Thus, it can generally produce the same accuracy as laboratory grade spectroscopic systems, but with the fast speed inherent with a pure, passive, optical computer.
A side benefit is that the throughput and efficiency of the system is higher than conventional spectrometers, which increases the speed of analysis by orders of magnitude.
While each chemical problem presents its own unique challenges and opportunities, the design of a system for a specific analysis is complex and requires the assembly of several pieces of a spectroscopic puzzle.
The data necessary for a successful design are spectral characteristics of light sources, detectors and a variety of optics to be used in the final assemblage, dispersion characteristics of the materials used in the wavelength range of interest, and a set of calibrated sample spectra for pattern-recognition-based analysis.
With these pieces assembled, suitable application specific multivariate optical computer designs can be generated and the performance accurately modeled and predicted.