Patent ID: 8368882

Claim:
A system for detecting electromagnetic radiation from the contents of a receptacle, said system comprising: a receptacle holding area configured to hold a receptacle; a receptacle held in said receptacle holding area; a detection element configured to receive electromagnetic radiation and further adapted to generate a signal corresponding to a characteristic of the electromagnetic radiation received by the detection element; a transmission element disposed between said receptacle held in said receptacle holding area and said detection element and adapted to transmit electromagnetic radiation from the contents of the receptacle to the detection element; a thermal element in thermal conductivity with at least a portion of said transmission element and constructed and arranged to apply thermal energy to at least a portion of said transmission element; and an actuator mechanism constructed and arranged to move said transmission element between first and second positions, wherein said transmission element is in greater contact with said receptacle in the second position than in the first position, wherein said receptacle comprises a compressible portion that is at least partially compressed by said transmission element when said actuator moves said transmission element from the first position to the second position.