Patent ID: 7643146

Claim:
A method for collecting optical data pertaining to one or more characteristics of one or more liquid sample solutions using scatterometry techniques, comprising: providing a substrate having formed therein one or more sample wells, each sample well being configured to hold a liquid sample solution containing objects that are to be characterized based on their light scattering properties; dispensing the one or more liquid sample solutions into the plurality of sample wells; applying a specular reflection reducing element to at least some of the liquid sample solutions at an angle with respect to the liquid sample solution's surface so as to avoid trapping of air bubbles beneath the specular reflection reducing element in the plurality of sample wells to decrease reflections of light from the liquid sample solutions into one or more detectors; directing a light beam from a light source onto the objects in the sample wells; collecting light scattered by the objects in the sample wells and transmitting the collected light to one or more detectors; and analyzing the signal from the detectors to detect the one or more characteristics of the one or more liquid sample solutions.