Spectrum Searching Method That Uses Non-Chemical Qualities of the Measurement

Abstract

Methods and systems for determining information about a sample are disclosed. The methods can include measuring spectral information for the sample and determining a quantity related to a signal-to-noise ratio for the spectral information, repeating the measuring and determining until a value of the quantity is beyond a threshold value, and comparing the spectral information to reference information to determine the information about the sample.

1 - 39 . (canceled) 
   
   
       40 . A method, comprising:
 measuring spectral information for a sample in a plurality of measurement channels; and   comparing the measured spectral information to reference information for one or more candidates to determine information about the sample,   wherein for each of the one or more candidates the comparing comprises:
 for each of multiple measurement channels, determining a quantity related to a distribution of a portion of the spectral information corresponding to the channel; and 
 comparing information derived from the measured spectral information and the quantities corresponding to the measurement channels to reference information for the candidate. 
   
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the spectral information comprises at least one of Raman scattering information, infrared absorption information, infrared reflectance information, and fluorescence information. 
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the measurement channels comprise spectral channels corresponding to different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. 
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the measurement channels comprise different portions of a total measurement time. 
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the quantity comprises a mean value of the portion of the spectral information corresponding to the channel. 
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the quantity comprises a variance of the portion of the spectral information corresponding to the channel. 
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the quantity comprises a single measured value. 
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising, for each of the one or more candidates, determining an expected distribution of spectral information, and comparing the expected distribution to the derived information. 
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the expected distribution corresponds to at least one of a normal distribution, a Poisson distribution, a log-normal distribution, an inverse Gaussian distribution, a Wishart distribution, and a Snedecor's F-distribution. 
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the derived information comprises a distribution of possible values of the measured spectral information. 
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the derived information comprises multiple distributions of possible values of the measured spectral information, each one of the distributions corresponding to a particular one of the multiple measurement channels. 
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein comparing the expected distribution to the derived information comprises determining an extent of overlap between the expected distribution and the derived information. 
   
   
       52 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein comparing the expected distribution to the derived information comprises, in each of multiple measurement channels, determining an extent of overlap between the expected distribution and the derived information corresponding to the channel. 
   
   
       53 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the extent of overlap is a first overlap value, and further comprising determining a probability that an extent of overlap between the expected distribution and a distribution corresponding to additional measured spectral information would be smaller than the first overlap value. 
   
   
       54 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein, for each of the multiple measurement channels, the extent of overlap is a first overlap value, and further comprising determining a probability that an extent of overlap between the expected distribution and a distribution corresponding to additional spectral information would be smaller than the first overlap value. 
   
   
       55 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein comparing the expected distribution to the derived information comprises determining a distance between the expected distribution and the derived information. 
   
   
       56 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein comparing the expected distribution to the derived information comprises, in each of the multiple measurement channels, determining a distance between the expected distribution and the derived information corresponding to the channel. 
   
   
       57 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the distance is a first distance, and further comprising determining a probability that a distance between the expected distribution and a distribution corresponding to additional measured spectral information would be larger than the first distance. 
   
   
       58 . The method of  claim 56 , wherein, for each of the multiple measurement channels, the distance is a first distance, and further comprising determining a probability that a distance between the expected distribution and a distribution corresponding to additional spectral information would be larger than the first distance. 
   
   
       59 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the information about the sample comprises an estimate of how many of the one or more candidates can correspond to the sample. 
   
   
       60 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the information about the sample comprises an identity of the sample. 
   
   
       61 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the information about the sample comprises an identification of the sample as a mixture comprising two or more components. 
   
   
       62 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the information about the sample comprises a determination that the sample does not comprise any of the candidates. 
   
   
       63 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the quantity is determined based on an expected noise or error level for a detection system used to measure the spectral information. 
   
   
       64 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the expected noise or error level comprises at least one of a dark current noise level in the detection system, a read noise level in the detection system, a quantization error in the detection system, a defect error level in the detection system, a gain error level in the detection system, a viability error level in the detection system, and a shot noise level in the detection system. 
   
   
       65 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the quantity is determined based on a temperature of a detection system or a humidity of an environment around the detection system used to measure the spectral information. 
   
   
       66 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the quantity is determined based on one or more conditions at the time the spectral information is measured. 
   
   
       67 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein the one or more conditions comprise one or more operating parameters of a detection system used to measure the spectral information. 
   
   
       68 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein the one or more conditions comprise at least one of an amount of ambient light in an environment around the sample, a position of the sample relative to a detection system used to measure the spectral information, an intensity of illumination light incident on the sample, and a spectral distribution of illumination light incident on the sample. 
   
   
       69 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein the one or more conditions comprise calibration information about a detection system used to measure the spectral information. 
   
   
       70 . A method, comprising:
 measuring spectral information for a sample in a plurality of measurement channels;   determining, for each of the channels, a distribution of possible measurement values based on the measured spectral information;   determining a combined distribution of possible measurement values based on the distributions corresponding to each of the channels; and   comparing the combined distribution of possible measurement values to reference information to determine information about the sample.   
   
   
       71 . The method of  claim 70 , wherein comparing the combined distribution to reference information comprises, for each of one or more candidates, determining an expected distribution of measurement values, and comparing the expected distribution of measurement values to the combined distribution of measurement values. 
   
   
       72 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the comparing comprises determining an extent of overlap between the expected distribution and the combined distribution. 
   
   
       73 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the comparing comprises determining a distance between the expected distribution and the combined distribution. 
   
   
       74 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the expected distribution comprises a plurality of distributions each corresponding to a different one of the channels, and the comparing comprises, for each of the channels, comparing a corresponding expected distribution to the distribution of possible measurement values for the channel. 
   
   
       75 . The method of  claim 70 , wherein the information about the sample comprises at least one of an estimate of how many of the candidates can correspond to the sample, an identity of the sample, an identification of the sample as a mixture comprising two or more components, and a determination that the sample does not comprise any of the candidates. 
   
   
       76 . A system, comprising:
 a detector configured to measure radiation from a sample in a plurality of measurement channels; and   an electronic processor configured to:
 determine spectral information for the sample corresponding to each of the measurement channels based on the measured radiation; and 
 compare the spectral information to a reference information for one or more candidates to determine information about the sample, 
 wherein for each of the one or more candidates the comparing comprises:
 for each of multiple measurement channels, determining a quantity related to a distribution of a portion of the spectral information corresponding to the channel; and 
 comparing information derived from the measured spectral information and the quantities corresponding to the measurement channels to reference information for the candidate. 
 
   
   
   
       77 . The system of  claim 76 , wherein the measurement channels comprise at least one of spectral channels corresponding to different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, and different portions of a total measurement time. 
   
   
       78 . The system of  claim 76 , wherein the quantity comprises a variance of the portion of the spectral information corresponding to the channel. 
   
   
       79 . The system of  claim 76 , wherein the electronic processor is configured to determine, for each of the candidates, an expected distribution of spectral information, and to compare the expected distribution to the derived information. 
   
   
       80 . The system of  claim 79 , wherein the electronic processor is configured to compare the expected distribution to the derived information by determining an extent of overlap between the expected distribution and the derived information. 
   
   
       81 . The system of  claim 79 , wherein the electronic processor is configured to compare the expected distribution to the derived information in each of multiple measurement channels by determining an extent of overlap between the expected distribution and derived information corresponding to the channel. 
   
   
       82 . The system of  claim 80 , wherein the extent of overlap is a first overlap value, and the electronic processor is further configured to determine a probability that an extent of overlap between the expected distribution and a distribution corresponding to additional measured spectral information would be smaller than the first overlap value. 
   
   
       83 . The system of  claim 81 , wherein, for each of the multiple measurement channels, the extent of overlap is a first overlap value, and the electronic processor is further configured to determine a probability that an extent of overlap between the expected distribution and a distribution corresponding to additional spectral information would be smaller than the first overlap value. 
   
   
       84 . The system of  claim 76 , wherein the information about the sample comprises at least one of an estimate of how many of the candidates can correspond to the sample, an identity of the sample, an identification of the sample as a mixture comprising two or more components, and a determination that the sample does not comprise any of the candidates. 
   
   
       85 . The system of  claim 76 , wherein the electronic processor is configured to determine the quantity based on an expected noise or error level for the detector. 
   
   
       86 . The system of  claim 85 , wherein the expected noise or error level comprises at least one of a dark current noise level in the detector, a read noise level in the detector, a quantization error in the detector, a defect error level in the detector, a gain error level in the detector, a viability error level in the detector, and a shot noise level in the detector. 
   
   
       87 . The system of  claim 76 , wherein the electronic processor is configured to determine the quantity based on at least one of a temperature of the detector, a humidity of an environment around the detector, an amount of ambient light in an environment around the sample, a position of the sample relative to the detector, an intensity of illumination light incident on the sample, and a spectral distribution of illumination light incident on the sample.