Development and preliminary results of an endoscopic Raman probe for potential in vivo diagnosis of lung cancers

A near-infrared Raman system was developed to collect real-time in vivo human lung spectra. The excitation light and the emission were guided to and from the tissue surface by a reusable fiber catheter passed down the instrument channel of a bronchoscope. Two-stage filtering was used to reduce laser noise, fluorescence, and Raman emissions from the fibers. A second fiber bundle guided the emission to a spectrometer where the fibers, in a round packing geometry, were spread out to form a parabolic arc that improved the signal-to-noise ratio 20-fold, facilitating real-time spectral measurements. Preliminary clinical tests show that clear and reliable Raman spectra can be obtained.     

ESCA surface study of polystyrene photodegradation accelerated by 2-(2-methoxy-5-methylphenyl)-2H-benzotriazole

The accelerated ageing of polystyrene by means of 2-(2-methoxy-5-methylphenyl)-2H-benzotriazole, under conditions reproducing the outdoor environment, was studied. The results show that this benzotriazole derivative appreciably accelerates the rate of photodegradation at the surface of polystyrene.