Patent ID: 7605918

Claim:
A method for using a spectrometer to collect spectra having an improved signal to noise ratio, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing a desired signal to noise ratio SNd for spectra to be collected by the spectrometer; b) providing a spectrum from the spectrometer, the spectrum having: (1) an exposure time Ts 0 ; (2) a signal level Ss 0 ; (3) a noise level Ns 0 ; (4) a signal to noise ratio SN 0 =Ss 0 /Ns 0 ; c) providing the maximum signal level Smax allowed by the spectrometer; d) calculating a limiting exposure time Ts lim for the spectrometer, wherein Ts lim is approximated by or equal to K*Smax*Ts 0 /Ss 0 (with 0<K<1); e) calculating a limiting signal to noise ratio SN lim , wherein SN lim is approximated by or equal to SN 0 *sqrt(Ts lim )/sqrt(Ts 0 ); f) where SNd is less than SN lim : (1) adjusting the limiting exposure time Ts lim , wherein Ts lim is approximated by or equal to Ts 0 *(SNd/Ss 0 )^2; (2) collecting Nexp spectra (with Nexp=1), each spectrum being collected over an exposure time approximated by or equal to Ts lim .