Abstract: The invention provides a method of design for a time-of-flight mass spectrometer that is compact and has high mass resolution over a broad range of ion masses. This method of design, for the high-resolution analysis of analyte ions in the time-of-flight mass spectrometer, includes decreasing the strength of the time-dependent extraction potential according to a predetermined continuous function so as to spread out the energy distribution of the ions and achieving high mass resolution over a broad range of masses without altering the time dependence or magnitude of the applied potentials, across the acceleration region and ion mirror, and the time-dependent extraction potential, and not changing the physical dimensions of the mass spectrometer. Using this method of design, mass resolution of approximately or greater than 10,000 can be achieved over approximately five orders of magnitude of mass for a time-of-flight mass spectrometer having a total overall length of less than 46 cm.

Abstract: A system and method for desorption and ionization of analytes in an ablation medium. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of preparing a sample having analytes in a medium including at least one component, freezing the sample at a sufficiently low temperature so that at least part of the sample has a phase transition, and irradiating the frozen sample with short-pulse radiation to cause medium ablation and desorption and ionization of the analytes. The method further includes the steps of selecting a resonant vibrational mode of at least one component of the medium and selecting an energy source tuned to emit radiation substantially at the wavelength of the selected resonant vibrational mode. The medium is an electrophoresis medium having polyacrylamide. In one embodiment, the energy source is a laser, where the laser can be a free electron laser tunable to generate short-pulse radiation. Alternatively, the laser can be a solid state laser tunable to generate short-pulse radiation.

Abstract: A system and method for desorption and ionization of analytes in an ablation medium. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of preparing a sample having analytes in a medium including at least one component, freezing the sample at a sufficiently low temperature so that at least part of the sample has a phase transition, and irradiating the frozen sample with short-pulse radiation to cause medium ablation and desorption and ionization of the analytes. The method further includes the steps of selecting a resonant vibrational mode of at least one component of the medium and selecting an energy source tuned to emit radiation substantially at the wavelength of the selected resonant vibrational mode. The medium is an electrophoresis medium having polyacrylamide. In one embodiment, the energy source is a laser, where the laser can be a free electron laser tunable to generate short-pulse radiation. Alternatively, the laser can be a solid state laser tunable to generate short-pulse radiation.