With improved performances,
miniature mass spectrometers are becoming
suitable for more practical applications. At the same time, the coupling
of an approximate ionization source is essential in terms of minimizing
sample preparation and broadening the range of samples that could
be analyzed. In this study, an atmospheric pressure laserspray ionization
(AP-LSI) source was coupled with our home developed miniature ion
trap mass spectrometer. The whole system is compact in size, and biological
samples could be directly analyzed with minimum sample preparation.
Direct detections of peptides, proteins, drugs in whole blood, and
urine could be achieved with high sensitivity. The analyses of tissue
sections were demonstrated, and different regions in a tissue section
could be differentiated based on their lipid profiles. Results suggest
that the coupling of AP-LSI with miniature mass spectrometer is a
powerful technique, which could potentially benefit target molecule
analysis in biological and medical applications
