Patent ID: 8891086

Claim:
A system for scanning and assessing a sample, the sample comprising a sealed container and a sample material disposed within the sealed container, the sealed container having an interior and an exterior, the system comprising: a radiation source configured to direct radiation from the exterior of the sealed container to the sample material disposed within the interior of the sealed container, the sealed container having a wall with an exterior surface; a detector configured to measure, through the wall of the sealed container, radiation from the sample material disposed within the interior of the sealed container; an electronic processor configured to determine information about at least the sample material based on the measured radiation; a housing external to the sealed container and enclosing the radiation source, the detector, and the electronic processor, the housing having a hand-held form factor; an arm configured to maintain a separation between the exterior surface of the wall of the sealed container and the housing, the arm including a first end connected to the housing and a second end; and a layer positioned on the second end of the arm, the layer being configured to contact the exterior surface of the wall of the sealed container, a deformable material that deforms to at least partially fill voids in the exterior surface of the wall of the sealed container when the layer contacts the exterior surface of the wall of the sealed container, the layer being operative to transmit at least a portion of the radiation from the sample material disposed within the interior of the sealed container through the wall of the sealed container to the detector, and to reduce diffusive scattering caused by the wall of the sealed container.