Raman microspectroscopy and imaging is gradually becoming a practical tool for contactless and nondestructive analysis of microscopic objects. Due to the combination of chemical specificity of vibrational spectra and spatial resolution offered by confocal optical microscopy, micro-RS techniques are particularly suitable for studying chemical composition and morphology of living cells and biological tissues.
Progress in experimental techniques and development of methods making the informational richness of vibrational spectra more accessible allowed expansion of micro-RS beyond the walls of specialized spectroscopic laboratories directly into biomedical practice.