An exemplary laser microscope can be provided, comprising at least one first laser source which emits at least one (e.g., pulsed) excitation beam, a scanning optical configuration (e.g., configured to scan the excitation beam over the surface of a sample), a focusing optical configuration (e.g., configured to focus the excitation beam onto the sample), and at least one detector configured to detect light emitted by the sample due to an optical effect in response to the excitation beam. A second laser source facilitates a pulsed ablation beam for a local ablation of the material of the sample. The ablation beam can be guided to the sample via the scanning and focusing optical configurations, The first and second laser sources can be fed by a mutual continuous wave pump laser- and/or a mutual pulsed pump laser. The first laser source can emit pulses with at least two different wavelengths.

An apparatus for measuring a spectrum (R.sub.M(λ)) of Raman-scattered light (LB2). The apparatus includes a light source (LS1) configured to provide illuminating light pulses (LB1), and an optical probe to guide the illuminating light pulses to a sample region (REG1) and cause excitation of Raman-scattered light in the sample region. The optical probe includes a waveguiding core surrounded by a cladding. The waveguiding core has a first facet (SRF1) and a second facet (SRF2) such that the first facet is arranged to gather the Raman-scattered light from the sample region. The apparatus further includes a spectrometer, and a focusing unit (SF2) that is configured to guide the gathered Raman-scattered light from the second facet to the spectrometer. The spectrometer includes a detector array (ARR1) that is arranged to measure a spectrum (R.sub.M(λ)) of the Raman-scattered light by using time gated detection.

Systems and methods here may be used for automated capturing and analyzing spectrometer data of multiple sample gemstones on a stage, including mapping digital camera image data of samples, applying a Raman Probe to a first sample gemstone under evaluation on the stage, receiving spectrometer data of the sample gemstone from the probe, automatically moving the stage to a second sample, using the image data, and analyzing the other samples.

The present disclosure provides a surface enhanced Raman scattering substrate assembly for detecting an analyte. The assembly can include an etched fiber base. The assembly can further include a metallic nanoparticle coating disposed over at least a portion of the surface etched fiber base.

Incorporation of deuterium into the lipids, proteins, and/or genetic material in cells, tissues, organs, or organisms, including animals, such as humans, and plants, by administration of heavy water, allows for the spectral determination of levels of lipids, proteins, and/or genetic material using Raman spectroscopy, such as stimulated Raman spectroscopy. Following administration of a drug, changes in the relative amounts of lipid, protein, and/or genetic materials can be determined, and the efficacy, or lack thereof, of the administered drug can be determined.

A method for assessing a state of a living cell using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is provided. The method may include modifying one or more living eel Is with an alkyne-containing compound to form one or more modified living cells, mixing the one or more modified living cells with a SERS-active material to form a mixture, injecting the mixture into a conduit defined by an inner wall of a hollow core photonic crystal fiber, and detecting a surface enhanced Raman signal from the mixture in the conduit. In preferred embodiments, the alkyne containing compound is linoleamide alkyne (LLA) for the detection of lipid peroxidation or 4-(dihydroxyborophenyl) acetylene (DBA) for the detection of sialic acid expression in cells, both using gold nanoparticles as the SERS-active material.

The invention relates to a method for identification and discrimination of bacteria and/or mutant bacterial strains in a biological fluid. The method includes illuminating the biological fluid with a beam of light; obtaining Raman data from light scattered from the illuminated biological fluid; and finding Raman signatures corresponding to each type of bacteria and/or mutant bacterial strains from the obtained Raman data, so as to identify and discriminate each type of bacteria and/or mutant bacterial strains in the biological fluid from the Raman signatures.

An in-situ photocatalysis monitoring system based on surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. The monitoring system may include a Raman excitation light source, a laser coupling lens, a narrow band filter, a total reflection mirror, a dichroic mirror, a focusing coupling lens, a SERS optical fiber probe, a liquid phase photocatalysis reactor, a photocatalytic light source, a Raman collection lens, and a spectrometer. A first furcation part and a second furcation part each extend from one end of a common detection part of the SERS optical fiber probe; an extending end of the first furcation part is coupled with the focusing coupling lens; an extending end of the second furcation part is coupled with the photocatalytic light source; and the other end of the common detection part is arranged inside the liquid phase photocatalysis reactor. Raman excitation light and photocatalytic light may be transmitted on a common channel.

The present disclosure provides a surface enhanced Raman scattering substrate assembly for detecting an analyte. The assembly can include an etched fiber base. The assembly can further include a metallic nanoparticle coating disposed over at least a portion of the surface etched fiber base.

A needle-shaped body protrudes from a cantilever made of Si. Furthermore, the rear face of the cantilever is coated with aluminum (first metal) having a Fermi level higher than that of Si. The cantilever is dipped into an aqueous silver nitride solution containing the ions of Ag serving as a second metal. The electrons of Si flow out to the aqueous silver nitride solution due to the existence of the aluminum, and Ag nanostructures are precipitated at the tip end of the needle-shaped body. A probe for tip-enhanced Raman scattering in which the Ag nanostructures are fixed to the tip end of the needle-shaped body is manufactured. The sizes and shapes of the Ag nanostructures can be controlled properly by adjusting the concentration of the aqueous silver nitride solution and the time during which the cantilever is dipped into the aqueous silver nitride solution.