Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering in surgery and forensics

This paper shows some results of our work on the use of Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering as an ex vivo and in vivo diagnostic means in veterinary surgery and oncology. Also, as part of the involved research, interspecies discrimination of adipose constituents and body fluids is illustrated. These later outcomes would supply efficient instruments to forensics. An innovative system based on surface enhanced Raman scattering, primarily used in small animal surgery, will add to the ongoing research on tumour margin assessment. Samples from animal patients following therapeutic mastectomy have been investigated ex vivo using a LABRAM HR 800 micro-Raman spectrometer. Spectra were collected from 100 cm −1 to 4000 cm −1 using a 632 nm HeNe laser, which to date has been reported on in vitro human samples only. A surface enhanced Raman effect of up to 10 7 has been obtained on areas of surgery instruments either raw or coated with silver or gold. This dramatically improves spectral resolution and reduces the accumulation time down to 60 s, which would allow for real time diagnostic.