Instrumentation Monthly Test | Measurement | Control
Ocean Optics’ IDRaman mini handheld Raman spectrometer has been selected as a finalist for the Prism Awards for Photonics Innovation. The prestigious awards, which are co-sponsored by the trade organisation SPIE and the technology media company Photonics Media, will be awarded at the 2014 Photonics West trade show in February.
The IDRaman mini is a finalist in the Defense and Security category of the Prism Awards and is distinguished as a small-footprint, high accuracy instrument ideal for applications ranging from first responders identifying explosives to quality control specialists involved in sample authentication. The device measures just 9.1 x 7.1 x 3.8cm.
The spectrometer uses a sampling technique called Raster Orbital Scanning (ROS) where a tightly focused laser beam is moved or rastered across the sample in an orbital pattern. This allows an area about 10 times larger than the laser focus spot to be sampled, encountering more Raman active compounds. Because more Raman-active compounds are sampled, the resulting data incorporates a much higher sensitivity without sacrificing resolution. The increased accuracy in the Raman data further provides high confidence when identifying compounds through library matching.
