Ionization device, mass spectrometry apparatus, mass spectrometry method, and imaging system

A mass spectrometry apparatus comprising:

• a holding table configured to hold a specimen to be ionized;
• a probe configured to identify a portion of the specimen to be ionized;
• an ion extraction electrode configured to extract ions obtained by ionizing the specimen;
• a liquid supplying unit configured to supply liquid to between the specimen and the probe to form a liquid bridge between the specimen and the probe;
• a vibrating unit configured to vibrate one of the probe and the holding table;
• an electric field generating unit configured to generate an electric field between the probe and the ion extraction electrode;
• a mass spectrometry unit configured to mass analyze ions extracted by the ion extraction electrode;
• and
• a synchronization unit configured to synchronize a time at which ions are generated from the portion with a time at which the mass spectrometry unit measures the ions.

A mass spectrometry method for ionizing a specimen and performing mass spectrometry, comprising:

• causing a probe to move closer to, or be in contact with, a portion of a specimen to be ionized and forming a liquid bridge between the specimen and the probe;
• generating ions from liquid deposited to the probe and directing the ions to a mass spectrometry unit that performs mass spectrometry;
• and
• mass analyzing the ions,
• wherein a time at which ions are generated from the portion of the specimen identified by the probe is synchronized with a time at which the mass spectrometry unit measures the ions.

An ionization device comprising:

• a holding table configured to hold a specimen;
• a probe configured to identify a portion of the specimen to be ionized;
• an ion extraction electrode configured to extract ions obtained by ionizing the specimen;
• a liquid supplying unit configured to supply liquid to between the specimen and the probe so as to form a liquid bridge between the specimen and the probe;
• and
• a voltage applying unit configured to apply a voltage between a portion of the probe in contact with the liquid bridge and the ion extraction electrode,
• wherein at least the probe has a vibrating unit that repeatedly moves the probe close to the holding table and moves the probe away from the holding table, and
• wherein the vibrating unit vibrates the probe at least at two different frequencies, one of which is a frequency for forming the liquid bridge and the other of which is a frequency that is greater than the frequency for forming the liquid bridge.

An ionization method comprising:

• causing a probe to move closer to a surface of a specimen held by the holding table and identifying a portion of the specimen to be ionized;
• supplying liquid to form a liquid bridge between the specimen and the probe;
• and
• directing ions to a mass spectrometry unit by applying a voltage between a portion of the probe in contact with the liquid bridge and an ion extraction electrode,
• wherein vibration that repeatedly moves the probe closer to the holding table and away from the holding table occurs, and
• wherein the vibration has at least two different frequencies, one of which is a frequency for forming the liquid bridge and the other of which is a frequency for vibrating the probe that is higher than the frequency for forming the liquid bridge.