<title>Measurement of sex steroids and analogs with a fiber optic probe using pulsed ultraviolet resonance Raman spectroscopy</title>

Abstract

Resonance Raman spectroscopy, performed via an optical fiber probe, can be used in aqueous samples to detect a wide variety of chemical species in situ. It offers a potentially rapid, on-site alternative to the high performance chromatography/mass spectrometry methods currently considered definitive for the detection of sex steroids in human urine. As a first step in the development of a resonance Raman instrument for the rapid detection of sex steroids in biological samples, it had to be shown that these substances, their analogs, and the major components of human urine can be differentiated on the basis of their resonance Raman spectra. A fiber-optic linked Raman and tunable ultraviolet resonance Raman system was assembled with custom designed optical fiber probes. The ultraviolet absorption spectra of some sex steroids, analogs, and components of human urine were measured in order to determine feasible excitation light frequencies. We present here for the first time the UV resonance Raman spectra of these substances obtained via our novel fiber probes. These results indicate that some of the steroids tested can be differentiated from each other and from the major components of human urine on the basis of their resonance Raman spectra.