Raman spectroscopy is a technique that has shown a lot of potential in an exciting number of new fields and shown a lot of promise in all kinds of scientific endeavors. Understanding Raman SpectroscopyHighly sensitive Raman measurement devices gather information about objects at the molecular level. Typically, a laser is shined upon the subject material. The laser beam will refract uniquely in accordance with the material it lands on. Measuring the scatter pattern makes it possible to map traits of the substance or substances being looked at, their degree of density, and other properties. The technique -- which is actually a collection of different measurement strategies -- is so called because of the Raman effect, which is where electromagnetic waves collide with a molecule and affect its bonds. To start out with, a predictable wave of light is applied, making it easier to interpret the end result. ApplicationsTouchRaman spectroscopy is most commonly used in chemistry because it gets its data from interacting with chemical bonds. However, its applicability is wide-ranging. Pharmaceutical researchers use custom instruments such as TouchRaman probes to measure active components in drugs, and the form those ingredients have at the molecular scale. TouchRaman instruments such as these can also be key in physics to determine the molecular state of materials, as well as measure their temperature. Some TouchRaman probes are even capable of gathering information about caustic materials that would typically destroy the measuring tool. Spatially Offset Raman SpectroscopyAnother type of Raman spectroscopy, known as "spatially offset Raman spectroscopy," is capable of ignoring surface layers and can be used to, for instance, identify counterfeit drugs without opening their containing packages. They can also be employed to track changes in biological tissue, in some ways similar to an ultrasound. Experiments are under way to determine if different TouchRaman and similar probes can be employed to find explosive materials from a distance, and even to ascertain whether individual cells in the body are cancerous, potentially making surgery substantially less risky and more precise, boosting favorable prognoses considerably. MicrospectroscopyRaman spectroscopy can be employed to look at polymers, cells, and forensics evidence on a microscopic level. It can even be used to measure the amount of cholesterol or other substances in foodstuffs. CustomizationWhile manufacturers such as raman analyis sometimes sell premade TouchRaman and similar tools to government, academic and pharmaceutical organizations, those manufacturers are also capable of customizing and constructing tools perfectly attuned to the measurement and observation requirements of the purchaser.