Double-walled containment cell
AssigneeBattelle Savannah River Alliance, LLC
InventorsELIEL VILLA-ALEMAN, MICHAEL C. MAXWELL, DON D. DICK, JR.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Double-walled containment cells are described as may be used for storage, transport, and examination of a sample held within the cell by use of optical analysis techniques. A double-walled containment cell can include multiple types of windows that can be located as desired on the containment cells and thereby provide for optical access to a sample for multiple optical analysis techniques. Disclosed containment cells can be sized and designed for use with existing optical analysis systems, e.g., laser ablation, X-ray diffraction, spectral analysis (e.g., Raman spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, etc.), imaging analysis, etc.
Claims20
A double-walled containment cell comprising:
- an inner cell, the inner cell including an inner cell base and an inner cell cap that are removably attachable to one another, the inner cell base comprising a sample holder and an outer surface, the inner cell cap including an inner surface that is configured to mate with the outer surface of the inner cell base, the inner cell cap further including a first window that is transmissive to an electromagnetic wavelength;
- an outer cell, the outer cell including an outer cell base and an outer cell cap that are removably attachable to one another, the outer cell base including an inner surface that is configured to mate with an outer surface of the inner cell cap, the outer cell base including a first outer surface and a second outer surface that define a lip, the outer cell cap including a first inner surface and a second inner surface that are configured to mate with the first and second outer surfaces of the outer cell base, the outer cell cap further including a second window that is transmissive to the electromagnetic wavelength;
- wherein
- upon assembly of the inner cell with the outer cell, a sample chamber is defined that is sealed from a surrounding environment with a gas-tight seal and further wherein the sample chamber, the first window, and the second window are in optical alignment with one another.
A method for examining a sample comprising:
- locating a sample on a sample holder of an inner cell base;
- attaching an inner cell cap to the inner cell base to form an inner cell, the inner cell cap comprising a first window;
- locating the inner cell in an outer cell base;
- attaching an outer cell cap to the outer cell base to complete assembly of a double-walled containment cell, the outer cell cap comprising a second window;
- wherein upon completion of the assembly, the sample is sealed within a sample chamber of the double-walled containment cell with a gas-tight seal, and the sample holder, the first window, and the second window are in optical alignment with one another;
- and
- examining the sample sealed in the sample chamber according to a first optical analysis technique.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.