Automated and Easy to Use Particle Characterization Tool

HORIBA Scientific, a leading company in Raman spectroscopy, have announced the launch of their enhanced ParticleFinder module for the LabSpec 6 Spectroscopy Suite. This version was developed in collaboration with R.J. Lee (Monroeville, PA) to support their research on particle and trace compound analysis, and with the Technologiezentrum Wasser (Karlsruhe, Germany) to support their research on microplastics in water.

Designed specifically to be used with the full range of HORIBA Raman microscopes, this new version of ParticleFinderTM brings a new level of automation and ease of use for particle analysts who require the unique chemical characterization tools that Raman can offer. For applications involving location and identification of any particulate matter, automated molecular analysis is key. This includes analysis of pharmaceutical materials, trace forensic evidence, geological rock/mineral particles, and contaminants trapped on filters.

The simple work-flow inspired interface for the ParticleFinder module has been improved. It offers a step by step process to locate particles, generate size/shape statistics, select specific particles based on size/shape parameters, and finally acquire their Raman spectra.

The particle classification now incorporates the full capabilities of the LabSpec 6 Spectroscopy Suite to particle analysis. The use of LabSpec's univariate and multivariate features, as well as its KnowItAll^© database, allows users to easily classify each particle according to its spectral fingerprint. The chemical ID of particles is easily visualized in the processed image with a color code versus the Raman ID.

There are now three types of Raman spectral acquisition on a targeted particle: Single spectrum at the center of the particle; Average spectrum; and full mapping. This capability further enhances the flexibility of particle analysis.

ParticleFinder offers a user-friendly tool for automated location, size and shape characterization, and Raman analysis of thousands of particles of micrometer size in seconds. Key functionalities within this optional module include automated particle location and analysis, easy particle selection according to the statistical results, compositional analysis with unprecedented Raman accuracy, and customizable reports displaying location, size, shape and Raman spectral fingerprint.

“Our enhanced ParticleFinder module now offers faster, more accurate and more flexible particle analysis,” said Li Yan, Director of the Raman Division in HORIBA Scientific (USA). “This enables researchers to gain deeper insights in drug formulations for size and shape of active, excipients and polymorphism studies, as well as chemical composition of mineral samples, chemical ID of a foreign contaminant, micro-plastics in water, trace evidence and more.”