Patent ID: 8822142

Claim:
A method for the analysis of biological cells, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing multiple separated cells from a body fluid, a smear or a bone marrow; b) depositing individual cells provided in step a), with minimum possible overlap, to a support plate by gentle centrifuging, wiping or sedimenting; c) recording an image of the individual cells deposited in step b); d) determining position coordinates of the individual cells relative to the support plate using the image recorded in step c); e) covering, following step c), the support plate with a layer of crystals of matrix material, wherein the individual cells are not visible through the matrix material; f) acquiring, following step e), individual mass spectra of the individual cells utilizing the position coordinates determined in step d), with ionization of the cell constituents by matrix assisted laser desorption; and g) evaluating the mass spectra acquired in step f) to determine types, states or other characteristic features of the individual cells.