Time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS): From niche to mainstream

- World War II electronic advances suggested the use of time-of-flight for mass measurements.
- Enormous technical advances in TOF were driven by the invention of MALDI.
- The further development of TOF MS driven by advances in digital electronics.
- Mass spectrometry, including TOF, is now an essential tool in biological and clinical research.
- Instruments for routine clinical applications are fully automated and require little expertise in mass spectrometry.