With Raman spectroscopy, laboratory technicians with very little training can measure with exactitude the concentration levels and other traits of matter in any phase (gas, liquid or solid). Its potential uses have demonstrated more and more potential in an optimistic number of industries. Understanding the TechnologyTouchRaman probes and other tools that use Raman spectroscopy technology gather information about substances at the molecular scale. Usually, a coherent light is shined upon the subject material. The laser beam will scatter in a unique pattern in accordance with the material it lands on. Measuring the scatter makes it possible to identify the substance or substances being observed, their degree of concentration, and other attributes. The technique -- which is actually a collection of slightly varying measuring approaches -- is so called because of the Raman effect, which is where electromagnetic waves are directed at a molecule and affect its bonds. In this case, a monochromatic wave of light is used, making it possible to interpret the end result. How It Is UsedTouchRaman spectroscopy is most commonly applied in chemistry because it gets its data from interacting with chemical bonds. However, its value is wide-ranging. Pharmaceutical researchers use customized instruments like TouchRaman probes to measure active components in medications, and the form those ingredients take at the molecular level. TouchRaman instruments like these can also be key in physics experiments to determine the molecular structure of materials, as well as measure their temperature. Some TouchRaman probes are even capable of collecting information regarding caustic materials that would typically damage the measuring instrument. Spatially Offset Raman SpectroscopyAnother kind of Raman spectroscopy, called "spatially offset Raman spectroscopy," is able to "see" past surface layers and can be used to, for example, notice counterfeit medications without opening their containing packages. They can also be used to monitor biological cells, in some ways similar to an ultrasound. Research projects are under way to see if various TouchRaman and similar instruments can be used to find explosive materials from a distance, and even to test whether individual cells in the body are cancerous, which could make surgery considerably less dangerous and more precise, boosting favorable prognoses considerably. MicrospectroscopyRaman spectroscopy can be used to look at polymers, cells, and forensics evidence on a microscopic level. Lab techs can even utilize it to determine the amount of cholesterol or other substances in foods. CustomizationWhile manufacturers such as raman products sometimes sell ready-made TouchRaman and similar instruments to pharmaceutical, academic and government laboratories, those manufacturers are also able to customize and construct machinery perfectly suited to the measurement and observation needs of the purchaser.