ABSTRACT
Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tim e-of-flight im aging m ass spectrom etry (MALDI-TOF-IMS ) has been a classical technique for studying proteom ics in present and a tool for analyzing the distribution of proteins and sm all m olecules w ithin biological tissue sections. MALDI-TOF-IMS can analyze m ultiple unknow n com pounds in biological tissue sections sim ultaneously through a single m ea-surem ent w hich can obtain m olecule im aging of the tissue w hile m aintaining the integrity of cellular and m olecules in tissue. In recent years, im aging m ass spectrom etry technique develops relatively quickly in all biom edical dom ain. T his paper based on the relevant data and review s the present developing level of MALDI-TOF-IMS, the principle of im aging m ass spectrom etry, m ethology and the prospect in foren-sic pathology.