Atmospheric purge system and method for laser ablation sample processing

A system for controlling flow of gas from a laser ablation cell, comprising:

• a mixing chamber including
• a mixing chamber body,
• a transfer gas inlet coupled to the mixing chamber body and configured to receive gas from a laser ablation sample cell,
• a first outlet line coupled to the mixing chamber body and configured to transfer gas from the mixing chamber to an inductively-coupled plasma torch, and
• a second outlet line coupled to the mixing chamber body, the second gas outlet having a larger internal cross-sectional area than an internal cross-sectional area of the first outlet line;
• and
• a valve fluidically coupled to the second outlet line, the valve configured to transition between at least an open configuration configured to permit transfer gas through the second outlet line and a closed configuration configured to prevent transfer of gas through the second outlet line, wherein a difference in the respective internal cross-sectional areas of the first outlet line and the second outlet line is configured to permit transfer of a majority of the transfer gas through the second outlet line when the valve is in the open configuration to prevent extinguishing of a plasma at the inductively-coupled plasma torch.

A method for controlling flow of gas from a laser ablation cell, comprising:

• transferring gas from a laser ablation sample cell to an inductively-coupled plasma torch via a transfer line that has an unimpeded internal diameter over time between individual samples taken by the laser ablation sample cell and via a mixing chamber fluidically coupled with each of a valve and the inductively-coupled plasma torch, the mixing chamber including
• a mixing chamber body,
• a first outlet line coupled to the mixing chamber body and configured to transfer gas from the mixing chamber to an inductively-coupled plasma torch, and
• a second outlet line coupled to the mixing chamber body, the second gas outlet having a larger internal cross-sectional area than an internal cross-sectional area of the first outlet line, and
• wherein the valve is fluidically coupled to the second outlet line, the valve configured to transition between at least an open configuration configured to permit transfer gas through the second outlet line and a closed configuration configured to prevent transfer of gas through the second outlet line;
• and
• preventing transfer of gas from the laser ablation sample cell to the inductively-coupled plasma torch through operation of the valve fluidically coupled between the laser ablation sample cell and the inductively-coupled plasma torch.