TSP

In this episode Shahriar takes a close look at the Resolve Handheld Raman Analyzer for Chemical Identification from Agilent. This instrument resembles a real-life Tricorder with its ability to identify chemicals through various opaque containers.
www.agilent.com/en/product/mo...
This video explores every aspect of this instrument's design from principle of operation to the modern electronics required to realize its function. The video is organized as follows:
00:00 - Introductions & first through-barrier scan example
02:46 - Raman history, invention & Nobel prize
04:41 - Infrared absorption, Raman spectroscopy theory, challenges and importance of fluoresce
10:49 - Fluorescence example & measurement using Uranium glass & HeCd laser
15:21 - Other applications of fluorescence such as microscopy
16:48 - Nonlinear optical effect and frequency doubling crystals, measurement of green laser
20:13 - Other applications of nonlinear optics, autocorrelation instrument to measure femtosecond pulses
23:18 - Electron excitation of atoms to produce photon emissions using Helium & Neon gasses
24:23 - Components required to build a Raman spectrometer
25:15 - Monochromator & spectrometer architectures, limitations & design
29:07 - Agilent Raman Spectrometer overall architecture, Raman chemical fingerprints
31:10 - Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy (SORS) theory & application
32:43 - Agilent Raman Resolve use-cases, accessories and application scenarios
36:03 - Measurements & identification of spilled unknown powders & liquids
40:53 - Through-barrier plastics & glass measurement of mixed liquids & acids
42:52 - Agilent Resolve extensive library & material categories, Reach-back support
44:03 - Chemical identification examples using the Vial accessory
47:26 - Trace chemical concentration & sensitivity measurement
48:34 - Concluding remarks
Data TNG image credit:
www.startrek.com/article/cosp...
www.TheSignalPath.com
/ thesignalpath​​​
www.Patreon.com/TheSignalPath

[@AppliedScience]

I never knew Agilent made Raman spectrometers, and then your comment at the end about civilian restrictions explained why they might be rare ;) Really impressive bit of kit, and great explanation! I wonder about substances dissolved in a solvent - same signature?

[@jafinch78]

Me neither, I last left off working on the Ahura Truscan system development and validation for RM testing and some other interesting spectrometers. Unfortunately, the RAMAN spectrometer were more destructive compared to like the ATR FTIR or FTNIR systems I preferred where both need to use more advanced software, especially the later. So that system went forward more with the nutriceutical site. Seems like a different life at times and man do those that have the systems probably not use em from what I found in the service roles lack of forensics other than to rob in the jurisdictions I've been adversely impacted by and I'm guessing some get super pissed knowing how easy stuff can be detected. Though like the related NIST standards, technically they're used in space and even publicly drones have hyperspectral imaging so like spectra of each pixel, i.e. voxels. Didn't know Agilent made spectrometers at all either.

[@samthenerf]

Agilent acquired Cobalt Light Systems in 2017 the Resolve seems to have been developed before the acquisition.

[@Thesignalpath]

I tried various solvents. The result was a combined effect of the two substances. Unless of course a chemical reaction took place in which the new signature would be the result of the reaction plus any leftover unreacted compounds.

[@trevorjayman4364]

I am more amazed that this guy has so much knowledge about so many things... Agilent got super lucky to have him review their product...

[@loueckert4970]

I agree--amazing product review. Phew

[@oldblokeh]

Spatially offset Raman spectroscopy was invented at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Harwell, UK around 2005. They then spun off a company which was acquired by Agilent in 2017. New SORS capabilities are still being developed at the (now) Agilent facility in Harwell. So, it's British. And, no, it doesn't leak oil.

[@mikeissweet]

Britain and India have some history, I understand?

[@rex-up9ln]

Chemist here, who's also into electronics. Raman spectroscopy is really a bit like magic. I'm from Calcutta, and have visited Raman's place of work. What he and his students achieved without the help of modern instruments is really amazing. I have worked with benchtop ramans, but a handheld version is super cool. Great video as always

[@lbgstzockt8493]

If it is at all possible you should definitely do a video on your time at Bell Labs, I bet many people would love some insight into that mysterious organisation.

[@liam3284]

Bell Labs, one of those legendary places.

[@omniyambot9876]

what are your jobs guys?

[@cedivad]

TPS is finally hacking the algorithm: 1) First time I see him do thumbnail design. 2) Hook and sink in the first 3 minutes of the video rather than dropping the audience to technical jargon. Love you all the same, Shahriar 🙂

[@fredflickinger643]

It all started with Raman and his prisms, now thankfully for Shahriar, Agilent, Dr. Stokes and Dr. Blanco we are most appreciative to see Raman's work so well integrated and fine tuned into a portable package that no doubt gives some the ability to quickly assess potentially dangerous situations. I find this to be one of the better adaptations of a sound theory.

[@purerhodium]

Finally a type of instrument I have actually used before. If you ever somehow find your hands on a mass spectrometer (either quadrupole or orbitrap) or an NMR spectrometer, I think it would be really fun for you to do a video on them. RF circuits are at the heart of those instruments and I'd love to see what kind of insights you can give into their workings.

[@andymouse]

Same here, I worked for VG Scientific in the UK and was involved with Mass Spectroscopy, SIMS, Tof SIMS (Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy and the Time Of Flight stuff) back when this device really was SCFI !

[@arashghasemi]

When showed up in the KZbin notification bar, I thought it was noodle maker or something of that business. What an amazing technology it is indeed

[@teslastellar]

What an amazing instrument. Thank you for explaining how it works 🙂

[@mikesradiorepair]

LOL, to be honest I thought this was a spoof like the Turbo Encabulator for the first few seconds but quickly realized it was real. Amazing instrument and thanks for the fantastic review.

[@HuygensOptics]

Very well made video, I watched it from beginning to end! When I was a student I did stimulated Raman scattering in D2O using picosecond laser pulses. You could actually get quite high intensity Raman lines, that could even be used to do time-resolved spectroscopy.

[@MIsam-fv9kb]

Wow amazing the quality of content in this channel is just unmatched.

[@TerryLawrence001]

Finally! We can find out what's inside those little packets that come with noodles.

[@JonPMeyer]

Awesome video! That product is basically a large chunk of 20th century physics condensed via 21st century technology into a massively useful device. Your thorough but brief description of the underlying physics was very understandable. Thank you!

[@lmamakos]

That's AMAZING! A thing that I didn't even know existed does, which is remarkable and then the amazing feats of physics and signal processing... essentially all reduced to one EASY BUTTON. Wow. On a related topic, it would be really interesting to take one aspect of this and run with it.. please do a video on Raman amplifiers. Or as I was told, the reason why it's not always safe to look down the receive side of the fiber pair. All I knew before is that there's a high power laser pump source, some chunk of fiber that's apparently doped with magic and then more photons come out than you started with. I think I have hint now of what might be going on, thanks to this video.

[@AI7KTD]

Easily one of my favorite TSP videos

[@TheBananaPlug]

Excellent video, many thanks for bringing this technology to a wider audience, and of course thanks to the Agilent team for getting it into your hands. Having studied Raman spectroscopy at school many years ago for my Chemistry Degree and working with large benchtop instruments, its just amazing to see so much analytical power in such a small footprint device.

[@McTroyd]

Really cool find, Shahriar! I've long known that spectrometers exist, but never anything with that much precision in a handheld unit. Amazing.

[@HisSadShadow]

Bravo ! You just melted my brain at 4 am and made me crave some ramen.

[@gregorymccoy6797]

Well worth my time!!! Amazing. Thank you to the scientists who supplied the device,too.

[@deadbugengineering3330]

That joke near the end caught me a bit off-guard. 😁 Thanks for giving us another high quality educational video!

[@jhonbus]

That spatial offsetting technique is incredibly cool! I'm absolutely fascinated by sensor technology of all kinds, and all the tricky tricks like this are really what excites me. I should definitely try to get a job in this field.

[@Hasitier]

Fascinating instrument. I was not aware that such a thing exists.

[@rolfdieterklein]

Wonderful video, excellent. I also work with small spectrometers, and I know that raman is a huge challenge. I also used a effect which is called two photon absorptions you mentioned in the video, for example with lanthanoids, So a IR source point to the substance and you get back twice the frequency, which is used for forensic identification of objects (you add the substance for identification...) In this case its easy to filter out the laser, were as with Raman this is really a challenge.

[@tfinmoraes]

That was a delight! Great explanation, really well thought knowledge cadence! Thank you Shahriar. Hope you enjoy it, well deserved! Also extending to Dr. Stokes and Dr Blanco for making this happen.

[@klassichd10]

Again, another great YT highlight! Thanks a lot for this really great episode. A very impressive instrument too. Thanks for the lot of work, you are doing and sharing the results with us.

[@AmirASD]

Damet garm. Great job. I loved seeing the entire video and how it works, and when it doesn't work. Also thanks to, Dr Robert Stokes and Dr Anna Blanco for making this possible. The library of signatures available in there is fantastic.

[@JJisMe1972]

Now we just need Agilent to make a replicator.

[@ypx5ub]

Wow! Thanks to the people who made this video possible!

[@gsuberland]

Great video! This sent me down a rabbithole of trying to figure out how the Planck relation could be reconciled with the idea that zero-bandwidth electromagnetic waves are impossible. That led me to the time-energy uncertainty relation, which led me back to natural line width in spectroscopy. Always fun when that happens!

[@davidfranzkoch9789]

This is so cool. That instrument really feels like magic. But after watching this I have a rough idea on how it works. Thanks!

[@Nik930714]

That is a great video. A bit different to the normal stuff you cover, but very interesting indeed. Video drinking game - drink every time Shahriar mentions a Nobel price from his place of employment.

[@debasishtahbildar9603]

What a piece of tech... This is mind boggling 😊

[@Afrotechmods]

I liked the mixer analogy!

[@Kapitaen_Flauschbart]

That was incredible! Many thanks for all the effort.

[@ForgottenLore]

Easily Nobel prize worthy, such an interesting phenomenon made yet more impressive by such a well designed implementation of it.

[@djohnsto2]

This is super cool. Some day the leading smartphone makers will have these on their flagship phones.

[@c4t4l4n4]

Wonderful episode! I was able to wrap my head around this technology and understand how it works (or at least at the fundamental level). It also demystifies the workings at custom/ border checkpoints. Next time I have to check my baggage, I'll have an idea as to how they check. Obviously there will additional instrumentation to augment devices like these. It's like a dog in a box, lol. 😀

[@jessicav2031]

Very interesting. I'm guessing a thin aluminization layer like with typical moisture (or static shielding) packaging is enough to block detection? I'd be curious to try it on containers with different levels of metalization, like a partly transparent static shielding bag. Surely potato chips are out 😆

[@jhonbus]

Good question. I suspect while a thin layer may not block the laser radiation it'll probably block the Raman emission from being detected.

[@PapasDino]

What a wonderful informative review, thank you so much Shariar!

[@Gigabecquerel]

Amazing video! I love all the in-depth explanations and tangents, well done!

[@originaltonywilk]

Outstanding application of principles, kinda obvious when you explain it :)

[@geekdaniel7595]

Just... wow. I learned so much about a field I knew nothing about. Thank you!

[@dwagner6]

I’ve gotta say…I’m gonna need a tear down. Will Agilent send you anything to show off? So cool. Almost making me consider optoelectronics for my masters.

[@mikegLXIVMM]

This has to be the Top Raman spectrometer I've seen! 🙂

[@arinascimento547]

Fantastic! It seems like science fiction to me, even you showing and describing how it works!

[@____________________________.x]

That device is way more sensitive that I’d have believed possible

[@svenhoek]

Really cool tech! Excellent video!

[@basspig]

I remember working with helium cadmium lasers back at intek Corporation in 1978. A fascinating ultraviolet laser. We used the light sources for inspecting certain types of photographic film.

[@BM-jy6cb]

That is super impressive and interesting. Thank you so much for making this and other videos - they are real educational eye openers. There are some extremely clever people in this world. I'm unfortunately not one of them!

[@____________________________.x]

I’d imagine every crime scene cop would love one of these, they would never know what they would be walking into otherwise

[@uploadJ]

Say - Now I understand how Raman spectroscopy was one of the trusted analytical techniques used to very the transition of Hydrogen into Hydrino too.

[@noalear]

Oh wow, I want one of these! I cant wait to see how small they'll eventually get this.

[@travisthesutherland]

Always incredible

[@jessiepooch]

Wonderful stuff,thanks!

[@stevenbacon3878]

Great video! Awesome tool too.

[@PelDaddy]

Thanks. That is amazing, and you did an excellent job explaining it.

[@0xbenedikt]

Thank you for making this interesting video. I did not know this existed!

[@leocelente]

Really cool video!

[@nated1971]

this looks a lot like the old Ahura First Defender. We used it 20 years ago for identifying unknown materials. Looks like Agilent has taking it to the next level

[@florianhofmann7553]

Damn can't you prompt a warning message to put on our safety glasses before shining a laser into the camera. Luckily I do wear my sunglasses at night.

[@hexwell]

NorthridgeFix moment 😂

[@shazam6274]

Absolutely Amazing! Thanks for the deep dive tutorial on this subject and experiments with the instrument. In addition to all the rare optical, laser, detector and assorted circuitry in this compact portable instrument, you forgot to mention that it is made of un-obtanium and the cost of un-affordium! Seriously though, ballpark prices, or price ranges, of the items you discuss would be very helpful. After all, we can all admire the engineering and design of Koenigsegg cars, but know that lusting after one without a million dollars handy is a fantasy. The Agilent Resolve Handheld Raman Analyzer featured here is unique in its compactness and ruggedness and may be very useful to many people in many industries, most viewers will not find out, especially since there is no pricing listed by Agilent, or anyone else. Best I can conclude is that 1/2 of the equipment behind you cost multiples of this device, making it in the $20 ~ $50 thousand dollar range. Perhaps someone from Agilent can research the process of selling, perhaps to the nano and pico particle levels, to discover that, whether it is this device or a potato, one of the key ingredients needed for a sales transaction is the price!

[@robertfenney]

Facinating!

[@jafinch78]

Really awesome presentation and really neat system. I worked with the Ahura Truscan systems holistically and is interesting having the software experience as well since that training and modeling really makes a significant difference and is amazing how magical like seems as well. Amazing the advances in the MEMS and other related systems advances. Neat how some have even DIY made RAMAN spectrometers.

[@jafinch78]

Interesting, the cryocooling or cooling capabilities that somewhat seem like advances in vacuum tube tech sort of. HHHmmm, I've wondered about that graph noting the developments over time and what the future might look like? Not only in larger sizes, smaller sizes as well.

[@jafinch78]

The Michelson Interferometer FTNIR I implemented at Perrigo was originally developed for primarily testing pseudoephedrine since was needing to be controlled as in the Methamphetamine Awareness Training we were told drums used to be stolen at timea and the lab even would throw out larger sample bags full of for each lot and batch prior to implementing more security controls. Guessing still gets stolen anyways. Crazy, is the psuedo is the wrong isomer to make the CNS stimulant. Great vasoconstrictor though and dangerous to be used for stimulation. Made me feel weird like my back tingly. Anyways, memory lane. Reminds me of investigational new drugs and approved along with days I wanted to scan mixtures and whatever unknowns that might be found on site. Though that was FTNIR mainly, though I'm sure to an extent if I had at my site the RAMAN systems implemented, I'd be that obsessive. The FT microscopy and hyperspectral imaging were my dream machine systems as well for investigations.

[@jafinch78]

Wondering in regards to applications, the advances in medical diagnostics testing like for glucose monitoring, imaging and like at Tech I was inspired to work under the late Dr. Leifer using Mössbauer spectroscopy for diagnostics testing. At the time, as I still am thinking, the rotational and vibrational molecular energies had-have more my attention, since talk about controversial not well disclosed spectroscopic methods. The orgo lab had the microwave, albeit not the tuneable one I envisioned to use, so I was compelled to research with. 🙂

[@tomstern1681]

Awesome!!!

[@andymouse]

Awesome instrument and wonderfully explained. You have qualitative info can there be quantitative info too ?...cheers

[@raymiller5738]

Well done, while technical your explanations are excellent keep up the good work, I had no idea before how it was possible to determine what was within a container. Magic demisstified successfully, now the device just needs to go on a diet to the make it the same size as a real triquarter.

[@mohamedlanjri]

Awesome video! Will be great if you can make some measurements of electronics related subtances, like semiconductor's composition (SiGE, GaAs, InP, etc...)

[@trickyrat483]

Great stuff. Big thanks to all involved. Was rivetted from start to finish. Although you forgot to mention how much it costs. :)

[@gatoalfa7]

I glad you didn’t mix the potassium permanganate at the beginning of the video and the glycerin at the end.

[@YDKMPablo]

Amazing explanation about many physics phenomena and their correlation. Mind***k video. Congrats.

[@xDevscom_EE]

TSP, Engage! Raman measurement is little bit like voltnuts chasing nanovolts noise on a large 1000V DC level signal :-).

[@jamesfrancom8100]

PUCHHH! Mind blown!

[@nightcrawler8226]

Man. He speaks like some teachers. And I imagine him talking to Geordi La Forge and Data in the Holodeck! Man! I don't know a looot! Thank you anyway, Knowledge Master! 😅😅 😮😮😮

[@martylawson1638]

Small correction on that laser pointer crystal. It's way more than just a doubling crystal. It's usually a stack of a Nd:YAG crystal with a non-linear crystal that has the ends coated so one end reflects 800nm and 1064nm while the other end reflects 532nm and 1064nm. The ends of the crystal are also flat with the laser cavity stabilized by the pump laser heating the cavity and curving the ends of the crystal. A neat side effect of all this is that most green laser pointers are single-frequency single-mode lasers. If you can thermally stabilize it well enough, it'd make a great source for holography or conventional spectroscopy. (they'll happily excite individual absorption lines of Iodine vapor)

[@EgonSorensen]

Now I'm *really* looking forward to the episode where you take a closer look at a real-life replicator, capable of replicating this device :ø)

[@madmax2069]

I've always been fascinated by Spectrometers in how they operate. It makes me want to buy one, but they're far too expensive for me to buy.

[@jasnic2131]

Wow!

[@nerdtalker2]

This is easily the best video on youtube and the ultimate representation of the saying "the future is here, it just isn't evenly distributed yet". I wish Agilent would sell the general public this instrument. I would buy one in an instant.

[@aeloolindowy]

For the first measurement, how did the spectrometer "know" whether you wanted to measure envelope material or bottle material or bottle contents or second layer of bottle material or second layer of envelope or your hand or the wall? They were all in front of the spectrometer.

[@Thesignalpath]

If you look at 31:10, it is explained.

[@BlondieSL]

This is one of the most fascinating instruments that I've ever seen! I can imagine that if TSA (border agents) don't already have these, they sure will in the near future. I'm going to assume that it can also detect elicit drugs, so when people try to get into a country, they and what they carry with them could be scanned to see if they are bringing in some kind of drugs. I didn't know that Agilent was that far advanced. Impressive.

[@supernumex]

Very cool! there are hand held instruments for determining metal alloys as well. I believe using xrays?

[@bbbb98765]

TSP takes a surprising turn and goes Breaking Bad

[@glasslinger]

Excellent video! I was kind of wondering how you got such an expensive instrument! (none on ebay!) Does the instrument work on food, like an apple to detect insecticides, or on processed food to detect what chemicals are in it?

[@juergenherrmann949]

TEARDOWN! :)

[@md.mostafakhan4529]

❤❤

[@janbottorff4642]

That would be a great cell phone feature!

[@antoineroquentin2297]

Very interesting. Could they use time-of-flight to determine what's inside of a package? And what does it show if you hold it against the body?

[@ornithopterindia]

👍

[@donaldbray2147]

Were there any features or analytes that Agilent locked out or requested no comment? Maybe unanswerable question. I've worked on development of competitor's earlier generation instrument but it had other capabilities including gasses and radionuclide detection, and other features that at RFP review seemed technologically extremely challenging. Handheld devices like this for some years now also feature GPS, cameras, Irig, satellite link. As Shahriar alludes near end, these devices aren't usually available to civilians. Not because they include classified technologies but because they are developed under contract to government agency, in the US now its usually Homeland Defense. My project, they wrote the RFP, professional and clear specifications, funded the development, and it was our understanding it was in response to interdiction agencies technical, safety, and prosecution challenges.

[@artyzinn7725]

These scanners would be great in searching for counterfeit, even just as a preliminary screen, since the materials signatures of legit devices would be different from those made elsewhere or altered, such as drugs, electrical components, textiles, etc.,

[@ikocheratcr]

When two substances are detected (isopropil + acetone for instance), can the device provide the ratio of the two?

[@tinarenarde]

The answer to the obvious "how much" / price question seems to be... Approximately $65,000 which is about what I expected.

[@BlondieSL]

I'll just take that out of my shopping cart and put it into the wish list. LOL

[@jbglaw]

That's as impressive as these x-ray fluorescent guns are, or EDS on an electron microscope. It's "Wow!" to me these days; think about how such types of machines would have impressed people 200 years ago!

[@glasslinger]

You might get burned at the stake for practicing witchcraft! :)

[@jbglaw]

@@glasslinger You're probably right.

[@geemcd]

Crazy parties round Signal Path garage ❤

[@pupu-hm8cg]

Wondering how often security checking finds bags full of "trust me bro, its pink salt"? 🤔

[@blacklion79]

I wonder, could it distinguish different grades of steels and other ferrous alloys? I know, that handheld XFR devices are used for this.

[@EdwinSteiner]

Take it apaaaaaaart! ;-)

[@DEADB33F]

Does it have a mode which can identify different flavours or Ramen?