High-resolution single pulse LA-ICP-MS mapping via 2D sub-pixel oversampling on orthogonal and hexagonal ablation grids – A computational assessment

Exploring the Benefits of Ablation Grid Adaptation in 2D/3D Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry Mapping through Geometrical Modeling

“…Results illustrated in Figure suggest that ablation grid contraction improves image quality. In an upcoming study, it will be shown that increased pixel density not only leads to higher spatial resolution but also decreased image noise, though it is important to note that contraction should be moderate to avoid visible blurring. Additionally, Figure demonstrates that zooming in on edge artifacts in hexagonal maps leads to improved perceived visual image quality.…”

Atomic spectrometry update: review of advances in atomic spectrometry and related techniques

“…Contraction of the ablation grid (to sub-pixel mapping) can produce more accurate surface sampling, a higher pixel density, an improved spatial resolution, and improved SNR although LA sampling is predominantly performed on an orthogonal grid, hexagonal sampling may further improve the image quality as regular hexagons are more compact than squares and suffer less from orientation bias. Due to the current limitations of LA stages in executing precise hexagonal sampling with small beam sizes, computational protocols were employed by Metarapi et al 51 to simulate LA-ICP-MS mapping. Simulation was performed by discrete convolution using the crater profile as the kernel, followed by the application of Poisson/Flicker noise related to the local concentration and instrumental sensitivity.…”