Spectrometers detect how objects and substances absorb or reflect light. They can identify the chemical composition of an unknown substance, detect impurities in food and medicine, and test food for spoilage and overall quality.
Traditional spectrometers are bulky lab instruments. But scientists, researchers, quality control inspectors, and even hobbyists can use handheld spectrometers to identify how an object or material reacts to visible or infrared light. And these handheld devices can work just as well, if not better depending on the specific application. Learn the top three characteristics of a good handheld spectrometer.
Handheld Spectrometers Are Portable
The primary and most obvious benefit of handheld spectrometers is their portability. Instead of removing specimens from their natural habitat or the location of their discovery, handheld spectrometers allow researchers to test materials in the field. Along with testing fruit for sugar content while it’s still on the tree, handheld spectrometers can detect impurities in water and identify illegal drugs abandoned during a chase.
Handheld Spectrometers Offer Connectivity
Wired or wireless, handheld spectrometers can communicate data directly to a computer or a database for comparison or analysis. Some versions will even connect through Bluetooth to mobile devices that can then access the internet to compare or send data. Versions compatible with different operating systems for PC and mobile devices make handheld spectrometers versatile.
Handheld Spectrometers Work With Accessories
Scientists and researchers who use a variety of instruments in the field can use handheld spectrometers with other accessories to make additional measurements of parameters like fluorescence, reflectivity, and more. This ability to accessorize is one of the top characteristics of handheld spectrometers. With a well-equipped base station, a portable, compact, and highly sensitive handheld spectrometer can combine with other instruments to obtain the data and measurements researchers need right in the field.
If you need a handheld spectrometer for your next field research assignment or project, or perhaps you need it to identify counterfeit drugs, undesirable additives in wine or whiskey, or spoilage in food, Axiom Optics has the portable spectrometer you need to take with you into the woods, the warehouse, or the production line.