Thermal stress resistant micro-plasma emission detector unit

Abstract

The micro-plasma emission detector unit is for use with a gas chromatograph. It includes an airtight housing having an internal ionization chamber, a pair of spaced-apart ionization electrodes positioned on opposite sides of the housing, and a set of opposite first and second holding members between which the housing is maintained inside the detector unit. Each electrode is maintained against an outer surface of the housing using a corresponding force-generating mechanism. With the proposed design, the risks of damaging the housing due to the thermal stresses are mitigated and the operating temperature of the detector unit can be increased.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.