Infrared Microscope AIMsight

Importance of the Topic

Infrared microscopy provides detailed chemical and spatial information at the microscale, crucial for identifying contaminants, characterizing microplastics, studying material degradation and supporting quality control across industries including pharmaceuticals, electronics and environmental analysis.

Objectives and Study Overview

This article presents the AIMsight infrared microscope by Shimadzu, focusing on its enhanced automation, sensitivity and software capabilities. Key aims include streamlining sample loading, automating contaminant recognition, enabling high-resolution imaging and integrating digital support functions to ensure reliable results regardless of user expertise.

Methodology and Instrumentation Used

• AIMsight infrared microscope with shared wide-field and microscope cameras
• Transmission and ATR measurement modes, including Ge-ATR and grazing-angle objectives
• Detectors: T2SL (liquid nitrogen cooled), TEC-MCT and DLATGS
• Software: AMsolution for measurement and analysis, LabSolutions IR with contaminant libraries and optional modules for mapping, particle and chemical imaging

Main Results and Discussion

• High sensitivity: 30 000:1 S/N ratio enabled clear spectra from a 10 μm polystyrene bead
• ATR performance: distortion-free spectra of high refractive index samples (black rubber) using Ge-ATR
• Automated contaminant recognition: identification of NBR, CaCO₃, kaolin and phthalates on battery surfaces
• Chemical imaging: mapping distribution of lactose, lipid and cellulose in pharmaceutical powders
• Microplastic analysis: detection and length measurement of PE and PP particles (20–40 μm) on PTFE filters

Advantages and Practical Applications

• Efficient workflow: automated sample handling, digital zoom and contaminant screening reduce analysis time
• Broad applicability: from failure analysis in electronics and polymer degradation studies to pharmaceutical quality control and environmental microplastics research
• Data integrity: compliance with pharmacopoeia standards and ER/ES requirements via LabSolutions DB/CS

Future Trends and Applications

Emerging trends include deeper integration of AI and IoT for real-time monitoring, advanced multivariate and hyperspectral imaging, high-throughput automated mapping and expanding contaminant libraries for new materials. These developments will drive faster, more reliable microscale chemical analysis across diverse fields.

Conclusion

The AIMsight infrared microscope combines high sensitivity, robust automation and advanced software to deliver reproducible microscale chemical analysis. Its versatile measurement modes and data integrity features support routine quality control and complex research applications, paving the way for more automated, intelligent analytical workflows.

References

1. Shimadzu Corporation. JP Patent 5205918.
2. Kataoka T, Iga Y, Baihaqi RA, et al. Geometric relationship between the projected surface area and mass of a plastic particle. Water Research. 2024;261:122061.