Abstract: A method of performing an optical analysis of a liquid containing dissolved gas includes transferring an amount of the liquid containing the dissolved gas from a reservoir into a holder of a flow system of the optical analyser, holding the amount of the liquid in the holder at around ambient pressure for a period such that a portion of the dissolved gas is expelled from the amount of liquid held in the holder while the holder is open to a waste reservoir, transferring at least a portion of the amount of the liquid containing the dissolved gas held in the holder under a pressure above ambient into a measurement cell of the optical analyser as a liquid sample, and performing the optical analysis of the liquid sample from a detection of optical radiation by an optical detector after its interaction with the liquid sample in the measurement cell.

Abstract: A liquid analyzer comprises a liquid sample intake for immersion in a liquid sample; at least one measurement zone; and a first pump module operable to effect liquid flow from sample intake towards the at least one measurement zone. A first pressure monitor is provided to measure pressure between the sample intake and the at least one measurement zone and the operation of the first pump module to regulate the liquid flow in the liquid conduits is regulated in dependence thereon.

Abstract: A scanning optical interferometer (40) having a beamsplitter (42); a first input path (56) for an observation beam (52) and a second input path (78) for a reference beam (76) wherein both paths (56; 78) are directed towards the same beamsplitter (42) characterised in that the interferometer is configured with the first input path (56) and the second input path (78) intersecting at a location (L) before the beamsplitter (42) and in that the interferometer further comprises a dichroic filter (80) located at the intersection (L) of the two paths (56; 78) and acting to collocate both paths (56;78) in a direction towards the beamsplitter (42).

Abstract: A method for standardizing a spectrometer generating an optical spectrum from a sample, comprising generating at least one optical spectrum from at least one standardization sample each having a chemical composition resulting in the optical spectrum showing a characteristic pattern in a predetermined frequency range, comparing information relating to the pattern(s) to corresponding information relating to at least one reference pattern previously defined as the desired standard response from the at least one standardization sample, determining, based on the comparison, standardizing parameters describing the transition of the pattern(s) of the generated spectrum or spectra to the reference pattern(s) and storing said standardizing parameters in the spectrometer or a computer connected thereto, so that the spectrometer, when presented to an unknown sample, will, using the standardization parameters, generate an optical spectrum substantially identical to that which would be generated in a corresponding spectro

Abstract: A method is suggested for obtaining information on the electromagnetic spectrum of a sample, the method comprising (a) generating a plurality of substantially identical signals, (b) determining the shape of a first number of the signals by performing a first number of scans of a first range of signal width, (c) determining the shape of a second number of the signals by performing a second number of scans of a second range of signal width, the second range being comprised by the first range and comprising a portion of the first range in which the signals have maximum absolute amplitude, (d) combining data from the first number of scans and the second number of scans so as to obtain data corresponding to the shape of the signals, and (e) performing a mathematical transformation of the combined data so as to obtain the information on the electromagnetic spectrum of the sample.