Significance: Coherent Raman scattering (CRS) microscopy is an optical imaging technique with capabilities that could benefit a broad range of biomedical research studies. Aim: We reflect on the birth, rapid rise, and inescapable growing pains of the technique and look back on nearly four decades of developments to examine where the CRS imaging approach might be headed in the next decade to come. Approach: We provide a brief historical account of CRS microscopy, followed by a discussion of the challenges to disseminate the technique to a larger audience. We then highlight recent progress in expanding the capabilities of the CRS microscope and assess its current appeal as a practical imaging tool. Results: New developments in Raman tagging have improved the specificity and sensitivity of the CRS technique. In addition, technical advances have led to CRS microscopes that can capture hyperspectral data cubes at practical acquisition times. These improvements have broadened the application space of the technique. Conclusion: The technical performance of the CRS microscope has improved dramatically since its inception, but these advances have not yet translated into a substantial user base beyond a strong core of enthusiasts. Nonetheless, new developments are poised to move the unique capabilities of the technique into the hands of more users.

中文翻译：

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相干拉曼散射显微镜：寻找更多受众的有效解决方案

意义：相干拉曼散射 (CRS) 显微镜是一种光学成像技术，其功能可以使广泛的生物医学研究受益。目标：我们反思该技术的诞生、快速崛起和不可避免的成长痛苦，并回顾近四年的发展，以研究 CRS 成像方法在未来十年可能走向何方。方法：我们简要介绍了 CRS 显微镜的历史，然后讨论了将该技术传播给更多受众的挑战。然后，我们重点介绍了扩展 CRS 显微镜功能的最新进展，并评估其作为实用成像工具的当前吸引力。结果：拉曼标记的新发展提高了 CRS 技术的特异性和灵敏度。此外，技术进步导致 CRS 显微镜可以在实际采集时间捕获高光谱数据立方体。这些改进拓宽了该技术的应用空间。结论：CRS 显微镜的技术性能自问世以来已显着提高，但这些进步尚未转化为超越强大核心爱好者的庞大用户群。尽管如此，新的发展准备将这项技术的独特功能转移到更多用户的手中。但这些进步尚未转化为强大的爱好者核心之外​​的大量用户群。尽管如此，新的发展准备将这项技术的独特功能转移到更多用户的手中。但这些进步尚未转化为强大的爱好者核心之外​​的大量用户群。尽管如此，新的发展准备将这项技术的独特功能转移到更多用户的手中。