Claims
- 1. A gas chromatograph and gaseous sample analysis system, comprising:
a sample loop for receiving a first volume of a gaseous sample; a separatory column fluidly connected to and downstream of the sample loop; an inline pressure-increasing valve downstream of the separatory column which increases system pressure to pneumatically focus the gaseous sample and reduces flow rate through the system; and a detector downstream or upstream of the pressure increasing valve for detecting analytes.
- 2. The system of claim 1 where the linear flow rate is reduced to be lower than that through the system prior to increasing the pressure with the inline valve.
- 3. The system of claim 1 where the linear flow rate is increased to a flow rate higher than that through the system prior to increasing the pressure with the inline valve.
- 4. The system of claim 1 where the linear flow rate is reduced to a flow rate that is substantially the same as that through the system prior to increasing the pressure with the inline valve.
- 5. The system of claim 1 where the sample coil has a first volume which provides a sufficient sample amount to allow adequate analyte sensitivity once a sample is pneumatically focused, and wherein the sample amount can be equal to less than or equal to the first amount.
- 6. The system of claim 1 including plural separatory columns.
- 7. The system of claim 1 including plural detectors.
- 8. The system of claim 1 and including a vacuum pump to draw a gas sample through the column.
- 9. The system of claim 1 and further comprising plural separatory columns.
- 10. The system of claim 1 and further comprising plural sample collection coils and plural separatory columns.
- 11. The system of claim 1 and further including a sample collection pump for drawing the gaseous sample into the gas sample collection coil.
- 12. The system of claim 1 and further including a computer for controlling the system.
- 13. The system of claim 1 where the computer is operated by a neural network and expert systems.
- 14. The system of claim 1 where the gas chromatograph is located on a microchip.
- 15. The system of claim 12, wherein the system is contained within a computer case.
- 16. The system of claim 1, wherein the inline pressure increasing valve is selected from the group consisting of a calibrated leak, a frit restrictor, a tapered capillary restrictor, a feedback regulator, a needle valve, and a crimped capillary flow regulator.
- 17. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer case is selected from the group consisting of AT, BATX, ATX, MATX, LPX and microATX compatible cases.
- 18. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer case is selected from the group consisting of full tower, tower, mid-tower, microtower, desktop, rackmount and server chassis cases.
- 19. A method for detecting particulate matter in a gas sample, comprising:
changing pressure exerted on a gas sample containing particulate matter to create hydrated particulate matter; and detecting the hydrated particulate matter.
- 20. The method of claim 19, wherein changing pressure comprises compressing the gas sample and further comprising removing heat from the compressed gas sample to create the hydrated particulate matter that is detected.
- 21. The method of claim 20, wherein removing heat from the compressed sample comprises cooling the sample by thermodynamic contact with surroundings at a lower temperature.
- 22. The method of claim 19, wherein changing pressure comprises reducing pressure on the sample at a rate sufficient to hydrate at least a portion of the particulate matter in the sample and create the hydrated particulate matter.
- 23. The method of claim 19, wherein detecting hydrated particulate matter comprises detecting the presence of the hydrated particulate matter by scattering of light at an angle to a direction of a light beam passed through the sample.
- 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the angle is 90 degrees.
- 25. The method of claim 19, wherein detecting hydrated particulate matter comprises detecting attenuation of an intensity of a light beam passed through the sample.
- 26. The method of claim 19 wherein the gas sample is an air sample.
- 27. The method of claim 19, wherein the particulate matter comprises spores.
- 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the spores are mold spores.
- 29. The method of claim 27, wherein the spores are anthrax spores.
- 30. The method of claim 19 further comprising increasing the relative humidity of the gas sample prior to compressing the gas sample.
- 31. The method of claim 19 further comprising decreasing the relative humidity of the gas sample prior to compressing the gas sample.
- 32. The method of claim 19 further comprising diluting the gas sample prior to compressing the gas sample.
- 33. A system for detecting particulate matter in gas sample, comprising:
a cell having a means for introducing the gas sample into the cell and a means for compressing the sample once the sample is within the cell, the cell further comprising a first window through which a light beam may be directed into the cell and a second window for detecting the light beam or light scattered from the light beam as the light beam passes through the cell; and a detector positioned to detect the light beam or light scattered from the light beam.
- 34. The system of claim 33, wherein the detector is a camera.
- 35. The system of claim 34, wherein the camera is a web camera.
- 36. The system of claim 33, wherein the means for compressing the sample is a piston.
- 37. The system of claim 36 further comprising a means for controlling the piston and pressure exerted on the sample.
- 38. The system of claim 33, wherein the means for compressing and the detector are under computer control.
- 39. The system of claim 38, wherein computer control permits automated operation of the system.
- 40. The system of claim 33, wherein the system is contained in a computer case.
- 41. An analytical instrument contained in a personal computer case.
- 42. The analytical instrument of claim 41, wherein the instrument is selected from the group consisting of a gas chromatograph, a pneumatic focusing gas chromatograph, a pneumatic focusing spectrophotometer, a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer, a mass spectrometers, a particulate detection system, a fluorescence spectrophotometer and an infrared spectrophotometer.
- 43. The analytical instrument of claim 41, wherein the personal computer case is selected from the group consisting of AT, BATX, ATX, MATX, LPX and microATX compatible cases.
- 44. The analytical instrument of claim 41, wherein the personal computer case is selected from the group consisting of full tower, tower, mid-tower, microtower, desktop, rackmount and server chassis cases.
- 45. A system for concentration and analysis of a gaseous sample, comprising:
a piston for compressing the sample from a first volume to a second volume, the second volume being smaller than the first volume; a separatory column fluidly connected to and downstream of the piston; an inline pressure-increasing valve downstream of the separatory column which increases system pressure to pneumatically focus the gaseous sample and reduces flow rate through the system as the piston is used to compress the sample; and a detector for detecting analytes within the sample.
- 46. The system of claim 45, wherein the detector is a flame-ionization detector.
- 47. The system of claim 45 further comprising a piston inlet assembly.
- 48. The system of claim 45, wherein the system is contained in a computer case.
- 49. A method for separating and analyzing components of a gas sample, comprising:
pressurizing the gas sample in a piston to provide a pneumatically focused sample at a first pressure, the first pressure being greater than a second pressure used to separate the components of the gas sample; introducing the pneumatically focused gas sample into a separatory column at the first pressure; reducing the pressure in the separatory column to the second pressure; separating the components of the gas sample at the second pressure; and detecting the separated components of the gas sample.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/770,942, filed Jan. 25, 2001, and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/177,923, filed Jan. 25, 2000 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/448,411, filed Feb. 18, 2003, all of which applications are incorporated herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60177923 |
Jan 2000 |
US |
|
60448411 |
Feb 2003 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09770942 |
Jan 2001 |
US |
Child |
10438517 |
May 2003 |
US |