Purdue improves the mass spectrometer

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., March 16 (UPI) -- Purdue University scientists say their new ultra-fast chemical-analysis tool has numerous promising uses from medicine to bioterrorism prevention.

In medicine, the analytical chemists say the technology -- called desorption electrospray ionization, or DESI -- can rapidly detect the boundaries of cancerous tumors, providing information that could help surgeons remove an entire tumor.

"I wouldn't be surprised if pathologists are using this in operating rooms within two years," said R. Graham Cooks, a professor of analytical chemistry.

The new technology simplifies the use of a mass spectrometer -- an analytical device long used in modern laboratories. The Purdue researchers say they've modified mass spectrometry to make it faster, more versatile and more portable.

"The theme in our lab is 'Don't mess with chemicals,' meaning we don't undertake the usual chemical separations and manipulations needed for conventional mass spectrometry," said Cooks, who has developed a wand-like probe that can quickly gather chemical information from samples in the environment.

A review paper about DESI and related techniques appears in the March 17 issue of the journal Science.