November 12th 2024
A recent study presents a new technique that combines femtosecond double-pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (fs-DP-LIBS) with machine learning (ML) algorithms to significantly enhance tissue discrimination and signal quality, paving the way for more precise biomedical diagnostics.
September 23rd 2024
Capturing Plasma Emission in LIBS Spectroscopy: Comparison of Light Collection Approaches
April 27th 2023New research compares light capturing approaches in LIBS for multichannel spectrometers, highlighting the challenges of shot-to-shot variations in plasma morphology and their effect on calibration-free LIBS.
New LIBS Technique Allows for Identification of Materials in Oil Paintings
April 26th 2023Scientists have demonstrated LIBS stratigraphy to identify the chemical composition and pigments of small fragments from two oil paintings by Bellini and Brughi, with the results providing important information for conservation and restoration purposes.
Analysis of the Inorganic Content of Milk via Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
March 6th 2023Although milk is considered among the most complete and nutrition-rich natural foods, the concentration of vitamins and minerals in milk can vary depending on a variety of circumstances. Stelios Couris of the University of Patras and the Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (Patras, Greece) has been studying the inorganic elemental composition of a variety of milk samples using LIBS and spoke to Spectroscopy about this research.
Spectrometers in Wonderland: Shrinking, Shrinking, Shrinking
November 1st 2022In the past 20 years, spectrometers have shrunk dramatically in size, and this shrinking has been achieved with only modest performance reductions in sampling versatility, spectral range, spectral resolution, and signal-to-noise.
An Archaeometric Investigation into the Former Cataract House Hotel via Elemental Analysis
November 1st 2022Portable X-ray fluorescence was used to analyze the archaeological remains of an Underground Railroad station to gain a clearer understanding of the construction phases it underwent during the 19th century.
Avoiding Misunderstanding Self-Absorption in Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) Analysis
August 1st 2022The physics and chemistry of the phenomenon have been well known for many years, and this knowledge can tell us how self-absorption can be not only “corrected,” but also tuned to our advantage in analytical applications of LIBS.
Diagnosis of Gulf War Illness Using Laser-Induced Spectra Acquired from Blood Samples
May 5th 2022Noureddine Melikechi of the Department of Physics and Applied Physics at the University of Massachusetts (Lowell, MA) saw an urgent need for the development of an untargeted and unbiased method to distinguish Gulf War illness (GWI) patients from non-GWI patients; he and his associates utilized laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) in their efforts to meet that need.
Geochemical Analysis Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
October 1st 2021Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is an ideal method for elemental analysis of geological samples, and has been used by NASA on the Mars rovers. This article details the methodology and the most successful calibration and quantification methods to date.
Investigating a Laser-Induced Titanium Plasma Under an Applied Static Electric Field
We investigate the effect of an applied electric field on the laser-induced titanium plasma for laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for the purpose of assessing electron density with respect to laser energy.
LIBS Imaging Is Entering the Clinic as a New Diagnostic Tool
July 1st 2020Great interest has recently aroused in the study of the dysregulation of chemical elements within tissues. Information about the distribution of elements in biological tissues can contribute to a more complete medical diagnosis, and can guide therapeutic procedures for many pathologies.
Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for Soil Measurements: Recent Progress and Potential
April 1st 2020The unique strengths of LIBS-sample preparation optional, stand-off detection, portability, speed, and sensitive light element detection-point to future directions and potential for LIBS as a tool for soil measurements in precision agriculture.
Developing Spectroscopy Instruments for Use in Extreme Environments
September 13th 2019Spectroscopy can be difficult to carry out outside a controlled laboratory environment. Imagine, then, the hurdles that would accompany performing spectroscopy in the extreme conditions of deep space or the ocean floor. Mike Angel, a professor of chemistry at the University of South Carolina, has taken on those challenges, working on new types of instruments for remote and in- situ laser spectroscopy, with a focus on deep-ocean, planetary, and homeland security applications of deep ultraviolet Raman, and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy to develop the tools necessary to work within these extreme environments.
Expert Perspectives on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)
April 1st 2019LIBS has transitioned from a method found only in research laboratories, to a technique in wide use in commercial settings. Several leading LIBS experts share their views on how the technique has developed and where it is heading.
The SuperCam Remote Sensing Instrument Suite for the Mars 2020 Rover: A Preview
May 1st 2017The SuperCam remote sensing instrument suite under development for NASA’s Mars 2020 rover performs laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), remote Raman spectroscopy, visible and infrared (VISIR) reflectance spectroscopy, acoustic sensing, and high resolution color imaging. The instrument builds on the successful architecture of the ChemCam instrument which provides LIBS and panchromatic images on the Curiosity rover, adding the remote Raman spectroscopy by frequency doubling the laser and using a gated intensified detector to obtain Raman signals at distances to 12 m. To the visible reflectance spectroscopy used by ChemCam, an AOTF-based infrared spectrometer is added to cover the 1.3-2.6 µm range that contains important mineral signatures. A CMOS detector provides color (Bayer filter) images at a pixel resolution of 19 µrad and an optical resolution of 30 µrad. Sounds are recorded via a Knowles Electret microphone, which is the same one that was unsuccessfully attempted on two earlier missions. The acoustic signals of the LIBS plasmas will provide information on the hardness of the targets, while other sounds (wind, rover sounds) will also be recorded. The laser, telescope, IR spectrometer, and camera reside on the rover’s mast and are provided by CNES, while the LIBS, Raman, and VIS spectrometers and data processing unit are built by LANL and reside in the rover body. A calibration target assembly provided by U. Valladolid, Spain, resides on the back of the rover. The overall mass of the instrument suite is 10.7 kg.