ENHANCEMENT OF RAMAN-SPECTRA OBTAINED AT LOW SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIOS - MATCHED FILTERING AND ADAPTIVE PEAK DETECTION

Two methods of Raman spectral peak enhancement are described. The matched-filter approach employs an optimal filter to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio at its output. The impulse response of the matched filter is the reversed version of the profile of the spectral peak to be enhanced; therefore, the effectiveness of the matched filter depends on a priori knowledge of the peak's shape. The adaptive peak detector (APD) utilizes a filter having a time-varying impulse response. APD performance is relatively insensitive to peak shape, but is instead contingent on a number of user-specified parameters.