# US 2013/0239656 A1 · Gas Chromatograph

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- Number: US 2013/0239656 A1
- Document ID: US20130239656A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/420,233
- Filed: 2012-03-14
- Published: 2013-09-19
- Earliest claimed: 2012-03-14
- Assignees: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
- Inventors: Aosheng Wang; Ray Dean Shepherd; Christoph Klawun
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130239656A1

## CPC

- G01N 30/66: Thermal conductivity detectors
- G01N 30/461: {with serial coupling of separation columns}
- G01N 2030/8813: {biological materials}
- 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)

## Abstract

A gas chromatograph comprising a separation column for separating components of a sample of a gas mixture fed through the separation column by a carrier gas, a thermal conductivity detector including a sensing element arranged downstream from the separation column and configured to detect the separated components in a non-destructive manner and to generate a detector signal in response the detected components, an evaluation unit for evaluating the detector signals to determine concentrations of the detected components, and a further thermal conductivity detector including a further sensing element arranged immediately downstream or upstream from the thermal conductivity detector and configured to detect the separated components and to generate a further detector signal in response to the detected components, where the evaluation unit is configured to compare the detector signal with the further detector signal to recognize and signal a loss of or improper detection by the thermal conductivity detector.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A gas chromatograph for analyzing a gas mixture (1) comprising:
at least one separation column (4, 6) for separating components of a sample of the gas mixture (1) which is fed through the separation column (4, 6) by a carrier gas (3);
a thermal conductivity detector (5, 7) which has a sensing element (5′, 7′) arranged downstream from the separation column (4, 6) and which further is adapted to detect the separated components in a non-destructive manner and to generate a detector signal (S5, S7) in response to each of the detected components; and
an evaluation unit (23) for evaluating the detector signals (S5, S7) to determine the concentrations of the detected components;
said gas chromatograph further comprising:
at least one further thermal conductivity detector (11, 12) which has a further sensing element (11′, 12′) arranged immediately downstream or upstream from the thermal conductivity detector (5, 7) and which is adapted to detect the separated components and to generate a further detector signal (S11, S12) in response to each of the detected components; and
the evaluation unit (23) being further adapted to compare the detector signal (S5, S7) with the further detector signal (S11, S12) to recognize and signal a loss of or improper detection by the thermal conductivity detector (5, 7).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The gas chromatograph of claim 1, wherein the at least one further detector (11, 12) is identical in design to the thermal conductivity detector (5, 7).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The gas chromatograph of claim 1, wherein the sensing element (5′, 7′) of the thermal conductivity detector (5, 7) and the further sensing element (11′, 12′) of the at least one further thermal conductivity detector (11, 12) are thermally coupled on a common substrate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The gas chromatograph of claim 2, wherein the sensing element (5′, 7′) of the thermal conductivity detector (5, 7) and the further sensing element (11′, 12′) of the at least one further thermal conductivity detector (11, 12) are thermally coupled on a common substrate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The gas chromatograph of claim 1, wherein the sensing element (5′, 7′) of the thermal conductivity detector (5, 7) and the further sensing element (11′, 12′) of the at least one further thermal conductivity detector (11, 12) are integrated in a single component.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The gas chromatograph of claim 2, wherein the sensing element (5′, 7′) of the thermal conductivity detector (5, 7) and the further sensing element (11′, 12′) of the at least one further thermal conductivity detector (11, 12) are integrated in a single component.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The gas chromatograph of claim 1, wherein the sensing element (7′) of the thermal conductivity detector (7) and the further sensing element (12′) of the at least one further thermal conductivity detector (12) each have at least one heated filament (13, 15) in a tubular channel (17).