Devices for use in MALDI mass spectrometry

Abstract

An alignment plate is provided with a plurality of holes for guiding a pipette tip toward a sample plate of a MALDI mass spectrometer. Each of the holes is provided with a conical upper contour in order to guide the pipette tip toward a specific location on the sample plate. Two companion alignment plates are used in order to overlay two separate arrays of samples on the sample plate. For instance, a first of two alignment plates is formed with a 10×10 array of holes so that a 10×10 array of samples is deposited by the pipette tip onto the sample plate. The second of the two alignment plates is formed with a 9×9 array of holes so that a 9×9 array of samples is deposited on the sample plate at locations offset from the 10×10 array of samples already on the sample plate. The number of samples loaded on the sample plate is large and the space on the sample plate is more fully utilized.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An alignment plate for depositing samples on a sample plate, the alignment plate comprising: 
 a plate member, said plate member being formed with a plurality of alignment holes extending from one side of said plate member to another side of said plate member, each of said alignment holes being formed with a conical contour at said one side of said plate member for guiding a pipette tip therethrough.    
     
     
         2 . An alignment plate as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of positioning legs extending away from said one side, said positioning legs being provided to align said plate member with the sample plate.    
     
     
         3 . An alignment plate as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein said positioning legs are formed to engage and align with an adaptor plate configured to receive and retain the sample plate.  
     
     
         4 . An alignment plate as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein said plurality of alignment holes comprises a 10×10 array of holes.  
     
     
         5 . An alignment plate as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein said plurality of alignment holes comprises a 17×17 array of holes.  
     
     
         6 . An alignment plate as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein said plurality of alignment holes comprises a 9×9 array of holes.  
     
     
         8 . An alignment plate as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the sample plate is part of a MALDI mass spectrometer.  
     
     
         9 . An alignment apparatus comprising: 
 a support member;    a mass spectrometer sample plate removably coupled to said support member; and    an alignment plate removably coupled to said support member and being oriented above and substantially parallel to said sample plate, said alignment plate having a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of spaced-apart alignment holes extending between said top surface and said bottom surface, said alignment holes being oriented in an array and spaced-apart a distance corresponding to a predetermined spacing of samples on said sample plate, each of said alignment holes having a dimension to enable a pipette to pass through said alignment plate for pipetting a sample onto said sample plate.    
     
     
         10 . The alignment apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein said alignment plate includes a plurality of legs extending from said bottom surface and engaging said support member.