Development of a Mass Spectrometry Imaging Method “t-SPESI” to Combine Atomic Force Microscopy and Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Biological tissues contain a wide variety of chemical components, and their amount and distribution change dynamically depending on health conditions. Mass spectrometry imaging has the potential for biomedical applications due to its unique ability to measure local chemical components as a mass spectrum and visualize the distribution of chemical compounds in a sample. In this article, we introduce the research and development of tapping-mode scanning probe electrospray ionization (t-SPESI). t-SPESI is a combination of atomic force microscopy and mass spectrometry, which uses a vibrating capillary probe to perform a rapid extraction and ionization as well as mass spectrometry imaging. Mass spectrometry imaging of biological tissues allowed us to visualize the distribution of disease-related components in the tissues. In addition, multimodal imaging by t-SPESI was achieved by applying the elemental technologies of atomic force microscopy, namely, probe vibration information measurement and feedback control.