How Software Aids the Interpretation of Complex Raman Spectra

In a previous interview, John Richmond and Tom Dearing, both of Thermo Fisher Scientific, discussed how the MarqMetrix All-In-One Raman Analyzer can improve process monitoring and explained some of the challenges of applying Raman in process environments (1). In this interview segment, Richmond and Dearing discuss the software this instrument uses and how it aids in interpreting complex Raman spectra, providing insights into the configurations that the instrument allows for.

Below is a brief snippet of what Dearing and Richmond discuss in the below video. To hear their full remarks, you can watch the full video below.

Tom Dearing: One of the things we've worked on is trying to make the user interface and the way we operate an instrument seamless, sensible, and straightforward. Because a lot of people hear the word Raman technology, they get kind of afraid. So, we've worked to try and make that kind of interpretation and use of the data fairly seamless. We have a few different software platforms that exist that allow us to work within the different environments that we want to be in. Specifically in this oil and gas environment, we have some software called Remspec. Remspec is our kind of headless operation device for our Raman instrument. We're able to create a method that is locked down so it can be set up and just left to run. It also allows for automation output of the results and displays the results on the screen, if that's what a user wants to see, you'll display trend lines of those results over time to allow a kind of initial interpretation.

John Richmond: One of the key things that we have to assess with any application or any installation is how many sample points the customer needs. Does he just need one sample point, or does he need multiple sample points? Now, if he needs multiple sample points, there are two approaches that the industry takes. One is to use a multiplexer. The Thermo Fisher approach is not that. Our approach is a multi-system approach. We believe in one discrete analyzer set of fibers (probes) per sample point. There are two reasons why we do this. One is that we mitigate the risk on a multiplexer system. If any part of that system goes down, you lose all your measurement points. With the multi-system approach, if one goes down, you still have all of the other sample points.

More information about the MarqMetrix All-In-One Raman Analyzer can be found in the literature (2).

References

1. Wetzel, W. The Applications of the All-In-One Process Analyzer. Spectroscopy. Available at: (accessed 2025-03-26).
2. Thermo Fisher Scientific, MarqMetrix All-In-One Process Raman Analyzer. Thermo Fisher Scientific. Available at: https://www.thermofisher.com/order/catalog/product/MARQMETRIXAIO (accessed 2025-03-26).