Patent ID: 8306780

Claim:
A method for operating a Raman sensor, comprising: performing a plurality of ancillary data checks that monitor operating conditions of system components of a Raman sensor comprising a laser, a spectrograph and an intensified charge coupled device (ICCD); acquiring Raman spectral data as a result of pulsing the laser and passing returning light from a sample illuminated by the laser through the spectrograph and capturing Raman spectra of the spectrograph by the ICCD; performing a plurality of data quality checks related to the Raman spectral data acquired during said acquiring step; determining, based on results of the data quality checks, whether to further process the Raman spectral data acquired during said acquiring step and, if so, storing the Raman spectral data acquired during said acquiring step for further processing; repeating successively, a predetermined number of times, said step of acquiring Raman spectral data and said step of performing a plurality of data quality checks related to the Raman spectral data, and then again performing said step of performing a plurality of ancillary data checks; storing in a log file a series of acquired Raman spectral data, and closing the log file after said predetermined number of times; and after said closing step, acquiring a predetermined number of dark spectral data and revising a previously calculated dark spectral data median.