# US 12,111,254 B2 · Sample analyzing apparatus

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- Number: US 12,111,254 B2
- Document ID: US12111254B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/611,471
- Filed: 2020-05-12
- Published: 2022-08-04
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2019-05-15
- Assignees: Horiba, Ltd.
- Applicants: HORIBA, Ltd.
- Inventors: Takahito Inoue; Hiroshi Uchihara; Kyoji Shibuya
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12111254B2

## CPC

- G01N 21/39: using tunable lasers
- G01J 3/10: Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry
- G01J 3/4338: {Frequency modulated spectrometry}
- G01N 21/01: Arrangements or apparatus for facilitating the optical investigation
- G01N 21/274: {Calibration, base line adjustment, drift correction}
- G01N 21/3504: for analysing gases, e.g. multi-gas analysis
- G01N 1/44: Sample treatment involving radiation, e.g. heat
- G01N 21/3518: Devices using gas filter correlation techniques; Devices using gas pressure modulation techniques
- G01N 2021/3129: {Determining multicomponents by multiwavelength light}
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N)

## Abstract

A sample analyzing apparatus analyzes a component to be measured securely while reducing a frequency of maintenance of the sample analyzing apparatus. The sample analyzing apparatus includes a heating furnace that heats a sample held by a sample holding body and a gas analysis section that analyzes a component to be measured contained in a gas generated by heating the sample, and the gas analysis section includes a laser light source that irradiates the gas with a laser light, and a photodetector that detects an intensity of a sample light as being the laser light that has transmitted through the gas.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A sample analyzing apparatus comprising
a heating furnace that heats a sample held by a sample holding body that holds the sample, and
a gas analysis section that analyzes a target component to be measured contained in a gas containing at least one interference component produced by heating the sample, wherein
the gas analysis section comprises
a laser light source that emits a modulated light whose wavelength is modulated at a predetermined modulation frequency and around a peak of an absorption spectrum of the target component to be measured,
a photodetector that detects an intensity of a sample light as being the modulated light that has transmitted through the gas,
a correlation value calculation section that calculates correlation values between intensity related signals that relate to the intensity of the modulated light detected by the photodetector and a plurality of feature signals from which a predetermined correlation with the intensity related signals is able to be obtained,
a concentration calculation section that calculates concentrations of the target component in the gas produced by heating the sample using the correlation values obtained by the correlation value calculation section, and
a storage section that stores individual correlation values, which are respective correlation values per unit concentration for the target component and for each of a plurality of interference components determined from the respective intensity related signals and the plurality of feature signals, for a case in which the target component and the each of the plurality of interference components are present individually,
wherein the concentration calculation section calculates concentrations of the target component in the gas produced by heating the sample based on sample correlation values, which are obtained by the correlation value calculation portion during analysis of the gas produced by heating the sample, and on the individual correlation values of the target component and the at least one interference component stored in the storage portion.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The sample analyzing apparatus that analyses a plurality of the components to be measured contained in the gas and described in claim 1, wherein a plurality of the laser light sources are provided,
the plurality of the laser light sources emit the laser light with an oscillation wavelength corresponding to the respectively different target components to be measured.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The sample analyzing apparatus described in claim 1, wherein
the target component to be measured is at least one of CO2, CO, SO2, H2O, and NOx.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The sample analyzing apparatus described in claim 1, further comprising
a gas flow channel that connects the heating furnace and the gas analysis section and that introduces the gas from the heating furnace into the gas analysis section without dehydrating the gas using a dehydrating agent.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The sample analyzing apparatus described in claim 1, further comprising
an analyzer using a non-dispersive infrared absorption method in addition to the gas analysis section.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The sample analyzing apparatus described in claim 1, wherein
the correlation value calculation section calculates the sample correlation values by subtracting a reference correction value, which is a correlation value between an intensity related signal of a reference light and the feature signals, from a correlation value between the intensity related signal of the sample light and the feature signals.