Sponsored Content by Bruker OpticsReviewed by Louis CastelApr 7 2025
Can you provide an overview of Bruker's BRAVO handheld Raman spectrometer and its primary applications across industries?
Most handheld Raman spectrometers are built for quick, on-the-spot material analysis, making them particularly valuable for security applications such as identifying illicit drugs. Beyond that, the BRAVO spectrometer is specifically designed with industrial quality control (QC) in mind, streamlining raw material release processes in a way that saves both time and costs. This is especially critical in the pharmaceutical industry, where 100 % material verification is often required.
Pharma Compliance | Handheld Raman Spectroscopy | BRAVO
Video Credit: Bruker Optics
How do BRAVO’s features enhance its performance compared to other handheld Raman devices?
The BRAVO often provides analytical results for materials at which competitive devices have their challenge. This comes by significant investments in R&D, leading to exceptional performance across Bruker’s entire product range. With the BRAVO, the goal was to deliver benchtop-level performance in a handheld device while addressing a key challenge in Raman spectroscopy—the trade-off between fluorescence suppression and sensitivity based on excitation wavelength. This is where SSETM (Sequentially Shifted Excitation) technology comes in, offering the best of both worlds.
For example, this level of performance is well recognized in the scientific community, with the BRAVO widely used for R&D applications, including the analysis of valuable historic paintings.
BRAVO is classified as a Laser Class 1 device. Could you elaborate on the importance of this classification for safety and ease of use in real-world scenarios?
With its Class 1 laser certification, the BRAVO eliminates the need for additional laser safety measures such as personal protective equipment, designated safety officers, training programs, or access restrictions. Today, the health and safety of employees are more important than ever, and as well an aspiration in product development is to establish designs that are as safe as possible.
With 21 CFR Part 11 compliance, the BRAVO appears well-suited for pharmaceutical quality control. How does it streamline raw material verification processes in regulated environments?
In the pharmaceutical industry, providing robust hardware and reliable services is crucial – but equally important is the software. As digitalization continues to shape pharmaceutical QC, seamless system integration and compliance-driven yet efficient software solutions are essential for maximizing the effectiveness of analytical devices in modern QC environments.
What features have been implemented to improve workflows and data integrity for your users?
A few years ago, Bruker introduced TOUCH software for its OPUS vibrational spectroscopy suite, designed specifically for routine tasks. The BRAVO follows the same intuitive GUI concept, allowing even inexperienced users to quickly learn and operate the device within minutes.
From a data integrity standpoint, BRAVO features a dedicated validation mode that ensures electronic records remain secure, regardless of user role. Data cannot be deleted or modified without authorization, maintaining compliance with the ALCOA+ principles emphasized by the FDA.
In the handheld Raman spectroscopy market, what do you believe sets Bruker’s BRAVO apart in terms of usability, reliability, and versatility?
First, the BRAVO features a true high-performance spectrograph, expanding its applications beyond traditional quality control. With OPUS, Bruker offers the industry-leading vibrational spectroscopy software suite, also enabling full remote control of the handheld spectrometer—making it a viable option for R&D tasks that don’t require a large benchtop system.
Combined with its onboard software and advanced fluorescence mitigation for challenging materials, BRAVO has matured into a highly specialized solution for the pharmaceutical industry - one that is widely recognized and valued by our global customers.
Looking ahead, what are Bruker’s key priorities or areas of focus for further enhancing Raman spectroscopy technologies?
Compared to other analytical techniques, Raman spectroscopy is still relatively young, particularly in industrial applications, making its market and technological evolution highly dynamic. High Throughput Virtual Slit (HTVS™) technology for process Raman applications significantly enhances sensitivity—by more than an order of magnitude – impressing even experts in the field.
Additionally, advancements in Raman imaging eliminate the need for time-consuming point-by-point mappings, making Raman microscopy most accessible to routine applications. These innovations are truly exciting for today’s scientists, opening up new possibilities in research and industry.
About the Speaker
Dr. Felix Fromm holds a PhD in solid-state physics with a specialization in Raman spectroscopy. Having joined Bruker in 2015 as an application manager for handheld Raman spectroscopy, he has accumulated over 15 years of experience in this field. With his extensive expertise in Raman spectroscopy, combined with his role as a pharmaceutical expert, he plays a key role in Bruker's Validation team.
About Bruker Optics
Bruker Optics, part of the Bruker Corporation is one of the world’s leading manufacturer and worldwide supplier of Fourier Transform Infrared, Near Infrared and Raman spectrometers.
Bruker entered the field of FTIR spectroscopy in 1974. The early instruments set new standards in research FTIR with evacuable optics, high resolution and automatic range change. Since then, the product line has been continuously expanding with instruments suitable for both analytical and research applications with exceptional performance characteristics.
Today, Bruker Optics offers complete technical solutions for various markets which cover a broad range of applications in all fields of research and development as well as industrial production processes for the purpose of ensuring quality and process reliability.
Bruker Optics’ R&D and manufacturing center is located in Ettlingen, Germany, technical support centers and sales offices are located throughout Europe, North and South America, Asia, India, Middle East and Africa.