The Spero is a small desktop microscope for IR hyperspectral imaging, which combines laser-based vibrational spectroscopy in the mid-infrared and wide field of view imaging, with high resolution (approx. 5 microns).
Fast hyperspectral scan speeds (>7 M spectral points per second) allow live video-rate IR imaging which enables the visualisation of the distribution of compounds or crystallisation processes. With easy-to-use ChemVision software included, multiple file formats are available which integrate into standard chemometric software packages.
FTIR and other point scanning techniques can be prohibitively slow for both research and industrial applications. The Spero provides more data, and much faster, than FTIR. The mid-IR range (850 wavenumbers) is imaged in around 30 seconds to form a hyperspectral data cube.
Traditional tissue preparation for pathology involves many steps and may require multiple stains / tags. There may be a requirement to analyse fresh frozen tissue for interoperative diagnoses. However, IR imaging is a non-destructive technique, both label- and stain-free. It can be used to image paraffin-embedded samples and sections of fresh frozen tissue.