IBO has selected Bruker’s MALDI Tissuetyper Solution with rapifleX MALDI-TOF MS as the product of the show for this year’s ASMS annual meeting. The system features performance improvements over other MALDI imaging instruments, in particular, its ability to provide acquisition of up to 50 pixels at fewer than 10 µm/sec, and a new 3-D laser with a repetition rate of up to 10 kHz—markedly higher than other models. The Tissuetyper is currently targeted to the European clinical research market and will be available in the third quarter of this year.

The system is designed for MALDI imaging in pathological applications, and combines with several integrated software solutions to aid in acquiring and visualizing sample images. The Tissuetyper displays peptides and small proteins by extracting molecular information as a proteomic fingerprint and does not require a molecular probe or antibody for histology. The primary components are the new smartbeam 3-D laser and ion source, specifically designed for MALDI tissue typing. With a laser diameter of 5 µm, the 10 kHz laser is able to scan the full area of each pixel as it moves. The laser is independent from the sample stage, maximizing the sample area for each pixel, resulting in improved imaging.

In touch with ASMS’s theme this year, the rapifleX MALDI Tissuetyper is poised to provide the clinical market with a solution for ultrafast MALDI imaging that is acceptable on a clinical level. Regulations permitting, the system has the potential to have a high impact on the burgeoning use of MS in the clinical space.