Patent ID: 8064051

Claim:
A sample holder for a spectrophotometric analysis apparatus, said sample holder comprising: a sample reception surface having a first light transmitting region; and a sample contacting surface having a second light transmitting region, wherein the surfaces are connected for relative movement between a first position, at which the connected surfaces are spaced apart to receive a sample at the first light transmitting region, and a second position, at which the first and second light transmitting regions maintain intimate contact with and squeeze the received sample, the sample reception surface and the sample contacting surface being moveable with respect to each other to change a thickness of the sample between the light transmitting regions to obtain different optical path lengths through the sample, and a sample thickness controller operably connected to one or both the surfaces to exert a force thereon and thereby change a relative separation of the surfaces and control a distance between the sample reception surface and the sample contacting surface in the second position such that the thickness of the sample between the surfaces may be changed to obtain at least two measurements of the sample, each at different optical path lengths through the sample, wherein the sample contacting surface is hingedly connected to the sample reception surface.