Thermal desorption tube collection system and method
AssigneeMls Acq, Inc.
InventorsMartin L. Spartz, Adam R. Klempner, Kelly Renee McPartland
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Abstract
A thermal desorption tube collection system uses a thermoelectric cooler to collect and concentrate gas samples. In some modes, the operation of the cooler is reversed to flow the concentrated sample directly into a separator such as a gas chromatography system. Components resolved in time by a thermal desorption separator accumulate in a sample cell and are analyzed by electromagnetic radiation-based spectroscopic techniques. Also presented are methods for analyzing biogas samples.
Claims18
A thermal desorption tube collection system comprising:
- a first thermal desorption tube and a second thermal desorption tube;
- a first heat sink in thermal contact with the first thermal desorption tube;
- a second heat sink in thermal contact with the second thermal desorption tube;
- and
- a thermoelectric cooler for cooling one of the first and second thermal desorption tubes while heating the other thermal desorption tube, wherein the first and second heat sinks are located on opposite sides of the thermoelectric cooler.
A sample analysis system comprising:
- a first thermal desorption tube and a second thermal desorption tubes configured for a sample collection and sample analysis ping pong arrangement;
- a first heat sink in thermal contact with the first thermal desorption tube and a second heat sink in thermal contact with the second thermal desorption tube;
- a thermoelectric cooler for cooling one of the first and second thermal desorption tubes while heating the other thermal desorption tube, wherein the first and second heat sinks are located opposite sides of the thermoelectric cooler;
- and
- a sample cell for receiving desorbed material from the first and second thermal desorption tubes and electromagnetic radiation for a spectrometric analysis of compounds in the sample cell.
A method for collecting and analyzing a sample, the method comprising:
- collecting a gas or vapor on a first thermal desorption tube, wherein the first thermal desorption tube is cooled by a thermoelectric cooler via a first heat sink, while desorbing a material collected on a second thermal desorption tube, wherein the second desorption tube is heated by the thermoelectric cooler via a second heat sink, wherein the first and second heat sinks are located on opposite sides of the thermoelectric cooler;
- directing the desorbed material to a sample cell;
- and
- detecting compounds in the sample cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.