Patent ID: 8269174

Claim:
A method comprising the steps of: (a) illuminating the sample with photons emanating from a portable device to thereby produce photons reflected, absorbed or emitted from a first set of multiple points in the sample wherein the points of said first set of multiple points have a defined geometric relationship; (b) using said portable device to simultaneously analyze the photons reflected, absorbed or emitted from said first set of multiple points in the sample using infrared spectroscopy wherein said reflected, absorbed or emitted photons are characteristic of the presence or absence of the agent in the sample; (c) illuminating the sample with photons emanating from the portable device to thereby produce reflected, absorbed or emitted photons from a second set of multiple points in the sample wherein said second set of multiple points corresponds to a point in said first set of multiple points from which said reflected, absorbed or emitted photons are characteristic of the presence of the agent; and (d) using said portable device to simultaneously analyze the reflected, absorbed or emitted photons from said second set of multiple points in the sample using infrared spectroscopy wherein said reflected, absorbed or emitted photons from said second set of multiple points are characteristic of the presence, or absence of the agent in the sample.