Patent ID: 8237929

Claim:
A method for downhole analysis of samples in a wellbore, comprising: providing an illumination source downhole; illuminating with a portion of the light from the illuminating source at least a portion of a sample with light at an inspection point; providing first and second light sensitive detectors, the detectors producing output signals based on received light; directing a portion of the light from the illuminated sample portion toward the first and second light sensitive detectors, the light from the illuminated sample portion carrying information about the sample portion; directing at least a portion of the light from the illumination source toward the first and second light sensitive detectors as a reference light; providing a temperature sensor in proximity to the first and second light sensitive detectors, the temperature sensor producing an output signal based on temperature; compensating the output signals produced by the first and second detectors based on the temperature output signal; and analyzing the compensated output signals produced by the first and second light sensitive detectors to determine temperature compensated illuminated sample portion information.