Systems and methods for time-resolved spectroscopy. Exemplary methods include: providing first light and second light using an excitation source; receiving first scattered light from a material responsive to the providing the first light; signaling the detector, after a delay, to provide a first spectrum of the received first scattered light; receiving second scattered light from the material responsive to the providing the second light; signaling the detector, after the delay, to provide a second spectrum of the received second scattered light; recovering a spectrum of the material using the first spectrum and the second spectrum; and identifying at least one molecule of the material using the recovered spectrum and a database of identified spectra.

An apparatus for inspecting a biological tissue uses a pH-sensitive coating material to determine whether the tissue is normal or cancerous. The coating materials placed in contact with the tissue to be excited by an excitation light. The coating material is arranged to provide a response signal indicative of the pH value of the tissue. Using a fiber bundle having a plurality of optical fibers forming a linear array or a two-dimensional array adjacent the coating material, the imaging of localized surface pH in the biological tissue can be achieved using the response signal through each of the optical fibers. The fiber bundle can be arranged as a probe to examine the tissue for providing direct mapping of the tumor margin via a display, so that a surgeon can inspect the tissue in real-time.

A spectroscopic apparatus includes a splitter that receives a first detected signal output from a sample to which an incident beam is irradiated, and outputs a reflected signal and a second detected signal by splitting the first detected signal, and a signal processor that receives the reflected signal and the second detected signal, and extracts a Raman signal from the second detected signal in response to the received reflected signal.

A compact, portable Raman spectrometer makes fast, sensitive standoff measurements at little to no risk of eye injury or igniting the materials being probed. This spectrometer uses differential Raman spectroscopy and ambient light measurements to measure point-and-shoot Raman signatures of dark or highly fluorescent materials at distances of 1 cm to 10 m or more. It scans the Raman pump beam(s) across the sample to reduce the risk of unduly heating or igniting the sample. Beam scanning also transforms the spectrometer into an instrument with a lower effective safety classification, reducing the risk of eye injury. The spectrometer's long standoff range automatic focusing make it easier to identify chemicals through clear and translucent obstacles, such as flow tubes, windows, and containers. And the spectrometer's components are light and small enough to be packaged in a handheld housing or housing suitable for a small robot to carry.

An apparatus, a handheld electronic device and a method for carrying out Raman Spectroscopy are disclosed. In an embodiment an apparatus includes at least one optoelectronic laser configured to provide excitation radiation to a sample, the excitation radiation being generated by an electric current flowing through the at least one optoelectronic laser during operation of the apparatus and a transistor configured to modulate the electric current flowing through the at least one optoelectronic laser, to thereby switch on and off generation of the excitation radiation.

A system for high gain stimulated Raman spectroscopy comprises a first continuous wave laser having an output beam at a tunable optical frequency modulated at a first RF frequency, a second continuous wave laser having a second output beam at an optical frequency modulated at a second RF frequency, wherein the modulation frequencies are selected such that their beat notes represent a Raman resonance frequency, a dual-beam rasterizing probe including first and second photosensors and a rasterizer configured to scan the first and second laser output beams onto a sample, exposing the sample to a reduced average power of laser radiation stimulating the sample to emit Raman radiation signals. The Raman signals are directed to the photosensors and the outputs of the photosensors are supplied to a differential amplifier configured to provide sensitivity and gain to signals at the beat note resonant frequency and to filter signals at other frequencies.

A system for non-invasively interrogating an in vivo sample for measurement of analytes comprises a pulse sensor coupled to the in vivo sample for detect a blood pulse of the sample and for generating a corresponding pulse signal, a laser generator for generating a laser radiation having a wavelength, power and diameter, the laser radiation being directed toward the sample to elicit Raman signals, a laser controller adapted to activate the laser generator, a spectrometer situated to receive the Raman signals and to generate analyte spectral data; and a computing device coupled to the pulse sensor, laser controller and spectrometer which is adapted to correlate the spectral data with the pulse signal based on timing data received from the laser controller in order to isolate spectral components from analytes within the blood of the sample from spectral components from analytes arising from non-blood components of the sample.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for non-invasive in vivo measurement, by Raman spectroscopy, of glucose present in interstitial fluid in the skin of a subject. The apparatus comprises at least one detector; a plurality of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers spatially distributed around the at least one detector, for irradiating the skin of a subject; wherein the at least one detector is configured to receive Raman scattered radiation transmitted from the sample in response to the received radiation from the vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers.

Systems and methods for time-resolved spectroscopy. Exemplary methods include: providing first, second, and third light using an excitation source; receiving first scattered light from a material responsive to the providing the first light; signaling the detector, after a delay, to provide a first spectrum of the received first scattered light; receiving second scattered light from the material responsive to the providing the second light; signaling the detector, after the delay, to provide a second spectrum of the received second scattered light; receiving third scattered light from the material responsive to the providing the third light; signaling the detector, after the delay, to provide a third spectrum of the received third scattered light; recovering a spectrum of the material using the first spectrum, second spectrum, and third spectrum; and identifying at least one molecule of the material using the recovered spectrum and a database of identified spectra.

Provided are a Raman signal measuring method and apparatus which use a difference in a time scale between Raman scattered light and fluorescence. Thus, after exciting light is incident upon a target object, light scattered from the target object may be detected before the target object generates fluorescence in response to the exciting light. As a result, a Raman signal in which background fluorescence is reduced may be obtained.