Patent ID: 7872223

Claim:
A mass spectrometer for performing a mass analysis in a one-dimensional area or a two-dimensional area on a sample, comprising: a) an irradiator for delivering an energy ray onto a one-dimensional area on a sample in order to ionize a sample component; b) a mass analyzer for collecting ions generated from an area irradiated with the energy ray, and for separating and detecting the ions according to their mass-to-charge ratio; c) a scanner for performing a linear scanning in which a relative position between the sample and the energy ray is linearly moved so that the area irradiated with the energy ray moves in a direction perpendicular to an extension direction of the irradiated area, and for performing a rotational scanning in which a relative position between the sample and the energy ray is rotationally moved so that the area irradiated with the energy ray rotates around an axis perpendicular to a surface of the sample; d) an analysis performing controller for controlling the irradiator, the mass analyzer, and the scanner so that the scanner performs a movement operation in which the area irradiated with the energy ray is linearly moved on the sample by a predetermined step every time a relative position between the sample and the energy ray is rotationally moved by a predetermined angle, the mass analyzer performs a measurement operation after every movement operation, and the movement operation and the measurement operation are repeated at least for a semiperimeter around the axis; and e) an image reconstruction unit for performing, based on mass spectrum information obtained by combining the linear scanning and the rotational scanning by the mass analyzer, a two-dimensional image reconstruction process by a computer tomography (CT) method to obtain a two-dimensional distribution image for a substance having an intended mass-to-charge ratio.