Patent ID: 7474400

Claim:
A fluorometric system suitable for monitoring biological processes, the system comprising: an excitation light source disposed to illuminate a sample to generate emission of light from the sample, the emitted light including fluorescent light, the excitation light source disposed at one end of a probe, the probe having the one end disposed adjacent to or proximate to the sample, wherein the excitation light source comprises a filter-free broadband light source and at least one monochromatic light source, a light detector for detecting the light emitted from the sample, a processor coupled to the detector for evaluating the sample based on spectral analysis of the emitted light, control means connected operatively with the processor and the excitation light source for activating sequentially or simultaneously the broadband light source and the monochromatic light source or one of the monochromatic light sources, wherein the processor comprises means for evaluating properties of the sample based on combined spectral input produced sequentially or simultaneously by the broadband light source, the monochromatic light source or sources and a combination of the monochromatic light sources.