Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method for inspecting a sample comprising the steps of:providing a wavefront of photons from a photon source;transforming the wavefront of photons into a uniform intensity profile;selectively varying the spatial distribution of photons within said uniform intensity profile to construct a photon pattern using a digital micro-mirror array;focusing said photon pattern on at least a portion of a sample; and,desorbing, and optionally ionizing, at least a portion of said sample. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising mass spectrometric analysis of said sample after said step of desorbing. 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising ion mobility spectrometric analysis of said sample after said step of desorbing. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of providing comprises generating photons from a radiation source selected from the group consisting of a laser, a Nernst glower, a globar, an arc discharge, a plasma discharge, a hollow cathode lamp, a synchrotron, a flashlamp, a resistively heated source, and any combination thereof. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of transforming comprises using one or more refractive homogenizer optical elements. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein said one or more refractive homogenizer optical elements is selected from the group consisting of a prism homogenizer, a crossed-cylindrical lens array, an off-axis cylindrical lens, and any combination thereof. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of transforming comprises using one or more non-refractive homogenizer optical elements. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said one or more non-refractive homogenizer optical elements is selected from the group consisting of a reflective non-refractive optical element, a diffractive non-refractive optical element, and any combination thereof. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of transforming comprises using a waveguide. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein said waveguide is a fiber optic. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein said sample is biological tissue. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein said biological tissue is plant or animal tissue. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein said sample is a laser microcapture dissection sample. 14. The method of claim 1, wherein said sample is selected from the group consisting of a protein, a nucleotide, a nucleic acid, a deoxynucleic acid, a protein microarray, a nucleotide microarray, a nucleic acid microarray, a deoxynucleic acid microarray, an immobilized biological material, a patterned biological material, and any combination thereof. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein said sample is selected from the group consisting of inorganic samples, semiconductors, ceramics, polymers, composites, metals, alloys, glasses, fibers, and any combination thereof. 16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of correcting said spatial distribution for perspective distortion. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of correcting comprises using selected photon patterns for said step of focusing, said selected photon patterns designed to eliminate perspective distortion. 18. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of correcting comprises calibrating for perspective distortion using an image captured by a CCD array. 19. An apparatus for inspecting a sample, said apparatus comprising:a source for providing a wavefront of photons, said source having sufficient power to desorb, and optionally ionize, at least a portion of said sample;means for transforming the wavefront of photons into a uniform intensity profile, said means for transforming being fluidly coupled to said source;a digital micro-mirror array for selectively varying the spatial distribution of photons within said uniform intensity profile to construct a photon pattern, said digital micro-mirror array being fluidly coupled to said means for transforming;means for focusing said photon pattern onto said sample, said means for focusing being fluidly coupled to said means for selectively varying digital micro-mirror array. 20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a mass spectrometer fluidly coupled to said sample such that at least a portion of material desorbed and optionally ionized from said sample enters said mass spectrometer. 21. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising an ion mobility spectrometer fluidly coupled to said sample such that at least a portion of material desorbed and optionally ionized from said sample enters said ion mobility spectrometer. 22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said source is selected from the group consisting of a laser, a Nernst glower, a globar, an arc discharge, a plasma discharge, a hollow cathode lamp, a synchrotron, a flashlamp, a resistively heated source, and any combination thereof. 23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said means for transforming comprises one or more refractive homogenizer optical elements. 24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said one or more refractive homogenizer optical elements is selected from the group consisting of a prism homogenizer, a crossed-cylindrical lens array, an off-axis cylindrical lens, and any combination thereof. 25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said means for transforming comprises one or more non-refractive homogenizer optical elements. 26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said one or more non-refractive homogenizer optical elements is selected from the group consisting of a reflective homogenizer optical element, a diffractive homogenizer optical element, and any combination thereof. 27. A method for inspecting a sample comprising the steps of:providing a plurality of wavefronts of photons from a plurality of photon sources;transforming said plurality of wavefronts into a plurality of uniform intensity profiles;selectively varying the spatial distribution of photons within said uniform intensity profiles to construct a plurality of photon patterns using a digital micro-mirror array;focusing said plurality photon patterns onto a sample; and,desorbing, and optionally ionizing, at least a portion of said sample to form a plurality of packets of desorbed and optionally ionized material. 28. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of mass spectrometric analysis of said sample after said step of desorbing, said step of mass spectrometric analysis being performed with one or more mass spectrometers. 29. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of ion mobility spectrometric analysis of said sample after said step of desorbing, said step of ion mobility spectrometric analysis being performed with one or more ion mobility spectrometers. 30. The method of claim 27, wherein said step of providing comprises generating photons from a radiation source selected from the group consisting of a laser, a Nernst glower, a globar, an arc discharge, a plasma discharge, a hollow cathode lamp, a synchrotron, a flashlamp, a resistively heated source, and any combination thereof. 31. The method of claim 27, wherein said step of transforming comprises using one or more refractive homogenizer optical elements. 32. The method of claim 31, wherein said one or more refractive homogenizer optical elements is selected from the group consisting of a prism homogenizer, a crossed-cylindrical lens array, an off-axis cylindrical lens, and any combination thereof. 33. The method of claim 27, wherein said step of transforming comprises using one or more non-refractive homogenizer optical elements. 34. The method of claim 33, wherein said one or more non-refractive homogenizer optical elements is selected from the group consisting of a reflective non-refractive optical element, a diffractive non-refractive optical element, and any combination thereof. 35. The method of claim 27, wherein said step of transforming comprises transforming using a waveguide. 36. The method of claim 35 wherein said waveguide is a fiber optic. 37. The method of claim 27, wherein said sample is biological tissue. 38. The method of claim 37, wherein said biological tissue is plant or animal tissue. 39. The method of claim 27, wherein said sample is a laser microcapture dissection sample. 40. The method of claim 27, wherein said sample is selected from the group consisting of a protein, a nucleotide, a nucleic acid, a deoxynucleic acid, a protein microarray, a nucleotide microarray, a nucleic acid microarray, a deoxynucleic acid microarray, an immobilized biological material, a patterned biological material, and any combination thereof. 41. The method of claim 27, wherein said sample is selected from the group consisting of inorganic samples, semiconductors, ceramics, polymers, composites, metals, alloys, glasses, fibers, and any combination thereof. 42. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of correcting said spatial distribution for perspective distortion. 43. The method of claim 42, wherein said step of correcting comprises using selected photon patterns for said step of focusing, said selected photon patterns designed to eliminate perspective distortion. 44. The method of claim 42, wherein said step of correcting comprises calibrating for perspective distortion using an image captured by a CCD array. 45. The method of claim 27, wherein said plurality of photon patterns are noncongruent photon patterns. 46. A method for inspecting a sample comprising the steps of:providing a wavefront of photons from a photon source;transforming the wavefront of photons into a uniform intensity profile;selectively varying the spatial distribution of photons within said uniform intensity profile to construct a photon pattern using a digital micro-mirror array;focusing said photon pattern on at least a portion of a sample;desorbing, and optionally ionizing, at least a portion of said sample to form a desorbed sample; and,thereafter performing mass spectrometry, or ion mobility spectrometry, or a combination of ion mobility spectrometry and mass spectrometry on at least a portion of said desorbed and optionally ionized sample.