Analyte pre-concentrator for gas chromatography
AssigneePerkinElmer Instruments LLC
InventorsAndrew Tipler, Gary Campbell, Mark Collins
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An analyte pre-concentrator for gas chromatography is disclosed generally comprising a tube having a restricted outlet and packed with an adsorbent, wherein the tube serves as the liner of a chromatographic injector, as an adsorbent trap coupled to a chromatographic column, and/or as an adsorbent trap coupled to a headspace sampler. Preferably, a heating device allows the tube to be heated. In a preferred embodiment, the analyte pre-concentrator further comprises a column isolating accessory so that a chromatographic column can be temporarily isolated from substances flowing through the tube.
Claims17
An analyte pre-concentrator for use with a chromatographic column coupled thereto, comprising:
- a chromatographic injector;
- a liner disposed in said injector, said liner having an upper portion and a lower portion;
- an adsorbent disposed in said liner;
- wherein the inner wall of the upper portion of said liner partially encloses an upper chamber in which the adsorbent is disposed;
- wherein the inner wall of the lower portion of said liner partially encloses a lower chamber in which a portion of the chromatographic column is disposed;
- and
- wherein the diameter of the lower chamber is smaller than the diameter of the upper chamber.
A system for pre-concentrating analytes for use with a chromatographic column coupled thereto, comprising:
- a headspace sampler for obtaining headspace vapor containing analytes;
- a transfer line connected to said headspace sampler for transferring the headspace vapor;
- a housing connected to said transfer line to receive the headspace vapor obtained by said headspace sampler;
- a tube disposed in said housing;
- an adsorbent disposed in said tube for adsorbing the analytes when the headspace vapor passes through said tube;
- and
- a heating element disposed in said housing for increasing the temperature of said tube to desorb the analyte into the chromatographic column coupled to said housing.
A system for pre-concentrating analytes for use with a chromatographic column coupled thereto, comprising
- a headspace sampler for obtaining headspace vapor containing analytes;
- a transfer line connected to said headspace sampler for transferring the headspace vapor;
- a housing connected to said transfer line to receive the headspace vapor obtained by said headspace sampler;
- a tube disposed in said housing;
- an adsorbent disposed in said tube absorbing the analytes when the headspace vapor passes through said tube;
- and
- a heating element disposed in said housing for increasing the temperature of said tube to desorb the analyte into the chromatographic column coupled to said housing;
- wherein said tube has an upper portion and a lower portion;
- wherein the inner wall of the upper portion of said tube partially encloses an upper chamber in which a said adsorbent is disposed;
- wherein the inner wall of the lower portion of said tube partially encloses a lower chamber in which a portion of the chromatographic column is disposed;
- and
- wherein the diameter of the lower chamber is smaller than the diameter of the upper chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.