Raman spectroscopy for a rapid diagnosis of sickle cell disease in human blood samples: a preliminary study.

Raman spectroscopy has been proposed as a tool for diagnosis of human blood diseases aiming a quick and accurate diagnosis. Sickle cell disease arises in infancy and causes a severe anemia; thus, an early diagnosis may avoid pathological complications such as vasoocclusion, hemolytic anemia, retinopathy, cardiovascular disease, and infections. This work evaluated spectral differences between hemoglobin S (HbS) and hemoglobin A (HbA) to be used in a diagnostic model based on principal components analysis.