Smaller, more stable, easier to install: where is the next step for imaging sources?

The main technological trajectory for mass spectrometry imaging sources is now clear: dual-ionisation enhancement, matrix-free sample preparation, and compatibility with mainstream instruments. So what’s next? Considering the engineering features of New Source’s two imaging sources alongside industry trends, the direction can be summarised in three words: smaller, more stable, and easier to install.

Direction One: Modularisation – Making the ‘front-end’ a standard component

Modularisation is an established trend. The MSI DPI is divided into three models—DPI-25A, DPI-25S and DPI-25T—according to instrument brand, corresponding to Agilent, AB SCIEX and Thermo respectively, and is ready for immediate use; Compact and highly adaptable, the proprietary titanium alloy ion transport tube facilitates disassembly, cleaning and maintenance. By making the imaging source a standard module that can be supplied, operated and maintained independently, users do not need to replace the entire instrument for imaging purposes, thereby preserving the host ecosystem. The more mature the modularisation becomes, the easier it will be for domestically produced front-ends to integrate into the existing market.

Approach Two: Miniaturisation — Reducing Size and Weight

Miniaturisation determines whether the device ‘will fit into existing laboratories’. The MSI DPI measures 340 × 270 × 250 mm and weighs 24 kg, making it suitable for desktop deployment; it operates in an atmospheric pressure environment, requiring a simple operating setup without the need for complex vacuum systems. Reducing its size means the imaging source can move from dedicated machine rooms to standard laboratory benches, or even be positioned close to production lines. For industrial and quality control users, ‘space requirements’ are often just as important as ‘sensitivity’.

Direction Three: Stabilisation — Making Long-Term Operation a Standard Capability

Stabilisation determines whether ‘data is reliable and can be scaled up’. MSI DPI’s ionisation chamber features a dedicated temperature control design, enabling stable, prolonged heating at 320–350°C, which, in conjunction with the scanning platform, facilitates highly repeatable experiments. For pre-treatment-free, high-throughput screening, stability is more critical than peak sensitivity—when processing dozens of samples in a single run, a single failure can compromise the entire batch of data. Stable operation is the threshold that enables imaging sources to transition from ‘capable of measurement’ to ‘suitable for routine use’.

The convergence of these three lines marks the gateway to industrialisation

Smaller, more stable, easier to install: these three strands ultimately converge on a single goal—to make the imaging source a tool for daily testing, rather than merely an instrument for academic papers. This aligns with New Source’s strategy of ‘breaking down technical barriers through independent innovation’ and ‘breaking free from reliance on imported core technologies’—first laying a solid foundation in core front-end technology, then utilising modularisation, miniaturisation and stabilisation to place this capability in the hands of more users.

The next phase of competition will not necessarily be about whose resolution is 1 μm higher, but rather about who can produce imaging sources that users are ‘willing to operate daily, confident enough to integrate into production lines, and capable of repairing locally’. Smaller, more stable and easier to install: these are precisely the three signposts on this path to practical implementation.