An optical detection system includes a detector configured to detect a signal emitted from a sample carrier and generate an output indicative of the signal detected by the detector. The sample carrier emits the signal in response to the sample carrier being scanned by an excitation source, the emitted signal is indicative of a structural characteristic of the sample carrier, and the sample carrier includes bulk material, at least one material free chamber and a bulk material/chamber interface for each chamber. The optical detection system further includes a data evaluator that identifies the structural characteristic of the sample carrier based on the output of the detector and generates data indicative of the identified structural characteristic.