a dielectric block; and a plasma source also includes: a microwave generator, a microwave waveguide and a dielectric block. The lid of a chamber is fixed onto the microwave waveguides in parallel, and the dielectric blocks disposed in the chamber. A reflecting plate is disposed between the dielectric blocks so that electromagnetic waves propagating through the dielectric blocks are prevented from advancing into the counterpart dielectric blocks as reflected waves. Consequently, the plasma sources are controlled independently. Furthermore, a side reflector is disposed at outer circumference of each of the dielectric blocks so that a standing waves of the electromagnetic waves propagating through the dielectric blocks is formed thus forming a large area standing wave mode of surface waves uniformly.

Abstract: Ions originating from sample components are made to fly along a loop orbit (P) multiple times, and are deviated from the loop orbit (P) when a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the ejection of the ions. A time-of-flight spectrum recording unit (81) creates a time-of-flight spectrum based on the detected signal. If an overtaking of ions occurs on the loop orbit (P), the number of turns of peaks (ions) appearing on the spectrum cannot be determined. Given this factor, an isotopic peak detector (82) finds an isotopic peak group based on the time intervals and intensity ratio of a plurality of peaks appearing on the spectrum. A flight distance computation unit 83 uses the fact that the mass difference between adjacent peaks belonging to an isotopic peak group is 1 Da when ions are singly-charged, and computes the flight distance based on a predetermined formula.

Abstract: In a time-of-flight spectrum obtained when the overtaking of ions of different kinds has occurred, mass-to-charge ratios M1, M2, and M3 are computed with a predetermined conversion formula by using a plurality of assumed numbers of turns for one peak. Then, the flight times Tf1, Tf2, and Tf3 for an overtakingless measurement are computed by using an inverse conversion formula. If peaks respectively corresponding to the flight times Tf1, Tf2, and Tf3 for an overtakingless measurement exist on an overtakingless time-of-flight spectrum, their intensities i1, i2, and i3 are obtained. Then, the intensity Ia of the original peak is distributed to the mass-to-charge ratios M1, M2, and M3 in accordance with the intensity ratio. The same intensity distribution processing is performed for all or selected plural peaks. The intensities assigned to the same mass-to-charge ratio are integrated.

Abstract: The present invention aims at providing a method and apparatus for presenting, based on an enormous amount of data collected by an imaging mass analysis, information which is significant for understanding the tissue structure and other information of a biological sample and which is intuitively easy to understand to analysis operator. For each pixel 8b on a sample 8, the mass-to-charge ratio m/z (i) corresponding to the maximum intensity MI(i) in the mass spectrum is extracted, and all the pixels are grouped into clusters in accordance with their m/z (i). One cluster corresponds to one substance. Then, the largest maximum intensity MI(i) among the maximum intensities of the pixels included in a cluster is extracted as the representative maximum intensity MI(cj) for each cluster, and these representative maximum intensities MI(cj) are displayed with cluster number cj.

Abstract: Ions and charged droplets move from the nozzle (6) towards the orifice (22) of a charged-particle transport device or the desolvation pipe (7). This particle motion is governed by the distribution of the pseudo-potential along particle trajectories. There are RF-voltages applied to neighboring electrodes (241-246) of the electrode array (24) cause the charged particles to substantially hover above the electrode array (24). Right before the ions come to the electrode array (24) they thus experience a repelling force “F” perpendicular to the surface of the electrode array (24). This force “F” causes an effective barrier (B) right before the electrode array (24) and consequently a pseudo-potential well (A) where the charged particles stop their motion parallel to the plume axis (D). Thus they accumulate around the center line (C) of this well (A).

Abstract: One cycle of loop orbit is formed by two identical time-focusing unit structures (T1 and T2). Each of the time-focusing unit structures (T1 and T2) has a time-focusing point (P1) at the injection side and a time-focusing point (P2) at the ejection side. Each of them also has an injection-side free flight space (11) with a length of L1 and an ejection-side free flight space (12) with a length of L1, respectively anterior and posterior to a basic ion optical element (10) for causing ions to fly along a substantially arc-shaped orbit. Another basic ion optical element (30) having the same configuration as that of the basic ion optical element (10) is inserted to the injection-side free flight space (11) so that the distance between the ejection end of the basic ion optical element (30) and the injection end of the basic ion optical element (10) is L1?. The length L0 of the free flight space for injecting ions to the basic ion optical element (30) is set to be the value obtained by L0=2(L1+L2)?(L1?+L2).

Abstract: A shift of mass axis that occurs when the temperature of a vacuum container consisting of a vacuum chamber (15) and IT block (16) or that of a TOF power unit (20) for applying an ion acceleration voltage is changed, is respectively measured beforehand, and parameters expressing a transfer function based on its response are stored in a transfer function memory (24). During an analysis, a mass shift predicting operation section (25) estimates the current shift length of the mass axis from the current temperatures of the IT block (16) and TOF power unit (20) obtained by first and second temperature sensors (34 and 35) as well as from the two transfer functions stored in the memory (24). A mass shift correcting section (29) corrects the mass axis of the mass spectrum according to the estimated shift length.

Abstract: A sample injecting device is provided for reducing carryover. The sample injecting device includes the following mode: a needle is set at a low descending speed when sample is injected into an injection port in a total-volume injection manner by the sample injecting device. When the needle is in contact with the injection port, the needle is set at a low speed, thereby increasing the accuracy of the position of the needle relative to an injection hole and decreasing friction between the needle and the injection hole. Contaminants present in the injection hole are prevented from easily flowing from the injection hole into an analyzing flow path, so as to achieve an excellent low carryover.

Abstract: Problem: To provide a mass spectrometer wherein the door can be easily opened even when the door becomes stuck to a third wall surface.

Abstract: A time-of-flight measuring device for performing a hardware-based high-speed data compression process before transferring the data from a signal recorder to a data processor is provided. A time-series digital signal recorded by a signal recorder is converted to a plurality of time-series digital signals by being divided into a bit string including baseline information and a bit string not including the baseline information. Then, the time-series digital signal consisting of a bit string not including the baseline information is compressed by run-length encoding, such as zero length encoding or switched run-length encoding. Subsequently, static Huffman coding is performed on each of the time-series digital signals to reduce the data amount.

Abstract: When a sample plate 3 is set on a sample stage 2, an irradiation trace formation controller 22 appropriately moves the sample stage 2 and throws a short pulse of high-power laser beam to create an irradiation trace at a predetermined position on the sample plate 3. The irradiation trace has a unique shape. A microscopic image of the irradiation trace is captured and saved in an image storage section 32. After the sample plate 3 is temporarily removed from the stage 2 to apply a matrix to a sample, the sample plate 3 is re-set on the same stage 2. Then, the displacement of the sample plate 3 from its original position is calculated from the difference in the position of the irradiation trace between an image taken at that point in time and the image previously stored in the image storage section 32. Based on the calculated result, an analysis position corrector 24 modifies the position information of an area selected by an operator. Thus, the displacement of the re-set sample plate can be accurately detected.

Abstract: A PET instrument free from problems of maintenance of a detector when a field of view in a body axial direction of a subject is significantly enlarged. A gantry (1) is divided into a plurality of units (5) in the body axial direction of the subject. Each unit (5) is configured to be movable in an orthogonal direction to the body axial direction. Further, a number of detectors are provided in each unit (5) and arranged in its circumferential direction and the body axial direction.

Abstract: The present invention aims at providing a preparative separation/purification system for vaporizing an eluate in a short period of time, while enhancing the efficiency of collecting the target substance by accelerating the initiation of collecting the eluate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a data-processing system for measurement devices, which performs a step-by-step sequence of data-processing tasks. In a conventional data-processing system, a failure in one data-processing task also causes the subsequent tasks to be unsuccessful. In such a case, the conventional data-processing system indicates the result of each unsuccessful task or the final result of the analysis by displaying only a blank or a specific character (e.g. the digit “0”). From such simple information, users cannot immediately identify the cause of the error. In contrast, in the data-processing system according to the present invention, if a data-processing task has been incorrectly performed for some reason, an error detector detects the error, and an error investigator identifies the cause of the error.

Abstract: A variety of ions generated in an ion source are made to fly while bypassing a loop orbit and mass analyzed to create a mass spectrum. Among the peaks appearing on the mass spectrum, peaks complying with predetermined conditions are extracted to determine a plurality of mass ranges to be measured (S1 through S3). Next, the ion selection conditions for the timing when ions should be injected into the loop orbit and on the loop orbit are determined for each mass range. In addition, deviation conditions under which selected ions will not be mixed are determined (S4 and S5). When the second measurement is performed for the same sample, ions are put into the loop orbit and unnecessary ions are removed from the loop orbit in accordance with the ion selection conditions (S6 and S7). Thus, only the ions to be measured are left on the loop orbit with a high mass resolving power.

Abstract: A first mass analysis is executed in a condition that gas is not introduced into a loop-flight chamber (4), and a time-of-flight spectrum obtained in a data processor (12) is stored in a storage unit (13). Next, a second mass analysis is executed on the same sample as the one used in the first mass analysis in a condition that a valve (8) is opened and helium gas (He) is introduced into the loop-flight chamber (4), and the time-of-flight spectrum is obtained in the data processor (12). If different kinds of ions having the same m/z value exit, these ions form a single peak in the first time-of-flight spectrum, while these ions appear as separate peaks in the second time-of-flight spectrum even though they have the same m/z value. This is because, in the second mass analysis, the ions collide with the gas and have different times of flight depending on their difference in size.