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 . <EOS>