Design and first applications of a flexible Raman micro-spectroscopic system for biological imaging

Typical commercial Raman micro-spectroscopic systems do not offer much flexibility to the end user, thus limiting potential research applications. We present a design of a simple, highly flexible and portable confocal Raman microscope with a detailed list of parts. The system can perform spectral acquisition in different modes: single-point spectroscopy, hyperspectral point mapping or hyperspectral line mapping. Moreover, the microscope can be easily converted between inverted and upright configurations, which can be beneficial for specific situations. Fiber coupling enables to connect various lasers for excitation and spectrometer/CCD combinations for signal detection. The performance of the instrument is demonstrated via Raman spectroscopy at 785 nm excitation wavelength, single point mapping of pancreatic cancer cells placed onto a quartz substrate and line mapping of polystyrene beads.