PSC to Bundle with its Instruments the World’s Largest IR and Raman Library and Identification Software from Bio-Rad

Photothermal Spectroscopy Corp (PSC), the pioneer in Optical Photothermal Infrared (O-PTIR) spectroscopy and Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., a global leader of life science research and clinical diagnostic products has announced a partnership in which PSC will bundle Bio-Rad’s IR and Raman Library and Identification software with PSC’s instruments.

The partnership leverages the capabilities of both companies, offering customers a complementary and confirmatory dual-technique analysis that uses PSC’s breakthrough Optical Photothermal IR Spectroscopy (O-PTIR) technique. The O-PTIR technique offers simultaneous sub-micron measurement of IR and Raman spectra via their mIRage+R Infrared and Raman Microscope. Used with Bio-Rad’s KnowItAll software, the combination offers simultaneous searching of IR and Raman spectral databases for compound identification, providing researchers the ability to increase their efficiency, accuracy, and overall confidence in results.

As part of the agreement, PSC will bundle a one-year subscription to Bio-Rad’s KnowItAll IR/Raman Identification Pro, providing customers access to Bio-Rad’s entire IR and Raman libraries with every PSC instrument and the ability to identify spectra with patented tools and spectral reference data available only from Bio Rad.

“Ultimately, the critical aspect of identifying unknowns is having confidence in your selection as the best match,” said Dr. Mustafa Kansiz, Director of Product Management remarked. “Now, two complementary spectra, IR and Raman, collected simultaneously, can be used for that purpose with one confirming the other to give more accurate and confident identification. Hence, we describe the techniques as complementary and confirmatory. We are delighted to work with Bio-Rad in this endeavor,” he added.

“We are pleased to partner with Photothermal Spectroscopy Corp to offer a powerful solution for IR and Raman spectral identification,” said Gregory M. Banik, Ph.D., Bio-Rad General Manager, Informatics. “With this partnership PSC is able to leverage Bio-Rad’s unique software and database technology with PSC’s equally unique instrument technology,” he said.

How Does It Work?

IR and Raman spectra of an unknown sample are measured from the same spot, at the same time with the same spatial resolution, on the PSC mIRage+R instrument, the world’s first simultaneous IR and Raman microscopy system. The instrument transfers the IR and Raman spectra of the unknown sample to Bio-Rad’s KnowItAll software for analysis. The software automatically performs a comparison of both spectra against the world’s largest spectral database of IR and Raman reference spectra using a unique, simultaneous multi-technique spectral search capability. The KnowItAll software quickly summarizes and presents the final results in a 2D scatter plot that clearly points to the best database matches from the dual technique comparisons.

About IR and Raman Software-Based Spectral Search/Identification

Researchers use spectral search/identification spectral software along with IR and Raman spectral reference databases to identify unknown substances and verify the composition of synthesized materials in a number of applications and industries. First, precision IR and Raman instruments measure a substance and produce a spectrum, which is expressed as a graph showing a series of peaks that is specific to the sample material. Next, that spectrum is compared to a reference database of the measured spectra of known substances. If a matching spectrum is found, the material in question can be identified. Bio-Rad’s KnowItAll solutions provide search software tools, as well as the world's most extensive collection of reference spectra used in this type of analysis.

About KnowItAll Software

Bio-Rad’s award-winning KnowItAll software offers comprehensive solutions for spectral analysis, identification, search, data management, and reporting. It supports multiple instrument vendor file formats and techniques Infrared (IR), Raman, Near IR (NIR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Mass Spectrometry (MS), Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and chromatography. The software, combined with over two million spectra, helps chemists extract even greater knowledge from their spectral data.

BIO-RAD and KNOWITALL are trademarks of Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. in certain jurisdictions.

learn more 

About Bio-Rad

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: BIO and BIOb) is a global leader in developing, manufacturing, and marketing a broad range of innovative products for the life science research and clinical diagnostic markets. With a focus on quality and customer service for over 65 years, our products advance the discovery process and improve healthcare. Our customers are university and research institutions, hospitals, public health and commercial laboratories, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, as well as applied laboratories that include food safety and environmental quality. Founded in 1952, Bio-Rad is based in Hercules, California, and has a global network of operations with more than 8,000 employees worldwide. Bio-Rad had revenues exceeding $2.2 billion in 2018.

About Photothermal Spectroscopy Corp

Photothermal Spectroscopy Corp (PSC) has pioneered the breakthrough technique of optical Photothermal Infrared (O-PTIR) technology that eliminates key limitations of traditional IR Spectroscopy providing submicron spatial resolution for IR and transmission-like FT-IR quality spectra in non-contact reflection mode. More recently, PSC has developed the world’s first simultaneous Infrared and Raman microscope and imaging system, providing IR and Raman data from the exact same spot, at the same time, with the same submicron spatial resolution. PSC’s vision is to enable the power of IR spectroscopy to be applied to high value problems in industry and academia via the adoption of O-PTIR.