Compatability with Omnic library format provides more effective searching and sharing of FTIR and Raman data
Thermo Electron has announced the release of version 3.02 of Spectral ID, its spectral library searching software program that now offers unique functionality to enable spectroscopists to share and search multiple spectral libraries more effectively. The informatics business of Thermo Electron was formerly separately doing business as Thermo Galactic and Thermo LabSystems.
Showcased at Pittcon 2003 in March, Spectral ID v3.02 is compatible with the Thermo Nicolet Omnic-format libraries, including all high-resolution libraries.
This advance is a demonstration of integration between formerly disparate Thermo businesses and technologies to the benefit of customers.
Spectral ID users are now able to benefit from access to the vast collection of commercial libraries based on the Omnic format, without the requirement to install the Omnic software itself.
The latest version enables spectroscopists to search libraries of FTIR and Raman spectra in Omnic format - the same libraries currently on the FTIRsearch.com website (FTIRsearch.com allows users to try Thermo Nicolet high-resolution libraries before making a decision to purchase the libraries for in-house usage.) Spectral ID also allows users and their colleagues to search custom user-built libraries created by the Omnic software. Through the availability of Spectral ID v3.02, collaboration between spectroscopists is promoted through the sharing and comparing of reference spectra with no requirement for the original instrument software.
Spectral ID offers spectroscopists a single software package for accessing libraries from many other commercial vendors, including Chemical Concepts, John Wiley, Nist, and Sigma-Aldrich.
This means that access is possible to over half a million spectra in commercially-available collections.
Thermo has also recently introduced a new release of Spectral ID's interface program with the MSD ChemStation, which offers much improved data mining functionality over the ChemStation's own built-in spectral searching tool.
It now supports the most recent versions of the ChemStation, which utilise NT-based Windows operating systems.
This allows MSD ChemStation users to benefit from the improved performance, flexibility and application security of the latest Windows operating systems while conducting complex searches on spectra. Users of the in-built MSD ChemStation searching tool are currently limited to the PBM (probability-based matching) algorithm for searching mass spectral libraries.
Spectral ID uses the more popular and highly regarded Nist algorithm for searching.
Spectral ID is said to be the most comprehensive spectral search software available.
It is easy-to-use, fast, and is capable of creating and searching libraries for many analytical techniques such as MS, IR, Raman, UV-vis, fluorescence, NIR, and other data types.
The optional Spectral ID Server provides true client/server technology for centralised storage, access, and management of all libraries.
Like all other software in Thermo's current desktop spectroscopy product line, Spectral ID is compatible with Windows XP.
