In recent years, the spectroscopy community has observed rapid development of Raman instrumentation and its usefulness in a variety of applications. Routine Raman analysis with 785 nm excitation has served well for the great majority of industrial applications and has become the most favored instrument configuration.
X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) provides sensitive analysis of the atomic composition of samples. The technique is particularly well-suited for analyzing the elemental range from sodium to uranium, which covers the majority of the metallic elements.
Building on more than 10 years of Micro-XRF experience, the Orbis spectrometer yields a system with excellent Micro-XRF capability while setting a new standard in analytical flexibility.
For the optimization of photodynamic therapy the spectroscopic detection of photosensitizer molecules, which are selectively enriched in tumour cells, can be useful.
Diagnostic instruments such as blood analyzers and flow cytometers utilize induced fluorescence to detect bio-factors of interest in a heterogeneous sample.
Lifetime fluorescence is a subset of fluorescence spectroscopy in which the time between excitation and relaxation is measured, rather than just the intensity of the emitted energy. The technique is used primarily in biological applications, but has a number of other uses as well. Lifetime fluorescence is a well-established niche market.
This month's Technology Forum looks at the topic of fluorescence and the trends and issues surrounding it. Joining us for this discussion are David M. Jameson, Ph.D., University of Hawaii at Manoa; Michael W. Allen, Ph.D, Product Manager, Thermo Fisher Scientific; and Patrick J. Treado, Founder & CTO, ChemImage Corporation.
Although the market for dedicated single-tube luminometers now pales in comparison to multimode fluorometers and microplate readers, such luminometers continue to satisfy a niche market. The relative simplicity and therefore low cost is their major advantage, which is appealing to smaller life science laboratories.
Although overshadowed by other technologies, demand for fluorescence microscopy is already strong and is growing rapidly. The technology is proving to be very useful for specific life science applications.
Wavelength Tech Forum: Fluorescence Spectroscopy
Hitachi High Technologies America, Inc.
