A Trick of the Light Applications for TouchRaman Spectroscopy
With Raman spectroscopy, laboratory technicians with very little training can measure with exactitude the concentration levels and other traits of solids, liquids and gases alike. Its applications have shown an increasing amount of potential in an optimistic number of industries. Understanding Raman SpectroscopyHighly precise Raman measurement devices gather information about objects at the molecular scope. Generally, a monochromatic light is shined upon the subject material. The laser beam will refract uniquely depending on the substance it hits. Observing the scatter pattern enables technicians to map traits of the substance or substances being looked at, their level of density, and other properties. The technique -- which is actually a collection of different measurement approaches -- is so called because of the Raman effect, wherein electromagnetic waves collide with a molecule and affect its bonds. To start out with, a monochromatic wave of light is used, making it easier to interpret the end result. ApplicationsThe most common utilization of TouchRaman spectroscopy is in the field of chemistry because it gets its data from interacting with chemical bonds. However, its value is wide-ranging. In the pharmaceutical industry, specialized instruments like TouchRaman probes are used to identify active components in drugs, and what form those ingredients take at the molecular level. TouchRaman instruments like these can also be useful in physics to determine the molecular structure of substances, as well as measure their temperature. Some TouchRaman probes can even collect data regarding corrosive substances that would typically do damage to the measuring device. Spatially Offset Raman SpectroscopyAnother type of Raman spectroscopy, called "spatially offset Raman spectroscopy," is able to "see" past surface layers and can be used to, for instance, identify counterfeit drugs without disturbing their containers. They can also be utilized to monitor biological tissue, in some ways similar to an ultrasound. Experiments are under way to see whether different TouchRaman and similar devices can be utilized to identify the presence of explosive substances at a distance, and even to determine whether individual cells in the body are cancerous, which could make surgery considerably less risky and more precise, boosting favorable prognoses. MicrospectroscopyRaman spectroscopy can be utilized to examine polymers, proteins, and forensics evidence on a microscopic level. Scientists can even use it to measure the amount of cholesterol or other substances in foods. CustomizationWhile manufacturers such as fiber optic chemical sensors sometimes sell ready-made TouchRaman and similar instruments to government, academic and pharmaceutical organizations, those manufacturers are also able to specialize and construct devices optimally suited to the measurement and observation requirements of the individual order.