METHOD AND DEVICE FOR ANALYZING SUBSTANCES CONTAINED IN AN AREA

An area to be analyzed is divided into a large number of small regions. Light is projected on each of the small regions, and data on the spectrums of the small regions are obtained. Plural principal components are extracted from the obtained data (step 208). The principal component marks of the respective plural components are computed for each of the small regions (step 212). It is determined whether the principal component scores of the respective small regions exceed a predetermined value or not, respectively. Then, the plural small regions are classified into a plurality of small region groups so that the small regions, whose principal component marks of specified principal components exceed a predetermined value, are included in an identical small region group (step 214). A representative small region (best point) of the representative principal component marks of the specified principal component is extracted from each of the small region groups (step 224). Based on the spectrum of the representative small region, the substances constituting the small region groups are analyzed.