Monitoring cellular diseases by Raman Tweezers

We present a spectroscopic analysis of Red Blood Cells (RBCs). The analysis was carried out at the level of single cells, which were optically trapped by means of a near-infrared laser (? = 1064 nm). Resonance Raman excitation of hemoglobin (Hb) was performed with a second laser, emitting at ? = 532 nm. The aim of this study is to compare the Raman response of normal RBCs with thalassemic cells. Raman analysis is used to draw hemoglobin distribution inside single erythrocytes. In particular, the experimental outcomes reveal the characteristic anomaly (target shape) occurring in thalassemia. These results in vivo show the potential of our technique as a diagnostic tool for other hemopathies. © Società Italiana di Fisica.