With Raman spectroscopy, laboratory technicians with very little training can measure, with a lot of precision, the concentration levels and other attributes of solids, liquids and gases alike. Its potential uses are demonstrating an increasing amount of potential in an optimistic number of fields. How It WorksTouchRaman probes and various other tools that use Raman spectroscopy technology gather data about elements at the micron scale. Generally, a laser is focused upon the material that is being measured. The laser beam will refract in a unique pattern depending on the material it hits. Observing the scatter makes it possible to identify the substance or substances being looked at, their level of concentration, and other attributes. The technique -- which is actually a series of different measurement strategies -- is named after the Raman effect, wherein electromagnetic waves hit a molecule and affect its bonds. In this case, a predictable wave of light is applied, making it possible to interpret the end result. ApplicationsChemistry is the field in which TouchRaman spectroscopy is most often applied because it gathers its data from reacting to chemical bonds. However, its applicability is wide-ranging. In the pharmaceutical industry, specialized devices like TouchRaman probes are used to measure active components in drugs, and which form those ingredients take at the molecular level. TouchRaman tools like these can also be invaluable in physics to determine the crystalline structure of materials, as well as measure their temperature. Some TouchRaman probes can even gather information about corrosive materials that would typically do damage to the measuring instrument. Spatially Offset Raman SpectroscopyAnother kind of Raman spectroscopy, called "spatially offset Raman spectroscopy," is less sensitive to surface layers and can be used to, for example, identify counterfeit drugs without disturbing their containing packages. They can also be utilized to monitor biological cells, in some ways similar to an ultrasound. Research projects are in the making to see whether various TouchRaman and similar instruments can be utilized to find explosive materials at a distance, and even to test whether individual cells in the body are cancerous, which could make surgery substantially less risky and more precise, boosting favorable prognoses. MicrospectroscopyRaman spectroscopy can be utilized to look at minerals, cells, and forensics evidence on a microscopic level. Scientists can even utilize it to analyze the amount of cholesterol or other substances in foods. CustomizationWhile manufacturers such as optical sensor sometimes sell ready-made TouchRaman and similar devices to pharmaceutical, academic and government laboratories, those manufacturers are also capable of specializing and building tools optimally attuned to the measurement and observation requirements of the individual order.