A method for the automated Raman spectra acquisition

Raman spectroscopy is a very powerful analytical technique with an increasing acceptance in the scientific community. For the optimization of the Raman acquisition, two main parameters, the integration time and the number of accumulations, need to be adjusted to the sample under analysis, as the sample, or even different spots on the same sample, can provide very different Raman responses one from another. In this paper, we present a suite of algorithms to automate the acquisition parameter adjustment to the sample under analysis, addressing issues such as spectral saturation, fluorescence, cosmic ray detection and removal, and adjustment of the acquisition parameters to optimize the acquired spectral data. This suite has been developed in the framework of the Raman Laser Spectrometer (RLS) instrument development for the Exomars mission but can be applied to any Raman spectrometer. This will allow the spectrometer to adapt to the characteristics of the sample that is being analyzed, optimizing the total operative time, while improving the usability and overall efficiency of the system. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.