Method of static headspace analyzer
AssigneeTekmar Company
InventorsThomas B. Green, Robert G. Westendorf
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of preparing a volatile sample from a material for gas chromatographic analysis includes the steps of: introducing a vial with the material containing the volatile sample and a headspace therein into a chamber of a platen adapted to transport the vial to a location for removal of at least a portion of the volatile sample for gas chromatographic analysis; heating the material containing the volatile sample while the vial is being transported to the location for removal; agitating the vial while in the chamber to enhance a transport rate of the volatile sample from the material to the headspace of the vial; and introducing a needle to the vial to withdraw at least a portion of the volatile sample from the headspace of the vial.
Claims15
A method of preparing a volatile sample from a material for gas chromatographic analysis, comprising:
- introducing a vial with the material containing the volatile sample and a headspace therein into a chamber of a platen for transporting the vial to a location for removal of at least a portion of the volatile sample for gas chromatographic analysis;
- heating the material containing the volatile sample while the vial is being transported to the location for removal;
- agitating the vial while in the chamber to enhance a transport rate of the volatile sample from the material to the headspace of the vial;
- and
- introducing a needle to the vial to withdraw at least a portion of the volatile sample from the headspace of the vial.
A method of preparing for analysis by gas chromatography a gaseous sample representative of an amount of a volatile component contained in a material disposed in a vial, the gaseous sample being contained in the vial in a headspace above the material, comprising:
- selecting a particular vial agitation intensity from a source of variable vial agitation intensity;
- placing the vial into a chamber of a platen;
- heating the material while the vial is in the chamber;
- agitating the material at the particular agitation intensity by applying an oscillating motion to the vial;
- transporting the vial to a sampling location by movement of the platen while the vial remains in the chamber;
- and
- introducing a needle to the vial to withdraw at least a portion of the gaseous sample in the headspace.
A method of analyzing a sample having a volatile component therein by gas chromatography, comprising:
- providing a covered vial having the sample and a gaseous headspace therein;
- introducing the covered vial into a chamber of a platen for transporting the covered vial to a sampling location;
- heating the sample in the covered vial at least partially as the platen transports the covered vial;
- agitating the covered vial at an intensity selected from a source of variable agitation intensity while the covered vial is in the chamber of the platen, thereby to release at least a portion of the volatile component from the sample into the gaseous headspace;
- and
- introducing a sampling needle to the covered vial to withdraw at least a portion of the gaseous headspace after the vial is transported to the sampling location.
A method of preparing a sample having a volatile component therein for gas chromatography, comprising:
- introducing a covered vial with both a gaseous headspace and the sample therein into a chamber of a platen for transporting the covered vial to a sampling location;
- heating the sample after the covered vial is introduced into the chamber;
- agitating the covered vial while in the chamber so as to achieve substantial equilibrium of a concentration of the volatile component in the sample and the gaseous headspace;
- and
- introducing a needle into the headspace portion of the covered vial at the sampling location to withdraw at least a portion of the gaseous headspace for subsequent analysis by gas chromatography.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.