Microwave spectrometer
OwnerZhangwu Zhu, Warren P. Dickinsoninventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved microwave spectrometer for measuring the concentration of ethylene oxide gas and the concentration of water vapor in one or more gas samples taken from an ethylene oxide sterilization chamber.
Claims17
A microwave spectrometer which measures the concentration of an ethylene oxide gas and the concentration of water vapor in one or more gas samples taken from a sterilization chamber, said microwave spectrometer, in combination, comprising:
- a first microwave generator which generates microwaves at the absorption frequency of an ethylene oxide gas molecule;
- a second microwave generator, which generates microwaves at the absorption frequency of a water vapor molecule;
- a tuning cavity, which modulates microwave frequencies generated by said first and second microwave generators to exact absorption frequencies of an ethylene oxide gas molecule and a water vapor molecule;
- a first detector that measures microwaves at the absorption frequency of an ethylene oxide gas molecule;
- a second detector that measures microwaves at the absorption frequency of a water vapor molecule;
- and
- wherein the microwave spectrometer measures the concentration of an ethylene oxide gas and the concentration of water vapor in one or more gas samples by alternatively generating and detecting microwaves having absorption frequencies of an ethylene oxide gas and water vapor.
A method of measuring the concentration of an ethylene oxide gas and the concentration of water vapor in one or more gas samples taken from a sterilization chamber in a microwave spectrometer comprising the following steps, in combination,
- subjecting the gas sample(s) to a first set of microwaves generated at the absorption frequency of an ethylene oxide gas molecule;
- subjecting the gas sample(s) to a second set of microwaves generated at the absorption frequency of a water vapor molecule;
- detecting microwaves at the absorption frequency of an ethylene oxide gas molecule that pass through the gas sample(s);
- and
- detecting microwaves at the absorption frequency of a water vapor molecule that pass through the gas sample(s);
- and
- calculating the concentration of an ethylene oxide gas and the concentration of water vapor from the difference in the generated and detected microwaves.
A microwave spectrometer which measures the concentration of an ethylene oxide gas and the concentration of water vapor in one or more gas samples taken from a sterilization chamber, said microwave spectrometer, in combination, comprising:
- a first microwave generator which generates microwaves at the absorption frequency of an ethylene oxide gas molecule;
- a second microwave generator which generates microwaves at the absorption frequency of a water vapor molecule;
- a first circulator connected to the first microwave generator and to the second microwave generator;
- a tuning cavity connected to the first circulator and to a second circulator;
- a gas measurement cell connected the first circulator;
- the second circulator connected to the gas measurement cell;
- a first detector connected to the second circulator for measuring microwaves at the absorption frequency of an ethylene oxide gas molecule;
- a second detector connected to the second circulator for measuring microwaves at the absorption frequency of a water vapor molecule;
- and
- a control system connected to the first microwave generator, the second microwave generator, the tuning cavity, the second circulator, the first detector and the second detector,
- wherein the microwave spectrometer measures the concentration of an ethylene oxide gas and the concentration of water vapor in one or more gas samples by alternatively generating, and tuning and detecting microwaves having absorption frequencies of an ethylene oxide gas molecule and a water vapor molecule.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.