Patent ID: 9279798
Filing Date: 2016-03-08
CPC Classification: G01N,H01J

Claim Text:
1. A method of analyzing a complex biological sample in the form of an unfractionated serum or plasma sample which has been applied to a sample spot on a MALDI-TOF sample plate using a MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer instrument, comprising the steps of: directing at least 100,000 laser shots to the sample at the sample spot in accordance with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry; and collecting mass spectral data from the instrument; the method further comprising-the steps of: using image analysis of the sample plate to identify regions of relatively high or relatively low content of sample within the sample spot, and automatically controlling the direction of the at least 100,000 laser shots to the sample to regions of the sample spot having a relatively high content of sample.