Apparatus for use with a bodily sample, the apparatus comprising: a sample carrier configured to carry a portion of the bodily sample, at least a portion of the sample carrier being configured to fluoresce, at least under certain conditions; an optical measurement device configured to: perform optical measurements upon the portion of the bodily sample that is housed within the sample carrier; and at least partially photobleach an area within the portion of the sample carrier by causing the area to fluoresce; and at least one computer processor that is operatively coupled to the optical measurement device, the computer processor being configured: to detect that the area within the portion of the sample carrier has been photobleached, and in response thereto, to perform one of the following actions: generating an output upon an output device indicating that at least a portion of the sample carrier is contaminated, generating an output upon an output device indicating that optical measurements cannot be performed on at least a portion of the sample that is housed within a portion of the sample carrier, and preventing the optical measurement device from performing optical measurements upon at least a portion of the sample that is housed within a portion of the sample carrier. a sample carrier configured to carry a portion of the bodily sample, at least a portion of the sample carrier being configured to fluoresce, at least under certain conditions; an optical measurement device configured to: perform optical measurements upon the portion of the bodily sample that is housed within the sample carrier; and at least partially photobleach an area within the portion of the sample carrier by causing the area to fluoresce; and perform optical measurements upon the portion of the bodily sample that is housed within the sample carrier; and at least partially photobleach an area within the portion of the sample carrier by causing the area to fluoresce; and at least one computer processor that is operatively coupled to the optical measurement device, the computer processor being configured: to detect that the area within the portion of the sample carrier has been photobleached, and in response thereto, to perform one of the following actions: generating an output upon an output device indicating that at least a portion of the sample carrier is contaminated, generating an output upon an output device indicating that optical measurements cannot be performed on at least a portion of the sample that is housed within a portion of the sample carrier, and preventing the optical measurement device from performing optical measurements upon at least a portion of the sample that is housed within a portion of the sample carrier. to detect that the area within the portion of the sample carrier has been photobleached, and in response thereto, to perform one of the following actions: generating an output upon an output device indicating that at least a portion of the sample carrier is contaminated, generating an output upon an output device indicating that optical measurements cannot be performed on at least a portion of the sample that is housed within a portion of the sample carrier, and preventing the optical measurement device from performing optical measurements upon at least a portion of the sample that is housed within a portion of the sample carrier. generating an output upon an output device indicating that at least a portion of the sample carrier is contaminated, generating an output upon an output device indicating that optical measurements cannot be performed on at least a portion of the sample that is housed within a portion of the sample carrier, and preventing the optical measurement device from performing optical measurements upon at least a portion of the sample that is housed within a portion of the sample carrier.