Patent ID: 7855359

Claim:
A mass spectrometer equipped with a MALDI ion source structured to receive a sample plate and a mass analyzer adapted to perform mass analysis by ionizing spots of a sample adhered at different locations on a surface of a sample plate by irradiating the spots of the sample with laser light in turn to ionize the spots of the sample and introducing obtained sample ions into the mass analyzer to obtain mass spectra of the spots of the sample, means for observing the spots of the sample adhered at different locations on the surface of the sample plate, a data processing portion having associated memory with a stored program for processing data derived from the mass spectra and calibrating said data according to spot position on and topography of the sample plate, and reading means, wherein a code or mark indicating identification information about the sample plate is formed on the surface of the sample plate such that the code or mark can be read by reading means, and wherein the identification information about the sample plate read by the reading means is combined with the data derived from the mass spectra and stored in memory.