Detection of Pathogenic Microorganisms Using Fused Raman, SWIR and LIBS Sensor Data

A method comprising:

• providing a library comprising a plurality of sublibraries, wherein
• each said sublibrary contains a plurality of reference data sets generated by at least one spectroscopic data generating instrument, wherein said spectroscopic data generating instrument is selected from the group consisting of:
• a Raman spectroscopic data generating instrument, a short wave infrared spectroscopic data generating instrument, a laser induced breakdown spectroscopic data generating instrument, and combinations thereof, and
• wherein each reference data set characterizes a corresponding known pathogenic microorganism;
• obtaining a plurality of test data sets characteristic of an unknown material, wherein each test data set is generated by at least one of said of data generating instruments;
• instructing a processor to perform the following:
• for each test data set, searching each sublibrary associated with the spectroscopic data generating instrument used to generate said test data set, to thereby produce a corresponding set of scores for each searched sublibrary, wherein each score in said set of scores indicates a likelihood of a match between a corresponding one of said plurality of reference data sets in said searched sublibrary and said test data set;
• calculating a set of relative probability values for each searched sublibrary based on the corresponding set of scores for each searched sublibrary;
• and
• fusing all relative probability values to thereby produce a set of final probability values to be used in determining whether said unknown material is represented through a corresponding known pathogenic microorganism characterized in the library.