New approaches to data processing and analysis in optical sensing

Abstract

Simplified application-specific instruments represent an important trend in modern analytical chemistry. Their development is illustrated by the increasing role of optical multisensor systems (OMS) for in-line and field analysis in new application areas, such as industrial process control and environmental monitoring. The distinct nature of optical multisensory data increasingly generated by this new technique calls for a critical revision of traditional data handling approaches that have their origin in laboratory spectroscopy. Acquisition, visualization, preprocessing, and subsequent analysis of OMS data should be adjusted for the changing requirements of quantitative and qualitative analysis of various objects. This critical review outlines the state of the art and possible ways forward in data science in connection with the above changes of the instrumental base of chemical analysis.