Patent ID: 9683927
Date: 2017-06-20
CPC Classifications: G01J,G01N

Claim:
1. A device for receiving a liquid sample to be analysed by a process of involving the passing of electromagnetic radiation through the sample, the device comprising a housing assembly, a light inlet guide supported by the housing assembly for directing electromagnetic radiation into the sample, a light receiving element supported by the housing assembly, situated in an opposed relationship to the guide, and spaced from the guide by a fixed distance to define a fixed length gap for receiving, and being filled with, the sample, the device being operable to cause the radiation to pass from the light inlet guide to the light receiving element, the path length of radiation through the sample being defined by said gap, the housing assembly having a recess to allow a droplet of the sample to be deposited directly in the gap, wherein the gap is situated in the recess; wherein the light inlet guide is elongate, having an output end face positioned within the recess and through which, in use, electromagnetic radiation is emitted into said gap; wherein the light inlet guide comprises an inlet optical fibre including first and second regions, wherein the first region consists of a fibre core surrounded by a flexible cladding, and the second region consists of a rigid metallic cladding encasing the fibre core, and wherein the second region is located coincident with the output end face and adjacent to the gap.