# Welcome to the La-iMageS Help!

La-iMageS is a software tool to evaluate the elemental distribution analysis in different samples. It is well defined in the literature that metals (e.g., Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, Co, Mg, and others) and nonmetals, such as Se, S and P, can be found heterogeneously in biological or medical tissues. An evaluation of the precise localization of an element in biological, metallurgical, environmental, nanomaterial, among others samples is a challenging task in analytical chemistry, and different research areas such as biological, medical, chemical and others need to assess this information for helping the comprehension of pathological status, response to stress condition, among others. In this context, La-iMageS was developed to combine the advantages of Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) acquisition with an easy way to build a multi-elemental image with the possibility of choosing the best internal standard. This software presents a simple interface, where the user can readily identify the main parameters in the ablation process and quickly generate the image. Additionally, 3D representation of samples provides the elemental distribution in each point of ablation, relating to the value of intensity obtained in the single acquisition. It is important to remark that the 3D visualization reflects the signal intensity of each analyte and not the real topology of the sample.

This document is mean to serve as a guide for the practical use of La-iMageS. It includes explanations of all of its functionalities in order to give a basic idea of usage.