Shrinking FT-NIR Spectrometers Empower Consumers, Business

Chip-scale sensor integration has brought us to the edge of new market opportunities that are poised to transform business practices and consumer lifestyles. The ability to incorporate miniaturized sensors into small devices and broad networks means that actionable data can be collected anywhere, anytime -- either on demand or on a continuous basis. Nowhere is this opportunity better illustrated than in the spectroscopy sector, where miniaturized technology is poised to open vast new markets for a seemingly futuristic capability -- instant and ubiquitous material analysis. Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has served to quantify and qualify materials for many applications. Using NIR, a device can derive a spectral signature from a particular material by shining a broadband light on a sample and measuring its spectral response. The spectral response provides a reference for performing identification and/or quantification analysis using predeveloped analysis models.