Raman spectroscopy is a powerful technique for identification of a wide range of chemicals and compounds, but it was not a practical technique in the lab until about the 1980s and 1990s because of technological limitations. Improvements in fiber optics, optical filter technology and other areas, largely driven by the telecom revolution, helped bring lab Raman spectroscopy into the mainstream.

More recent innovations in areas such as electronics, batteries and miniaturization have helped to spur the development of portable Raman systems. There are now at least a dozen competitors in the portable and handheld Raman market. In the last 12 months, there have been no fewer than four major new system introductions. Newer handheld Raman instruments are smaller, lighter and more powerful. Some newer instruments can even perform stand-off analysis, versus having to “contact” glass or plastic containers containing the sample.

Raman is nondestructive and generally does not require sample preparation. Raman is capable of analyzing both solid and liquid forms and, in some cases, even gaseous samples. In contrast to IR spectroscopy, water has a very weak signal in a Raman spectrum, so moisture in a sample is not a concern. Raman can also investigate samples through transparent and semi-transparent containers, which is a major advantage in the field when investigating potentially explosive or hazardous materials. But perhaps the biggest advantage of Raman is its specificity. While other spectroscopic techniques, such as NIR, require modeling to establish a fingerprint in many cases, the Raman spectrum provides specific information on the content of a sample without method development or modeling.

The two largest end-markets for handheld Raman spectroscopy are the pharmaceutical industry and government. In the pharmaceutical industry, demand has grown rapidly for handheld Raman analyzers for on-dock inspection of incoming raw materials and final-product quality control.

Demand from the government market includes a variety of entities and levels of government. Security, which includes federal, state and local police, as well as the Transportation Security Administration and airport security organizations, use Raman for the identification of potential explosives, chemical weapons and narcotics. This market accounts for the largest segment of government demand. HazMat and emergency response teams use portable Raman analyzers as a valuable tool for quickly and accurately identifying potential health hazards.

There are more than a dozen competitors in the handheld Raman market. Thermo Fisher Scientific has over 40% of the market share. There has been a steady pace of acquisitions over the last several years. The market for portable and handheld Raman analyzers was more than $85 million in 2011 and should continue to experience strong double-digit growth in the years ahead.

Portable Raman Spectroscopy at a Glance:

Leading Suppliers

• Thermo Fisher Scientific

• Smiths Detection

• FLIR Systems

Largest Markets

• Pharmaceutical

• Security

• First Responders

Instrument Cost

• $10,000–$65,000