Shot-to-shot sampling using a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer

A method comprising:

• irradiating a plurality of laser pulses on a sample to ionize at least a portion of the sample into at least one ionized particle;
• accelerating the at least one ionized particle into a flight tube;
• and
• detecting at an end of the flight tube the at least one ionized particle to independently measure a time of flight of the at least one ionized particle through the flight tube and an intensity of the at least one ionized particle for each pulse of the plurality of laser pulses;
• wherein:
• the independently measuring is performed by a detector to output data;
• the method comprises comparing the data output from the detector to a reference library of mass spectrometer reference data
• the method comprises at least one of manipulating and/or analyzing the data output from the detector prior to the comparing the data to the reference library;
• wherein the at least one of manipulating and/or analyzing comprises calibrating data produced by statistically analyzing the output data;
• the method comprises comprising statistically calibrating the output data to maximize the reproducibility of the data;
• wherein the statistically calibrating comprises calibrating intensities of the output data by eliminating outliers of the intensity data for each mass-to-charge (m/z) peak associated with the at least one ionized particle;
• wherein the calibrating comprises selecting at least one data set comprising the output data utilizing continuous data distribution analysis after the plurality of laser pulses.