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Updated: Jun 6, 2026

A Multimodal Wide-Field Fourier-Transform Raman Microscope
Published on: December 30, 2025
Raman spectroscopy and related techniques in biomedicine
Andrew Downes1, Alistair Elfick
1School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JL, UK. andy.downes@ed.ac.uk
None:
In this review we describe label-free optical spectroscopy techniques which are able to non-invasively measure the (bio)chemistry in biological systems. Raman spectroscopy uses visible or near-infrared light to measure a spectrum of vibrational bonds in seconds. Coherent anti-Stokes Raman (CARS) microscopy and stimulated Raman loss (SRL) microscopy are orders of magnitude more efficient than Raman spectroscopy, and are able to acquire high quality chemically-specific images in seconds. We discuss the benefits and limitations of all techniques, with particular emphasis on applications in biomedicine--both in vivo (using fiber endoscopes) and in vitro (in optical microscopes).
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