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Photothermal Spectroscopy Corp and Bio-Rad form partnership in the field of simultaneous IR and Raman spectroscopy

28 Oct 2019

Photothermal Spectroscopy Corp (PSC) are going to bundle with its instruments the world’s largest infrared (IR) and Raman library and identification software from Bio-Rad.

PSC (CA, USA), the pioneer in optical photothermal IR (O-PTIR) spectroscopy and Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. (CA, USA), a global leader of life science research and clinical diagnostic products, today announced a partnership in which PSC will bundle Bio-Rad’s IR and Raman library and identification software with PSC’s instruments.

The partnership leverages the capabilities of both companies, offering customers a complementary and confirmatory dual-technique analysis that uses PSC’s breakthrough optical photothermal IR spectroscopy (O-PTIR) technique. The O-PTIR technique offers simultaneous sub-micron measurement of IR and Raman spectra via their mIRage+R
IR and Raman Microscope. Used with Bio-Rad’s KnowItAll software, the combination offers simultaneous searching of IR and Raman spectral databases for compound identification, providing researchers the ability to increase their efficiency, accuracy, and overall confidence in results.

As part of the agreement, PSC will bundle a one-year subscription to Bio-Rad’s KnowItAll IR/Raman Identification Pro, providing customers access to Bio-Rad’s entire IR and Raman libraries with every PSC instrument and the ability to identify spectra with patented tools and spectral reference data available only from Bio-Rad.

“Ultimately, the critical aspect of identifying unknowns is having confidence in your selection as the best match,” said Dr. Mustafa Kansiz, Director of Product Management remarked. “Now, two complementary spectra, IR and Raman, collected simultaneously, can be used for that purpose with one confirming the other to give more accurate and 2 confident identification. Hence, we describe the techniques as complementary and confirmatory. We are delighted to work with Bio-Rad in this endeavor,” he added.

“We are pleased to partner with PSC to offer a powerful solution for IR and Raman spectral identification,” said Gregory M. Banik, Ph.D., Bio-Rad General Manager, Informatics. “With this partnership, PSC is able to leverage Bio-Rad’s unique software and database technology with PSC’s equally unique instrument technology,” he said.

How Does It Work?

IR and Raman spectra of an unknown sample are measured from the same spot, at the same time with the same spatial resolution, on the PSC mIRage+R instrument, the world’s first simultaneous IR and Raman microscopy system. The instrument transfers the IR and Raman spectra of the unknown sample to Bio-Rad’s KnowItAll software for analysis. The software automatically performs a comparison of both spectra against the world’s largest spectral database of IR and Raman reference spectra using a unique, simultaneous multi-technique spectral search capability. The KnowItAll software quickly summarizes and presents the final results in a 2D scatter plot that clearly points to the best database matches from the dual technique comparisons.

About IR and Raman software-based spectral search/identification

Researchers use spectral search/identification spectral software along with IR and Raman spectral reference databases to identify unknown substances and verify the composition of synthesized materials in a number of applications and industries. First, precision IR and Raman instruments measure a substance and produce a spectrum, which is expressed as a graph showing a series of peaks that are specific to the sample material. Next, that spectrum is compared to a reference database of the measured spectra of known substances. If a matching spectrum is found, the material in question can be identified. Bio-Rad’s KnowItAll solutions provide search software tools, as well as the world’s most extensive collection of reference spectra used in this type of analysis.

About KnowItAll Software

Bio-Rad’s award-winning KnowItAll software offers comprehensive solutions for spectral analysis, identification, search, data management, and reporting. It supports multiple instrument vendor file formats and techniques IR, Raman, near IR (NIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), mass spectrometry (MS), ultraviolet-visible (UVVis) spectroscopy and chromatography. The software, combined with over two million spectra, helps chemists extract even greater knowledge from their spectral data. Learn more at www.knowitall.com.

About Bio-Rad

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: BIO and BIOb) is a global leader in developing, manufacturing, and marketing a broad range of innovative products for the life science research and clinical diagnostic markets. With a focus on quality and customer service for over 65 years, our products advance the discovery process and improve healthcare.
Our customers are university and research institutions, hospitals, public health and commercial laboratories, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, as well as applied laboratories that include food safety and environmental quality. Founded in 1952, Bio-Rad is based in Hercules, California (USA), and has a global network of operations with more than 8,000 employees worldwide. Bio-Rad had revenues exceeding $2.2 billion in 2018. For more information, please visit www.bio-rad.com.

About Photothermal Spectroscopy Corp

PSC has pioneered the breakthrough technique of optical photothermal IP (O-PTIR) technology that eliminates key limitations of traditional IR Spectroscopy providing submicron spatial resolution for IR and transmission-like FT-IR quality spectra in non-contact reflection mode. More recently, PSC has developed the world’s first simultaneous IR and Raman microscope and imaging system, providing IR and Raman data from the exact same spot, at the same time, with the same submicron spatial resolution. PSC’s vision is to enable the power of IR spectroscopy to be applied to high-value problems in industry and academia via the adoption of O-PTIR. For more information, please visit www.photothermal.com.

Bio-Rad Forward-Looking Statements

This release may be deemed to contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements we make regarding our expectations regarding our products. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “plan”, “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “may,” “will,” “intend,” “estimate,” “continue,” or similar expressions or the negative of those terms or expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed in or indicated by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include our ability to develop and market new or improved products, our ability to compete effectively, international legal and regulatory risks, and product quality and liability issues. For further information regarding our risks and uncertainties, please refer to the ‘risk factors’ and ‘management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operation’ in Bio-Rad’s public reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent annual report on form 10-K and our quarterly reports on form 10-Q. Bio-Rad cautions you
not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect an analysis only and speak only as of the date hereof. We disclaim any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.