IN-DEPTH FOCUS: RAMAN Raman hyperspectral imaging: a single tool to characterise pharmaceutical products

Hyperspectral imaging – or spectral imaging – was first used in the material, food and biological domains. But it is increasingly being employed by pharmaceutical professionals, since it combines the dual advantages of spectroscopic techniques and imaging. Hyperspectral imaging allows the user to acquire the spectrum at each pixel of a defined image. It is thus possible to visualise properties invisible to the naked eye, as the spatial distribution of the constituents of a pharmaceutical solid form, the polymorphic form and so on. The available information is thus a function of the spectroscopic technique used. Each technique has its advantages, disadvantages and specificities and must be selected according to the information sought 1-2. Raman hyperspectral imaging is an increasingly used tool in the pharmaceutical field because it allows for the investigation of many characteristics on a solid sample. This paper delves into Raman spectroscopy and imaging, including spectral and spatial information, and presents some applications of Raman hyperspectral imaging in the pharmaceutical field. IN-DEPTH FOCUS: RAMAN