Patent ID: 8778695

Claim:
A method of assessing a state of disease or tissue development in a specimen from a subject, comprising: (a) generating a solid state first specimen that has not been subjected to homogenization, release of cellular components, centrifugation or cell fractionation; (b) subjecting a first spot of a first specimen to desorption ionization to release a first plurality of proteins; (c) obtaining a first set of data comprising positional information on the first spot and a mass spectrum of the first plurality of proteins; (d) moving the first specimen a predetermined linear distance or generating a second solid state specimen, wherein the second specimen comprises a tissue that is related to the first specimen in time or tissue type; (e) subjecting a second spot of the first or the second specimen to desorption ionization to release a second plurality of proteins; (f) obtaining a second set of data comprising positional information on the second spot and a mass spectrum of the second plurality of proteins; (g) comparing the first data set with the second data set and identifying protein molecular changes and positional changes between the first and second spots; and (h) assessing a state of a disease or tissue development in the subject based on the identified protein molecular and positional changes.