Multivariate Optical Computing and Next-generation Spectrometer

Multivariate optical computing (MOC) is a technique that uses optical filters to modulate the light to achieve calculation and obtain qualitative or quantitative results directly by detection of a single-point detector. Therefore, the complicated instrument design and cumbersome data processing are no longer needed for the MOC-based analytical instrument. The key technique for MOC is the design of the filter to achieve the detection that directly reflects the result for different purposes. In recent years, more efforts have been made for designation and optimization of the filters to enhance the performance. MOC-based spectrometer is a perfect combination of chemometrics and instrument design, and thus it is praised as the next-generation spectrometer. In this paper, the history, principle and the recent advances of MOC related techniques were summarized, with an emphasis on the filter design, filter optics and applications, and the challenges in the design and the optical implementation of the filters, as well as the integration of the instrument system.