Elemental Imaging of Biological Tissue

High-Resolution Elemental Imaging of Metals and Nanoparticles in Biological Tissue at Unprecedented Speed

All the elements, all the time.
High mass resolution

Precise isotope ratios
High speed detection

Background

Elemental Imaging of Biological Tissue

2D and 3D mass spectral imaging of biological tissue is a rapidly developing field. Knowledge of the distribution of essential major (P, S) and trace elements (K, Na, Fe, Zn, etc.) as well as toxic metals within tissue samples is of utmost importance for toxicology studies, cancer research, drug development, neurology and biology.

The ability to quantify species in the ppb to low ppm range is a major strength of laser ablation inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) imaging. In addition to analyzing essential metals and heteroatoms (P and S), ICP-MS can also be used for imaging and quantification of biomolecules, if labeled with specific element tags. The combination of the icpTOF with fast-washout laser ablation systems enables high-resolution, multi-elemental imaging of metals and nanoparticles in tissue at unprecedented speed.

Solutions

Biological Tissue Compositional Profiling Using the icpTOF
- All the elements. All the time. The icpTOF always records complete mass spectra, so you never miss an analyte or interference signal.
- High mass resolution. The icpTOF 2R has a mass resolving power of 6000 allowing you to separate interfering ions.
- Precise isotope ratios. The icpTOF simultaneously measures all isotopes, thus eliminating the susceptibility of your measurements to source and sample fluctuations. Precision approaches statistical limits.
- High speed detection. The icpTOF records a complete mass spectrum every 12-50 µs making it the optimum detector for fast transient signals such as individual cells and laser ablation pixels.
- Maximum sensitivity. The icpTOF S2 has maximum sensitivity to increase image resolution and detect smaller particles with high signal-to-noise ratio.
- Dedicated workflow for laser ablation imaging in TOFpilot with live preview
What is Laser Ablation ICP-MS Imaging?
Pt concentration map of 5-μm thin section of a rat kidney perfused with Cisplatin.