Patent ID: 6967322

Claim:
A tool for determining the amount of a carbon isotope in a fluid, comprising: a laser source emitting at least one laser beam; a first volume of the fluid positioned so that at least a first portion of a laser beam passes through the fluid; a first downstream optical detector positioned to detect said first beam portion after said first beam portion passes through said first volume, said first optical detector emitting a first downstream signal corresponding to the strength of said first beam portion after passing through the first volume; a reference cell containing a concentration of the isotope and positioned so that at least a second portion of a laser beam passes through said concentration; a second downstream optical detector positioned to detect said second beam portion after said second beam portion passes through said reference cell, said second optical detector emitting a second downstream signal corresponding to the strength of said second beam portion after passing through said reference cell; and a microprocessor receiving said first and second downstream signals and calculating therefrom a parameter indicative of the presence of the isotope in the fluid, wherein the parameter comprises enrichment or depletion of the isotope.