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Gas inlet system for isotope ratio spectrometer

  • US 10,408,747 B2
  • Filed: 10/17/2018
  • Issued: 09/10/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2013
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of coupling an analyte gas to an isotope ratio spectrometer, comprising:

  • supplying a first analyte gas to a variable volume reservoir of a gas inlet system;

    expanding the variable volume reservoir so as to take up the first analyte gas into the reservoir;

    expelling, by compressing the variable volume reservoir, the first analyte gas, or a first analyte mixture containing the first analyte gas, from the reservoir at a controlled flow rate, by controllably adjusting the volume inside the variable volume reservoir at a predetermined rate;

    directing a flow of the said first analyte gas or first analyte mixture to the spectrometer at the controlled flow rate; and

    selectively supplying a carrier gas to the spectrometer and/or to the variable volume reservoir;

    wherein the reservoir is expanded at a rate faster than the rate of supply of the first analyte gas so as to create a vacuum within the reservoir and thereby to suck in substantially all of the first analyte gas supplied by a first analyte gas supply during a sample uptake period wherein a part of the carrier gas passes to the variable volume reservoir so as to dilute the concentration of the first analyte gas in the reservoir.

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