Near-infrared multichannel Raman spectroscopy toward real-time in vivo cancer diagnosis

Using a newly developed InP/InGaAsP multichannel detector, we developed a near-infrared Raman spectroscopic system that can measure human tissues efficiently without interference from fluorescence. This enabled us to measure an in vivo Raman spectrum of live human tissue (skin) in 1 min using fiber probe optics. By applying this system to human lung tissues, we found that Raman spectroscopy makes a clear distinction not only between normal and cancerous tissues but also between two different types of lung carcinomas. The results indicate a promising future for the non-invasive real-time Raman diagnosis of cancers. Copyright  2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.