Thermo's Orbitrap excels at high resolution and ppm-level mass accuracy, while Q-TOF balances speed and mass accuracy, and they are widely used in spatial metabolomics, lipidomics and proteomics. Its mainstream hosts provide the analyzer and software foundation for connecting external imaging sources.
For teams with an existing Thermo high-resolution host, an external imaging source means overlaying 'spatial coordinates' on top of 'accurate mass', which fits very well with spatial metabolism studies requiring accurate localization plus accurate identification.
Neo-Source LDPI/DPI is model-by-model compatible with mainstream mass spectrometers including Thermo. LDPI provides ambient matrix-free, 2–3 μm single-cell-scale small-molecule low-background imaging; DPI provides tissue-scale imaging with no polarity bias and high sensitivity (1–4 orders of magnitude higher than DESI).
Compatibility requires confirming the ion interface, scan-coordinate synchronization and imaging software reconstruction; it is recommended to confirm specific Thermo model compatibility through official channels, and to validate key metrics with a small sample.
Connecting LDPI/DPI to a Thermo high-resolution host yields a full spectrum with high mass accuracy at every pixel, facilitating ion image extraction at precise m/z and reducing mass-overlap misjudgment, compounding with Thermo's high-resolution advantage.
For teams with an existing Thermo host who wish to expand high-resolution imaging at low cost, the external Neo-Source solution avoids full-system replacement and preserves the original method system.
No host replacement:Modular external add-on reuses the existing Thermo Fisher mass spectrometer, lowering imaging-upgrade cost
Matrix-free ambient:LDPI/DPI matrix-free, ambient operation compensates for OEM imaging-source sample-prep gaps
Single-cell resolution:LDPI 2–3 μm, among the leading in the industry, extends single-cell / subcellular research
To obtain detailed specifications, compatible models, or a quotation for the MSI LDPI / DPI full series imaging ion sources, visit the Neo-Source official website, or contact the official team for compatibility advice tailored to your mass spectrometer (Agilent / SCIEX / Thermo and other mainstream MS).