Preparing samples for optical measurement

Abstract

We disclose an apparatus comprising: a hand-portable optical analysis unit including an optical interface; and a device configured to receive and releasably engage the hand-portable optical analysis unit. The device comprises: a housing; a sample unit in the housing; and a resilient member configured to bias the sample unit and the hand-portable analysis unit towards each other when the hand-portable optical analysis unit is received in the device to compress a sample disposed between the sample unit and the optical interface of the optical analysis unit. Methods of analyzing samples are also disclosed.

1 . An apparatus comprising
 a hand-portable optical analysis unit including an optical interface; and   a device configured to receive and releasably engage the hand-portable optical analysis unit, the device comprising:
 a housing; 
 a sample unit in the housing; and 
 a resilient member configured to bias the sample unit and the hand-portable analysis unit towards each other to compress a sample disposed between the sample unit and the optical interface of the optical analysis unit when the hand-portable optical analysis unit is received in the device.