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US 5,496,741 AGranted
Device and process for increasing analyte concentration in a sorbent
AssigneeUniversity of Waterloo
InventorJanusz B. Pawliszyn
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AssigneeUniversity of Waterloo
InventorJanusz B. Pawliszyn
Estimating the term…
A device and process for increasing analyte concentration in a sorbent from a source of analytes contained in a sample uses means for increasing a temperature differential between the sample and the sorbent. The sorbent can be a polymeric coating on a substrate. The sorbent is located in a headspace of the sample and has internal cooling means such as liquid carbon dioxide so that the sorbent can be cooled relative to the sample. Preferably, the sample is heated to further increase the temperature differential between the sample and the sorbent. As the temperature differential increases, a partition coefficient of the sorbent/sample also increases. Preferably, the sorbent is located in a headspace of the sample. Previously, for certain analytes, the partition coefficient was too low and the concentration of analytes extracted into the sorbent from the sample was insufficient to provide an accurate measurement of concentration.
A process for increasing analyte concentration in a sorbent from a source of analytes contained in a sample using a solid phase microextraction device with cooling means operatively connected to cool said sorbent, a sorbent and a sample containing a source of anayltes, said process comprising locating said sorbent where it can be contacted by said analytes of said sample, contacting said sorbent with said analytes, activating said cooling means, cooling said sorbent to increase the temperature differential between said sample and said sorbent, thereby increasing the analyte concentration in said sorbent.
A solid phase microextraction device for increasing analyte concentration in a sorbent from a source of analytes contained in a sample, said device consisting of a sorbent and a source of analytes contained in a sample, said sorbent being located to contact said sample, with cooling means operatively connected to cool said sorbent, and to thereby increase a temperature differential between said sample and said sorbent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.