Raman scattering of blood

Blood evaluation is highly significant in clinical diagnostics, with the hemogram forming a crucial part of routine clinical analysis. The morphological, chemical, and physical aspects of the blood and its components provide insights into human vitality and are therefore attracting keen interest from the research community. With advancements in optical techniques, utilizing light to extract relevant diagnostic biochemical information from human samples has thrived in recent years. One promising emerging technique is Raman spectroscopy, an analytical method that allows probing the sample in its native state. It is based on inelastic scattering of light and thereby provides highly specific chemical information on the sample. By combining the technique with a microscope, morphological, structural, and physical information can be obtained. Hence, Raman spectroscopy has a high potential in clinical diagnostics. This chapter discusses Raman scattering of blood and its components. It covers various aspects of blood sampling and examination methods, as well as the fundamental properties of blood as revealed by the Raman spectroscopy. Additionally, the chapter explores the application of Raman spectroscopy in biomedical diagnostics and reviews novel studies on using the Raman spectral signature of blood for disease diagnosis, drug monitoring, and therapy. The chapter also highlights various specialized Raman spectroscopy techniques used in blood investigation and offers a future perspective on blood diagnostics.