Optical array and processing electronics and method therefor for use in spectroscopy

A sample cell assembly adapted for use in spectroscopy of sample volumes in capillary chromatography, comprising:

• (a) an elongated sample cell including a sidewall surrounding a longitudinally extending cavity that is operative to receive a sample volume, said sample cell having a longitudinal cell axis;
• (b) a first cylindrical lens having a first central longitudinal axis oriented in a first common plane with the longitudinal cell axis and located on one side of said sample cell;
• and
• (c) a second cylindrical lens on another side of said sample cell, said second cylindrical lens having a second central longitudinal axis oriented transversely to the first common plane.

A sample cell assembly adapted for use in spectroscopy of sample volumes in capillary chromatography, comprising:

• (a) an elongated sample cell including a sidewall surrounding a longitudinally extending cavity that is operative to receive a flow of sample fluid therethrough, said sample cell having a longitudinal cell axis;
• (b) a plurality of optic sets, each optic set including an emitter for generating a test beam of light, a photodetector operative in response to receipt of the test beam to generate a data signal corresponding thereto, a focusing lens operative to focus the test beam of light from the emitter onto the sample volume at a selected location along the longitudinal cell axis, and a collecting lens operative to receive the test beam after it has passed through the sample cell and to focus the test beam onto the respective photodetector, said optic sets being arranged such that the test beams of light pass through different sections of the cavity along said sample cell such that each optic set consecutively tests a selected sample volume of the fluid to produce a sample data corresponding to the selected volume;
• and
• (c) processing electronics operative to receive the sample data from each of the optic sets and to superimpose said sample data to produce an aggregate data for the selected sample volume.

A method of measuring optical absorbance of light through a volume of sample material flowing in a flow direction through a sample cell, comprising the steps of:

• (a) passing a plurality of test components of light through said sample cell each in a direction transversely to the flow direction and at different spaced locations therealong;
• (b) providing a detector for each of said test components of light, each said detector operative to generate a detector output signal corresponding to intensity of a respective said test component;
• and
• (c) shifting phase of said detector output signals and thereby superimposing said detector output signals to create an augmented detector signal.