WITec has introduced ParticleScout, a particle analysis tool for the alpha300 Raman microscope series that finds, classifies, quantifies and identifies particles quickly and easily. It begins by surveying samples with bright and dark field illumination to view the particles they contain. Image Stitching combines many measured areas for a detailed overview of large areas and Focus Stacking allows larger particles to be sharply rendered for accurate outline recognition. The optical images lead to the creation of a mask which is used to physically categorise particles of interest and arrange them in a ranked list. A Raman spectrum is then automatically acquired from each particle. The Raman spectra are evaluated and the particles they correspond to can be identified manually or by using the WITec TrueMatch Raman database software. Finally, ParticleScout generates a report that features user-selectable combinations of filters and advanced algorithms to show the quantities of selected particles and their prevalence relative to other groups.
