Apparatus for performing measurements and error analysis of the measurements

Apparatus for performing measurements and error analysis, and apparatus comprising:

• measuring means for performing sample measurements, reference measurements and dark measurements to produce measurement data;
• measuring control means coupled to said measuring means for controlling the measuring means to perform a plurality of sample, reference and dark measurements in accordance with a preselected measurement routine;
• calculating means coupled to the measuring means for mathematically processing the measurement data to produce an average normalized dark-corrected value and an error value representing the statistical uncertainty of the average normalized dark-corrected value;
• and
• supplementing means coupled to the measuring control means and to the calculating means for performing a plurality of dark measurements prior to the execution of the measurement routine to produce a plurality of dark measurement data which are included along with the dark measurement data produced during the measurement routine in the calculation of the average normalized dark-corrected value and its associated error value, whereby the number of dark measurements used in the mathematical processing of the measurement data is increased above the number performed in the measurement routine to reduce the contribution to the error value attributable to the statistical uncertainty of the dark measurement data.