Raman spectroscopic and fractal analysis of blood samples of dengue fever patients

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Swapna, M.S.^a | Shinker, S.S.^a | Suresh, S.^a | Sankararaman, S.^a;

Affiliations: [a] Department of Optoelectronics and Department of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, University of Kerala, Trivandrum 695581, Kerala, India

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: BACKGROUND:The limitations of the existing techniques for the early detection of dengue fever necessitate the development of a powerful optical technique. OBJECTIVE:The present work is a study of Raman spectral modifications of blood on dengue infection and thereby to develop a spectroscopic method for its early detection. The images of the samples are subjected to fractal analysis to find the variation of fractal dimensions on dengue infection. METHODS:Correlation of platelet counts of dengue infected blood with Raman spectrum modification and fractal dimension. The effect of lowering of blood platelet count due to dengue infection is found to show some interesting changes in the spectrum. RESULTS:The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the two bands in the region 950–1200 cm−1 increase with the decrease of blood platelet count. The increase in fractal dimension gives an indication of the decrease of platelet count and hence the dengue infection. CONCLUSIONS:Raman spectrum and fractal analysis can effectively be used as potential techniques for the early detection of dengue infection.

Keywords: Raman spectroscopy, dengue fever, platelet, blood, fractals

DOI: 10.3233/BME-181023

Journal: Bio-Medical Materials and Engineering, vol. 29, no. 6, pp. 787-797, 2018