Ionization sources and mass analyzers in MS imaging.

Drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicology study is one important step in drug discovery and development. MS imaging has become one of the popular methods in this field. Here, selected ionization methods such as matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization, secondary ion MS and desorption electrospray ionization have been briefly discussed. To differentiate drug and drug metabolites from endogenous compounds present in the biological system, exact mass and/or tandem MS is necessary. As a result, mass analyzers such as time-of-flight, Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance or Orbitrap are often the method of choice and are briefly introduced.