Laser ablation cell

A laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) system for imaging of biological samples, comprising:

• a laser ablation cell comprising a flow channel and a sample chamber;
• wherein the flow channel extends from a carrier gas inlet to a mixed gas outlet;
• wherein the carrier gas inlet is outside the sample chamber;
• wherein the flow channel comprises a lateral opening and a lateral window;
• wherein the sample chamber comprises a sheath gas inlet;
• a laser adapted to shoot a laser beam through both the lateral window and the lateral opening of the ablation cell and impinge on the surface of a sample received by the sample chamber to generate a plume from the sample;
• an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) torch coupled to an outlet of the ablation cell for receiving and ionizing the plume;
• and
• a mass analyzer coupled to the ICP torch.

A laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) system for imaging of biological samples, comprising:

• a laser ablation cell comprising a flow channel and a sample chamber;
• wherein the flow channel extends from a carrier gas inlet to a mixed gas outlet;
• wherein the flow channel comprises a lateral opening and a lateral window;
• wherein the sample chamber comprises a sheath gas inlet;
• wherein carrier gas flowing through the carrier gas inlet does not pass through the sample chamber;
• a laser adapted to shoot a laser beam through both the lateral window and the lateral opening of the ablation cell and impinge on the surface of a sample received by the sample chamber to generate a plume from the sample;
• an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) torch coupled to an outlet of the ablation cell for receiving and ionizing the sample;
• and
• a mass analyzer coupled to the ICP torch.