Gas chromatography sample injector and apparatus using same

An apparatus for vaporizing a sample and injecting said sample into a gas chromatograph, said gas chromatograph having a chromatographic column, said chromatographic column defining an inside and outside thereof, and having an inlet, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) an injector body having a cavity and at least three openings, said at least three openings comprising:
• (i) a first opening connecting said cavity to said inlet of said chromatographic column,
• (ii) a second opening connecting said cavity to said outside of said chromatographic column, said second opening closed by a resilient pierceable septum, and
• (iii) a carrier gas inlet;
• and
• (b) a hollow tube capable of being moved from a first position outside said chromatographic column through said septum to a second position wherein at least a portion of said hollow tube extends inside said cavity whereby said hollow tube creates a passageway through said septum from said outside of said chromatographic column to said cavity;
• (c) a sample probe adapted to carry said sample and dimensioned so as to be extendable through said hollow tube while said hollow tube is in said second position, to a position wherein said sample probe extends into said cavity;
• and
• (d) vaporizing means for vaporizing said sample within said vaporization cavity.

An apparatus for vaporizing a sample and injecting said sample into a gas chromatograph, said gas chromatograph having a chromatographic column, said chromatographic column defining an inside and outside thereof, and having an inlet, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) an injector body, said injector body having a cavity defining a volume and having at least three openings, said at least three openings comprising:
• (i) a first opening connecting said cavity to said inlet of said chromatographic columns,
• (ii) a second opening connecting said cavity to said outside of said chromatographic column, and
• (iii) a carrier gas inlet;
• and
• (b) mechanical means adapted to vary the volume of said cavity;
• and
• (c) vaporizing means for vaporizing said sample so as to form at least one vaporization product of said sample, said vaporization means being disposed within said cavity, there being a sufficiently unobstructed path between said vaporization means and said inlet of said chromatographic column whereby said at least one vaporization product enters said chromatographic column substantially without condensing.

An dual mode analytical apparatus for vaporizing and analyzing a sample by gas chromatography, said analytical apparatus comprising:

• (a) a gas chromatographic column, said gas chromatographic column defining an inside and an outside thereof, and having an inlet and an outlet;
• (b) an injector body, said injector body having a cavity defining a volume and having at least three openings, said at least three openings comprising:
• (i) a first opening connecting said cavity to said inlet of said chromatographic column,
• (ii) a second opening connecting said cavity to said outside of said chromatographic column, and
• (iii) a carrier gas inlet;
• and
• (c) mechanical means adapted to vary the volume of said cavity;
• (d) vaporizing means for vaporizing said sample so as to form at least one vaporization product of said sample, said vaporizing means being disposed within said cavity, there being a sufficiently unobstructed path between said vaporizing means and said inlet whereby said at least one vaporization product enters said chromatographic column substantially without condensing;
• and
• (e) analyzing means disposed at said outlet.