A heated atomic force microscope cantilever probe touches a surface to be analyzed with vapor from surface material that is thermally desorbed. The heat is drawn into the ion source of the mass spectrometer, ionized, and then detected and analyzed by a mass spectrometer. (Submitted photo)

Anasys Instruments Corp. has licensed an Oak Ridge National Laboratory technology that allows for simultaneous chemical and physical characterization and could lead to advances in  materials and drug development.

The technique, which combines the power of atomic force microscopy and mass spectrometry, fills a void and streamlines analytical processes that are vital to science and industry, said Roshan Shetty, chief executive officer of Anasys Instruments. He also noted that the technology improves the current spatial resolution of ambient methods for mass spectrometry imaging by a factor of more than 100, resulting in imaging resolution as small as 250 nanometers, or 1/400th the thickness of a human hair.

“This capability could have a tremendous impact on a broad field of applications in materials and life sciences ranging from single-cell imaging to polymer composites,” Shetty said. [Read more…]