Wavelength Modulated Raman Spectroscopy for Applications in Healthcare

Almost from its discovery there have been grand hopes for Raman spectroscopy to be a
ubiquitous tool for chemical analysis. It has the potential to identify substances easily and
distinctly from fingerprint-like spectra. This can be done with simple photonic architecture,
allowing for potential portable and miniaturised form factors. Unfortunately the
overwhelming fluorescence background common to all analytes obscures the weak Raman
signal and thus makes this dream unrealised. Finally wavelength modulated Raman
spectroscopy (WMRS) represents an innovative solution that delivers fast, fluorescence-free
Raman spectra. WMRS has a wide range of potential applications in the healthcare industry
from discriminating between cancerous and healthy tissue, to determining drug concentrations
in biological liquids and identifying the presence of inflammation and infection as well as a
analytical technique for high throughput screening. This market study will aim to clarify the
optimum development pathway for this technology in the healthcare sector.