Patent ID: 8598511

Claim:
A method of analyzing an analyte sample, comprising the steps of: dissolving a water-insoluble matrix in a mixture of water and organic solvent; adding an analyte to the matrix solution; applying the dissolved analyte-matrix solution to a mass spectrometry analyte support, wherein the mass spectrometry analyte support further comprises a support wafer further comprising at least an analysis face; and at least one analyte anchor disposed on the analysis face further comprising a plurality of nanotubes aligned perpendicularly to the analysis face; wherein the at least one analyte anchor has a diameter of about 150 μm to 200 μm; nucleating the dissolved analyte-matrix solution on the nanotubes of the support wafer; where the dissolved analyte preferentially nucleates on the plurality of nanotubes of the analyte support; lasing the plurality of nanotubes of the analyte support to ionize the nucleated analyte-matrix solution; analyzing the gas produced from ionized analyte-matrix solution.