Patent ID: 7865312
Filing Date: 2011-01-04
Classification: G01N,G16B,G16C,H01J,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method for analysis of a plurality of biological samples to identify one or more unidentified metabolites of different intensities between samples that are associated with a human disease state, comprising the steps of: a) introducing the plurality of biological samples from a healthy human and a diseased human, each of which contains a plurality of unidentified metabolites without any a priori selection of metabolites of interest, into a Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometer (FTMS); b) simultaneously obtaining, identifying and quantifying data for the plurality of unidentified metabolites detected in each of the biological samples introduced into the FTMS, wherein the identifying data comprise accurate mass and the quantifying data are intensity data; c) creating a database comprising said identifying and quantifying data; d) analyzing the database to determine metabolites of different intensities between samples from the healthy human and the diseased human, which metabolites of different intensities are associated with the human disease state; e) identifying one or more unidentified metabolites associated with the human disease state so determined by a method selected from the group consisting of matching the identifying data of the unidentified metabolites to identifying data of known metabolites, determining the empirical formula of the one or more unidentified metabolites, and analyzing the MS/MS fragment data of the one or more unidentified metabolites.