Filter integrity tester

An apparatus for testing an integrity of an associated filter under humid conditions comprising:

• an injection assembly for injecting a mixture of an air stream and a hydrophilic test chemical vapor of a known concentration through an associated filter, the injection assembly including a sealed vaporizer for generating said mixture of said air stream and said hydrophilic test chemical vapor, said vaporizer including a contact bed having an inert packing media for vaporizing said hydrophilic test chemical, said injection assembly being located on a first side of the associated filter;
• a detection assembly for detecting a concentration peak of said hydrophilic test chemical vapor exiting the associated filter, the detection assembly including a chemical sampling member, a chemical enriching member and a chemical detector, said detection assembly being spaced from said injection assembly and being located on a second side of the associated filter;
• and,
• at least one micro-controller which communicates with said injection assembly and said detection assembly for controlling same.

A method for detecting a concentration of a test chemical in an outlet air stream of a filter comprising the steps of:

• injecting a predetermined mass of said test chemical into an inlet air stream of said filter;
• sampling a volume of said outlet air stream from said filter, said outlet air stream including at least a portion of said predetermined mass of said test chemical;
• enriching a second volume of air with said sampled test chemical;
• heating said enriched second volume of air;
• maintaining said second volume of air at a high temperature;
• allowing said sampled test chemical in said second volume of air to desorb into a gas phase;
• and,
• detecting a mass of said sampled test chemical in said second volume of air.

A method of calibrating the effectiveness of a filter integrity tester, the filter integrity tester having a detection assembly for detecting a concentration peak of a test chemical, the detection assembly including a chemical sampling member, a chemical enriching member and a chemical detector, the method comprising the steps of:

• injecting a predetermined mass of said test chemical into said chemical sampling member;
• sampling a volume of said test chemical;
• enriching a second volume of air with said test chemical;
• heating said enriched second volume of air;
• maintaining said enriched second volume of air at a high temperature;
• allowing said enriched test chemical in said second volume of air to desorb into a gas phase;
• detecting a mass of said test chemical in second volume of air;
• and,
• comparing said detected mass of said test chemical with said predetermined mass of said test chemical.