Abstract: A sample group forming section 24 classifies samples derived from microorganisms into groups according to empirical information showing the species or strain of each sample. A differential analysis section 27 performs a differential analysis using a peak matrix created based on the result of the grouping. An operator enters group rearrangement conditions concerning the drug resistance of microorganisms. Under the entered conditions, a sample group rearranging/rearrangement-cancelling section 25 rearranges the already formed groups by selecting or merging groups using another kind of previously registered empirical information which shows the drug resistance of each group. The differential analysis section 27 performs a differential analysis using a peak matrix newly created based on the result of the rearrangement of the groups. Thus, differential analysis results concerning the resistance to different drugs can be sequentially acquired as the group rearrangement condition is successively changed.

Abstract: In a system for depositing a matrix film by nebulizing a matrix solution to a sample plate on which a sample is placed, a chamber is filled with a dry gas by supplying the dry gas into the chamber in a state where the sample plate is housed in the chamber (step S12), thereafter, the supply of the dry gas to the chamber is stopped (step S14), and in this state, a solution containing a matrix substance used for a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization method is nebulized toward the sample plate (step S15). As a result, it is possible to enhance the extraction efficiency of the measurement target component in the sample into the matrix solution while suppressing the size of the crystal particles formed on the sample plate, and it is possible to stably achieve high spatial resolution and high detection sensitivity in mass spectrometry imaging.

Abstract: An analysis method includes: acquiring data corresponding to a mass spectrum obtained by subjecting a sample containing a microorganism to mass spectrometry; and acquiring information on Group A Streptococcus of emm type 1, based on the presence or absence, or magnitude of a peak in a first range of m/z of 10930 or more to 10945 or less in the mass spectrum.

Abstract: The compound list stored in identification information memory is populated with theoretical masses associated with a variety of compounds, as well as information such as the type of matrix capable of detecting said compound, potential neutral loss, etc. The adduct ion list, meanwhile, is populated with theoretical masses associated with a variety of adduct ions, as well as other information such as types of matrices capable of producing adducts, etc. When a user specifies a peak on the mass spectrum for a compound search, compound candidate search portion extracts combination candidates based on how well the measured m/z value of the specified peak matches the m/z value for combinations of compounds in the compound list and adduct ions in the adduct ion list, while the type of matrix used during measurement serves as a condition to narrow down the combinations. Display processing portion displays a list of the search results.

Abstract: A sample plate for a solid sample includes a plate-shaped main body and lid. The main body has a concave portion, in which a sample placement platform shaped like a cylinder protrudes from the central area of the bottom surface of the concave portion. The lid has a funnel-shaped opening bored at a position immediately above the concave portion. The diameter of the opening on the lower side is approximately the same as that of the sample placement platform. After a sample, e.g. a biological tissue section, is placed in the concave portion, the lid is closed. Then, the lower wall surface of the lid surrounding the opening presses the sample downward. The sample is thereby sandwiched between the lower wall surface and the sample placement platform. A solvent for ionization is injected into the opening whose lower side is thus closed by the sample.

Abstract: A sample plate for a solid sample includes a plate-shaped main body and lid. The main body has a concave portion, in which a sample placement platform shaped like a cylinder protrudes from the central area of the bottom surface of the concave portion. The lid has a funnel-shaped opening bored at a position immediately above the concave portion. The diameter of the opening on the lower side is approximately the same as that of the sample placement platform. After a sample, e.g. a biological tissue section, is placed in the concave portion, the lid is closed. Then, the lower wall surface of the lid surrounding the opening presses the sample downward. The sample is thereby sandwiched between the lower wall surface and the sample placement platform. A solvent for ionization is injected into the opening whose lower side is thus closed by the sample.

Abstract: The user specifies regions of interest (ROIs) such as a region where a large amount of compound to be identified is estimated to be included and a region where the compound is overlapped with another compound on one or more specific MS images, and specifies addition or subtraction of the ROIs. For each of the specified ROIs, an average MS/MS spectrum is calculated from MS/MS spectrum data at measurement points in the regions, and the average MS/MS spectra at the ROIs are subjected to addition or subtraction, to obtain an MS/MS spectrum. By addition between the ROIs, the intensity of peak derived from the target compound can be increased. By subtraction between the ROIs, a peak derived from the other compound overlapped with the target compound can be removed. When the MS/MS spectrum after addition or subtraction is subjected to library search for identification, a score indicating the similarity of the spectrum is higher than the conventional score, and the identification accuracy can be improved.

Abstract: In a system for depositing a matrix film by nebulizing a matrix solution onto a sample plate P to which a sample is attached, a chamber 10 housing a sample stage 11 to which a sample plate is attached, a nebulizing nozzle 20 for nebulizing the matrix solution onto the sample stage, a gas inlet 14 formed in the chamber, replacement gas suppliers 40, 41, 42, 43, 47 for supplying a replacement gas to the gas inlet, and replacement gas diffusers 15, 17 for diffusing a flow of the replacement gas in the chamber are provided. According to such a configuration, it is possible to perform gas replacement in the chamber while preventing the formation of a humidity gradient due to the gas flow of the replacement gas. As a result, the humidity in the chamber is kept constant and uniform, and the size of a crystal grain formed on the sample plate and the extraction efficiency of the sample components by the matrix solution can be stabilized.

Abstract: An apparatus that identifies the type of a test cell based on a result obtained by performing mass spectrometry on the test cell includes a higher-level database, which contains mass lists that each list ion mass values of constituent components of a known cell, and a lower-level database, which contains partial mass lists that each list only strain-specific ion mass values out of the ion mass values. The higher-level database is first searched for a test mass list which is created from the result of the mass spectrometry performed on the test cell, and based on a result of the search, an organism species to be searched in the following search operation is determined. Mass values common to the organism species are subsequently deleted from the mass list for the test cell, and the mass list having undergone the deletion operation is used to search the lower-level database.

Abstract: A sample group forming section 24 classifies samples derived from microorganisms into groups according to empirical information showing the species or strain of each sample. A differential analysis section 27 performs a differential analysis using a peak matrix created based on the result of the grouping. An operator enters group rearrangement conditions concerning the drug resistance of microorganisms. Under the entered conditions, a sample group rearranging/rearrangement-cancelling section 25 rearranges the already formed groups by selecting or merging groups using another kind of previously registered empirical information which shows the drug resistance of each group. The differential analysis section 27 performs a differential analysis using a peak matrix newly created based on the result of the rearrangement of the groups. Thus, differential analysis results concerning the resistance to different drugs can be sequentially acquired as the group rearrangement condition is successively changed.

Abstract: An apparatus that identifies the type of a test cell based on a result obtained by performing mass spectrometry on the test cell includes a higher-level database, which contains mass lists that each list ion mass values of constituent components of a known cell, and a lower-level database, which contains partial mass lists that each list only strain-specific ion mass values out of the ion mass values. The higher-level database is first searched for a test mass list which is created from the result of the mass spectrometry performed on the test cell, and based on a result of the search, an organism species to be searched in the following search operation is determined. Mass values common to the organism species are subsequently deleted from the mass list for the test cell, and the mass list having undergone the deletion operation is used to search the lower-level database.

Abstract: An optical image formation unit forms an optical image of an interest region based on data obtained through image acquiring of the surface of a specimen. An intensity image production unit produces an intensity image illustrating ion spatial distribution at an m/z value specified based on mass spectrum data obtained for each measurement point in the interest region. An image superimposing processor produces an image by superimposing the optical image and the intensity image at a predetermined m/z value in accordance with an instruction from a user, and a display processor displays the image on a screen of a display unit. When the user performs a predetermined operation, the display processor displays a set screen for adjusting the brightness and contrast of the optical image, and an image parameter adjustment unit changes the brightness and contrast of the optical image in the superimposed image independently from the intensity image.

Abstract: An apparatus that identifies the type of a test cell based on a result obtained by performing mass spectrometry on the test cell includes a higher-level database, which contains mass lists that each list ion mass values of constituent components of a known cell, and a lower-level database, which contains partial mass lists that each list only strain-specific ion mass values out of the ion mass values. The higher-level database is first searched for a test mass list which is created from the result of the mass spectrometry performed on the test cell, and based on a result of the search, an organism species to be searched in the following search operation is determined. Mass values common to the organism species are subsequently deleted from the mass list for the test cell, and the mass list having undergone the deletion operation is used to search the lower-level database.

Abstract: The compound list stored in identification information memory is populated with theoretical masses associated with a variety of compounds, as well as information such as the type of matrix capable of detecting said compound, potential neutral loss, etc. The adduct ion list, meanwhile, is populated with theoretical masses associated with a variety of adduct ions, as well as other information such as types of matrices capable of producing adducts, etc. When a user specifies a peak on the mass spectrum for a compound search, compound candidate search portion extracts combination candidates based on how well the measured m/z value of the specified peak matches the m/z value for combinations of compounds in the compound list and adduct ions in the adduct ion list, while the type of matrix used during measurement serves as a condition to narrow down the combinations. Display processing portion displays a list of the search results.

Abstract: The user specifies regions of interest (ROIs) such as a region where a large amount of compound to be identified is estimated to be included and a region where the compound is overlapped with another compound on one or more specific MS images, and specifies addition or subtraction of the ROIs. For each of the specified ROIs, an average MS/MS spectrum is calculated from MS/MS spectrum data at measurement points in the regions, and the average MS/MS spectra at the ROIs are subjected to addition or subtraction, to obtain an MS/MS spectrum. By addition between the ROIs, the intensity of peak derived from the target compound can be increased. By subtraction between the ROIs, a peak derived from the other compound overlapped with the target compound can be removed. When the MS/MS spectrum after addition or subtraction is subjected to library search for identification, a score indicating the similarity of the spectrum is higher than the conventional score, and the identification accuracy can be improved.

Abstract: After a sample such as a biomedical tissue section is attached to an electrically-conductive slide glass (S1), the film layer of a matrix substance is appropriately formed by vapor deposition so as to cover the sample (S2). The crystal of the matrix substance in the film layer is very fine and uniform. Subsequently, the slide glass on which the matrix film layer is formed is placed in a vaporized solvent atmosphere, and the solvent infiltrates into the matrix film layer (S3). When the solvent sufficiently infiltrated is vaporized, a substance to be measured in the sample takes in the matrix and re-crystallized. Furthermore, the matrix film layer is formed again on the surface by the vapor deposition (S4). The added matrix film layer absorbs excessive energy of a laser beam during MALDI, which suppresses the denaturation of the substance to be measured and the like, so that high detection sensitivity can be achieved while high spatial resolution is maintained.

Abstract: After a sample such as a biomedical tissue section is attached to an electrically-conductive slide glass (S1), the film layer of a matrix substance is appropriately formed by vapor deposition so as to cover the sample (S2). The crystal of the matrix substance in the film layer is very fine and uniform. Subsequently, the slide glass on which the matrix film layer is formed is placed in a vaporized solvent atmosphere, and the solvent infiltrates into the matrix film layer (S3). When the solvent sufficiently infiltrated is vaporized, a substance to be measured in the sample takes in the matrix and re-crystallized. Furthermore, the matrix film layer is formed again on the surface by the vapor deposition (S4). The added matrix film layer absorbs excessive energy of a laser beam during MALDI, which suppresses the denaturation of the substance to be measured and the like, so that high detection sensitivity can be achieved while high spatial resolution is maintained.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a reactor plate which prevents the entry of foreign matter from the outside and the pollution of a surrounding environment. A reactor plate (1) includes a reaction well (5), a reaction well channel connected to the reaction well (5), and reaction well air vent channels (19) and (21) connected to the reaction well (5). The reaction well channel has a main channel (13), a metering channel (15) branched off the main channel (13), and an injection channel (17) of which one end is connected to the metering channel (15) and the other end is connected to the reaction well (5). The main channel (13) and the reaction well air vent channel (21) can be hermetically sealed.

Abstract: After a sample such as a biomedical tissue section is attached to an electrically-conductive slide glass (S1), the film layer of a matrix substance is appropriately formed by vapor deposition so as to cover the sample (S2). The crystal of the matrix substance in the film layer is very fine and uniform. Subsequently, the slide glass on which the matrix film layer is formed is placed in a vaporized solvent atmosphere, and the solvent infiltrates into the matrix film layer (S3). When the solvent sufficiently infiltrated is vaporized, a substance to be measured in the sample takes in the matrix and re-crystallized. Furthermore, the matrix film layer is formed again on the surface by the vapor deposition (S4). The added matrix film layer absorbs excessive energy of a laser beam during MALDI, which suppresses the denaturation of the substance to be measured and the like, so that high detection sensitivity can be achieved while high spatial resolution is maintained.

Abstract: An apparatus that identifies the type of a test cell based on a result obtained by performing mass spectrometry on the test cell includes a higher-level database, which contains mass lists that each list ion mass values of constituent components of a known cell, and a lower-level database, which contains partial mass lists that each list only strain-specific ion mass values out of the ion mass values. The higher-level database is first searched for a test mass list which is created from the result of the mass spectrometry performed on the test cell, and based on a result of the search, an organism species to be searched in the following search operation is determined. Mass values common to the organism species are subsequently deleted from the mass list for the test cell, and the mass list having undergone the deletion operation is used to search the lower-level database.