Patent ID: 6831740
Filing Date: 2004-12-14
Classification: G01J,G01N

Abstract:
A method of improving the precision of acquired intensity ratio data, said method comprising the steps of:a) causing at least one wavelength in an electromagnetic beam to enter a detector without first interacting with a sample system, so that said detector produces a representative intensity signal; b) causing said at least one wavelength in said electromagnetic beam to interact with a sample system and enter a detector selected from the group consisting of: the same detector as in step a; a different detector than that in step a; so that said selected detector produces a representative intensity signal;c) causing said at least one wavelength in said electromagnetic beam to enter a detector selected from the group consisting of: the same detector as in step a; the same detector as selected in step b; a different detector than those in steps a and b; without first interacting with a sample system, so that said detector selected in step c produces a representative intensity signal;d) forming a ratio of the representative intensities provided in steps a and c and if it is not within a selected acceptable range of deviation from 1.0, repeating steps a, b and c until a data set consisting of representative intensities acquired in steps a, b and c is achieved which provides a ratio formed between the representative intensities provided in steps a and c that is within a selected acceptable range of deviation from, 1.0; and e) with said data set achieved which provides that a ratio formed between the representative intensities provided in steps a and c is within a selected acceptable range of deviation from, 1.0, forming a ratio between the representative intensity provided in step b and that provided by step a or step c or a composite of said representative intensities provided in steps a and c.