Patent Document ID: 5434412
Application ID: 08130257
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. In an apparatus for determining the concentration of a constituent of interest in a sample having: a radiation source generating a spectrum of illuminating radiation for illuminating a portion of said sample; a sample chamber for fixing said portion of said sample in a substantially fixed location relative to said radiation source; detection means having a plurality of detectors adapted to generate an output responsive to radiation transmitted by emitted by or reflected from, said sample, each of said detectors having a spectral response in a portion of said spectrum of illuminating radiation emitted by said radiation source, each of said detectors having a separate peak spectral response and at least a partial overlap in spectral response characteristics with that of at least one other of said detectors; and analysis means tier analyzing said outputs from the detectors to generate a signal indicative of the concentration of said constituent; the improvement comprising: said apparatus being constructed such that each of said detectors is located such that it congruently samples the radiation from said sample.