Cambridge Raman Imaging Limited (CRI) has developed and patented ultra-fast fibre lasers for high-speed coherent Raman spectroscopy, initially for use in clinical diagnosis and biotech research.

The Company, a spin-out from the University of Cambridge and the Politecnico di Milano in Italy, is combining its unique laser technology with advanced microscopy. The technology will help histopathologists identify tumours from their chemical signatures and morphology – their forms and structures — rather than their morphology on its own.

Advantages include being able to detect very small tumours in real-time, and acquiring digital, stain-free images 1,000 to 10,000 times faster than conventional Raman imaging – critical when nearly a billion biopsy samples are processed globally each year.

As well as pathology laboratories, CRI’s technology will target operating theatres where real-time analysis of fresh tissue samples can detect and show the extent of tumours and their response to surgery and drug treatments, allowing surgeons to see if a tumour has been completely removed. Existing technologies mean samples taken from a patient must be sent to a laboratory for analysis. CRI’s fibre laser systems will be compact enough to use in theatre, speeding up surgery and improving patient outcomes, and can be integrated with standard medical microscopes.

The company is generating revenue with the first commercial sales of its STRALE lasers closed and delivered in 2023. Sales picked up pace during 2024, with revenues exceeding expectations.

Other future applications include endoscopic examination, scanning body fluids for pathogens or tumour cells, and imaging proteins.