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 method of determining a constituent related sample property of a multi-constituent sample comprising: subjecting the sample to a perturbation selected to induce a time dependent change in measurement data associated with a constituent related to the sample property to be determined; recording a time-series of measurement data following subjecting the sample to the perturbation; and determining the sample property from the application to the recorded time-series of measurement data of a calibration correlating the sample property with time-series of measurement data, said calibration being empirically derived from chemometric time-series modelling of time-series measurement data recorded for each of a plurality of reference samples following subjecting each reference sample to the perturbation, each reference sample having a different known values of the sample property.

Abstract: Compensating for frequency drift of a reference energy source in an FT interferometer based spectrometer instrument may include obtaining data representing a reference interferogram collected in response to a trigger signal having been generated in dependence on the emission frequency of the reference energy source, and subsequently obtaining data representing a target interferogram recorded by the FT interferometer in response to a trigger signal also having been generated in dependence on the emission frequency of the reference energy source in the same manner. The method may further include comparing the obtained data to determine a phase shift between the interferograms in a window in at least one region away from center-burst, and generating a mathematical transform dependent on the determined shift to be subsequently applied to generate data representing a frequency stabilized interferogram of an unknown sample recorded by the FT interferometer.

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 method of determining a constituent related sample property of a multi-constituent sample comprising: subjecting the sample to a perturbation selected to induce a time dependent change in measurement data associated with a constituent related to the sample property to be determined; recording a time-series of measurement data following subjecting the sample to the perturbation; and determining the sample property from the application to the recorded time-series of measurement data of a calibration correlating the sample property with time-series of measurement data, said calibration being empirically derived from chemometric time-series modelling of time-series measurement data recorded for each of a plurality of reference samples following subjecting each reference sample to the perturbation, each reference sample having a different known values of the sample property.

Abstract: A system (102) for determining properties of a sample (114) comprises a LIBS detector (104,106) and an infra-red absorption detector (108,110) for interrogating a sample (114) to generate LIBS spectral data and infra-red absorption spectral data respectively; and a data processor (112) adapted to apply at least one chemometric prediction model, each constructed to link, preferably quantitatively link, features of both LIBS and absorption spectral data to a different specific property of the sample, to a combined dataset derived from at least portions of both the LIBS and the absorption data to generate therefrom a determination, preferably a quantitative determination, of the specific property linked by that model.

Abstract: Compensating for amplitude drift in a spectrometer may include making successive performances of a standardization process to generate, at each performance, a mathematical transform to compensate for amplitude drift for application by an arithmetic unit to a spectrum obtained by the spectrometer in an interval between the performances. The compensating may include modifying the mathematical transform with a function dependent on spectral data from a zero material measured in association with the standardization process and the single beam zero spectrum measured in an interval between performances. The compensating may include applying the modified mathematical transform to a spectrum from an unknown sample.

Abstract: A system (102) for determining properties of a sample (114) comprises a LIBS detector (104,106) and an infra-red absorption detector (108,110) for interrogating a sample (114) to generate LIBS spectral data and infra-red absorption spectral data respectively; and a data processor (112) adapted to apply at least one chemometric prediction model, each constructed to link, preferably quantitatively link, features of both LIBS and absorption spectral data to a different specific property of the sample, to a combined dataset derived from at least portions of both the LIBS and the absorption data to generate therefrom a determination, preferably a quantitative determination, of the specific property linked by that model.

Abstract: A method of compensating for frequency drift of a reference energy source in an FT interferometer based spectrometer instrument, the method further comprising comparing in an arithmetic unit data representing a reference interferogram and data representing a target interferogram to determining a phase shift between the interferograms in a window W in at least one region away from center-burst and generating in the arithmetic unit a mathematical transform dependent on the determined shift or shifts to be subsequently applied to control the operation of the spectrometer instrument in order to generate data representing a frequency stabilized interferogram of an unknown sample recorded by the FT interferometer.

Abstract: A method of compensating for amplitude drift in a spectrometer comprising: making successive performances of a standardisation process to generate, at each performance, a mathematical transform to compensate for amplitude drift for application by an arithmetic unit to a spectrum obtained by the spectrometer in an interval between the performances; modifying the mathematical transform with a function dependent on spectral data from a zero material measured in association with the standardisation process and the single beam zero spectrum measured in an interval between performances; and applying the modified mathematical transform to a spectrum from an unknown sample.

Abstract: A method of determining components of a flowing heterogeneous sample comprising obtaining a sample of material; measuring mid-infrared attenuation values of the sample and calculating in a data processing unit an indication of the component of interest in the sample from the measured mid-infrared attenuation values characterised in that the method further comprises flowing the sample; concurrently interacting mid-infrared radiation with the flowing sample in a measurement region and subsequently measuring the mid-infrared attenuation values for one or more wavebands of the interacted radiation.

Abstract: A spectrophotometer (2) comprising a source of radiation (6), preferably optical radiation, disposed to emit radiation at a plurality of wavelengths towards a sample in a sample holder (4) and a detection arrangement 8 for detecting the radiation after its interaction with the sample. The sample holder (4) is adapted to present a plurality of different path lengths for the emitted radiation through the sample.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for standardising an infrared spectrometer based on spectral patterns of constituents of atmospheric air naturally occurring in the spectrometer. The invention also provides a spectrometer applying the method. The method selects a spectral pattern in a recorded spectrum and determines a wavelength dependent position value for a feature, such as the centre of the pattern. This value is compared to a reference value that may be obtained from a spectrum recorded by a master instrument, and a standardisation formula can be determined. The absorption peaks from CO2 (g) around 2350 cm?1 are preferred as the selected pattern. The method renders the use of reference samples unnecessary and allows for the standardisation to be performed simultaneously with the recording of a spectrum of a sample of interest.

Abstract: A spectrophotometer (2) comprising a source of radiation (6), preferably optical radiation, disposed to emit radiation at a plurality of wavelengths towards a sample in a sample holder (4) and a detection arrangement 8 for detecting the radiation after its interaction with the sample. The sample holder (4) is adapted to present a plurality of different path lengths for the emitted radiation through the sample.