IS-Instruments is proud and delighted to announce that members of our team have been awarded a patent for a gas-phase Raman instrument. The spectrometer detects gas species using a microstructured hollow core fibre.
The Challenge:
Raman spectroscopy identifies and measures unknown substances through their unique spectral fingerprints. Existing instruments work well for solids and liquids. However, gases remain difficult to observe due to their small scattering cross-sections. Pipeline gas samples often contain multiple species at varying concentrations. Consequently, measuring gases below 3% or at parts-per-billion levels challenges most systems.
To improve effectiveness, engineers can increase the interaction path between the laser and gas molecules. A longer path produces a stronger Raman signal. Therefore, hollow-core microstructured optical fibres (HC-MOFs) offer a powerful way to enhance performance.
The Solution:
The gas sample passes through an HC-MOF connected to a monochromatic light source. A detector linked to the fibre measures the Raman signal from the gas. Meanwhile, a mask between the fibre and detector filters selected Raman frequencies. This filter helps identify low-concentration gas components. In addition, the mask may act as a variable, dynamically controlled filter. A CCD detector records each frequency on individual pixels. Calibration or simulation selects which pixels receive attenuated light. For example, in natural gas applications, selected frequencies may correspond to methane. The entire system fits within a portable unit and operates efficiently in demanding environments.
Further technical details are available here.
The Inventors:
IS-Instruments
ISI Co-Founder & Director, Dr Michael Foster
Dr Foster earned his PhD in 1999 while studying cometary atmospheres. His interest in instrumentation led him to specialise in LIDAR and remote sensing. He has contributed to major space missions, including EarthCARE, ADM (Aeolus), and Ascope. As a result, he is recognised as a leading UK expert in LIDAR instrumentation. He has collaborated with groups at UCL, Imperial, Leicester, The Open University, and Southampton.
ISI Co-Founder & Director, Dr Jonathan Storey
Dr Storey completed his Physics degree and PhD in Space Plasma Physics at the University of Leicester. Subsequently, he has designed and built optical and laser-based instruments for diverse applications. His projects include developing the highest specification optical filters and 3D landing LIDARs for the European Space Agency, as well as a gas-contaminant sensor for British Gas.
At ISI, Jon oversees the design of optical, mechanical, and software components through to system assembly and testing.
Senior Scientist, Dr Will Brooks
Dr Will Brooks received his BSc (Hons) degree in Chemistry in 2006 from the University of Wales, Bangor and obtained a PhD in Electronic Engineering from Bangor University in 2012. Here, he studied spatially resolved performance characteristics of thin-film CdTe photovoltaic solar cells. Following this, Will took up a postdoctoral position at the Centre for Solar Energy Research at Glyndwr University. There, he worked as a Research Assistant on a Welsh Government Academic Expertise for Business (A4B) Collaborative Industrial Research Project (CIRP). This role deepened his expertise in applied industrial research and instrumentation development.
Research Scientist, Charles Warren
Charles completed a Master’s Degree in Physics at the University of Exeter in 2014. His research focused on Raman spectroscopy of graphene. During this work, he gained experience in cleanroom protocols and optical lithography. After completing a PGCE, he taught science, specialising in physics, before returning to research and development.
The University of Southampton’s Optoelectronics Research Centre
Principal Research Fellow Dr Natalie Wheeler
Dr Wheeler earned her PhD from the University of Bath in 2011, studying HC-MOFs for gas applications. She joined the Optoelectronics Research Centre at Southampton in 2010. There, Natalie designs and fabricates world-class HC-MOFs for telecommunications and high-power transmission. As a result of her work, fibre losses have been reduced by an order of magnitude. Subsequently, she published the first demonstration of sub-ppm gas sensitivity using HC-MOFs.
Her research continues to influence the development of high-capacity transmission networks.
Dr Partridge earned a BSc in Biochemistry from Lancaster University and a PhD from Cranfield in 2014. His doctoral research developed fibre-optic sensors for molecular detection. In 2018, he joined the University of Southampton to apply microstructured fibre in sensing applications. Since 2020, he has directed Orlef Ltd. and run the science communication website ErrantScience.com. He is also Technical Director with Orlef Ltd., a company specialising in point-of-care diagnostics.
Founded in 2010, IS-Instruments is based in Tonbridge, Kent. We specialise in Raman spectroscopy and optical instrument design. Our Directors, Dr Michael Foster and Dr Jonathan Storey, are world experts in optical filtering, LIDAR, and interferometry. They spent more than ten years developing LIDAR and 3D vision systems for space missions.
IS-Instruments specialises in designing robust remote-sensing Raman instruments for extreme and high-temperature environments.
Our work supports industries, including Nuclear, Biopharmaceuticals, Defence, and high-value manufacturing.
