Nitric Oxide Detection
First Claim
1. A method of determining the concentration of nitric oxide in a gaseous sample, wherein the method comprises the following steps:
- a collecting a gaseous sample (6) containing nitric oxide,b) exposing the sample (6) to a first substrate (12) to which nitric acid is bound in the presence of water to form nitrogen dioxide by reaction with the nitric oxide, andc) determining (15, 19) the concentration of nitric oxide in the gaseous sample from the nitrogen dioxide produced in step (b).
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a method for amplifying the detected signal in a gas sensor. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for increasing the concentration of the gas which is being detected in a sample or increasing the concentration of a gas which is directly obtained from the gas in the sample by chemical reaction. The gas which is to be detected is nitric oxide (NO). In particular, the method concerns the selective conversion of NO to NO2 which allows a threefold amplification of the number of analyte molecules in NO trace gas analysis in a single amplification cycle. Subsequent reduction or thermal decomposition of the obtained NO2 can provide NO again, which can again be introduced in a new amplification cycle. Multiple (n) amplification cycles can provide a sensitivity amplification by a factor 3n. The method can be combined with a multitude of detection methods and tolerates a high humidity. The method is therefore of general use in the analysis of NO from a variety of sources.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method of determining the concentration of nitric oxide in a gaseous sample, wherein the method comprises the following steps:
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a collecting a gaseous sample (6) containing nitric oxide, b) exposing the sample (6) to a first substrate (12) to which nitric acid is bound in the presence of water to form nitrogen dioxide by reaction with the nitric oxide, and c) determining (15, 19) the concentration of nitric oxide in the gaseous sample from the nitrogen dioxide produced in step (b). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An apparatus for measuring the concentration of nitric oxide in a gaseous sample, the apparatus including the following components arranged in fluid communication:
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a first vessel (6) for collecting a gaseous sample containing nitric oxide; a first reaction chamber (9) in fluid communication (8, 10) with the first vessel containing a first substrate whose surface is able to provide a source of nitric acid and water enabling the formation of nitrogen dioxide after exposition of the sample to the first substrate; and
,means (15, 19) for determining the concentration of the nitric oxide from the nitrogen dioxide. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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Specification