Patent ID: 7413341

Claim:
A method for determining the temperature at a location in a sample, said method comprising the steps of: a) providing a sample having a concentration of a fluorophore at said location in said sample, wherein 1) said fluorophore has an absorption such that, when stimulated by radiation at a first wavelength, said fluorophore emits Stokes emission having a spectrum, and 2) when stimulated by radiation at a second wavelength, said second wavelength on the long wavelength edge of said spectrum, said fluorophore emits anti-Stokes emission; b) stimulating Stokes emission at said location with radiation of said first wavelength and measuring the intensity of said Stokes emission; c) stimulating anti-Stokes emission at said location with radiation of said second wavelength and measuring the intensity of said anti-Stokes emission; and d) using the intensities measured in steps b) and c) to derive the temperature at said location.