Patent ID: 7339668

Claim:
A spectrometer comprising: a. a light source having a filament therein; b. at least two sample chambers; c. multiple light pipes having input ends adjacently arrayed in a bundle and opposing output ends, wherein: (1) the bundled input ends receive light from the light source, the light including an image of the filament, (2) the bundle has a profile, as seen on a plane oriented at least substantially perpendicular to an axis along which the image of the filament travels to the input ends, shaped at least substantially complementary to the image of the filament, and (3) the light pipes define independent optical paths providing light from the light source to each of: (a) the sample chambers, and (b) a reference location isolated from the sample chambers, wherein none of the paths receives light from any of the other optical paths; d. at least two detectors wherein: (1) at least one of the detectors is a reference detector receiving light from the reference location, and (2) at least one of the detectors is a chamber detector receiving light from the light source via one of the sample chambers, whereby measurements generated by the reference and chamber detectors may be compared.