Patent attributes
Spectra obtained from spectrographic readings from a sample can be filtered for artifacts, e.g., distorted data points arising from cosmic ray interference, by subtracting one spectrum from another to obtain a difference spectrum; smoothing the difference spectrum; and then calculating the difference between the smoothed and unsmoothed difference spectra to obtain a noise spectrum. The resulting noise spectrum, which represents localized differences between the original spectra, can then be reviewed for readings which exceed the norm by some predetermined amount (e.g., readings which exceed the average level of the noise spectrum by some percentage). These excessive readings constitute distorted data points, and the corresponding points on the spectra can have their values adjusted to eliminate the excessive readings, thereby removing the artifacts.