Abstract: Raman spectra of protein immunoblots or enzyme linked immunosorbant assay procedures are acquired with a scanning Raman spectrometer. The sensitivity of the measurement is increased by conjugating secondary antibodies used in the Western blot and ELISA methods to surface enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) labels. The resulting blot or well plate is analyzed with a Raman system that has forms a pixel map of the sample. More specifically, the Raman system generates an effectively line-shaped illumination pattern and scans the sample in the direction perpendicular to the line while the signal is accumulating on the detector. Each pixel is therefore a rectangle defined by the length of the illumination and the distance traveled by the sample within the duration of signal accumulation on the detector. The pixels are sequentially acquired to generate a map of the sample.

Abstract: The invention involves the real-time, NIR-spectroscopic, closed-loop control of the blowing agent content of polymer beads used to make lost foam casting patterns.