Water separator for a gas analyzer

• US 4,304,578 A
• Filed: 08/31/1979
• Issued: 12/08/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Instrumentarium Corporation
• Original Assignee: Instrumentarium Corporation
• Inventors: Hakala, Matti A., Auvinen, Jorma J., Martikainen, Antti L. J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cintins, Ivars C.
• Application Number:
  US06/071,562
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 55/189, 55/190, 55/192, 73/19, 73/23, 73/29, 73/421.5 R, 128/718, 128/719, 210/513, 210/532 R, 422/84, 92/48
• US Class Current: 55/439
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/082 Evaluation by breath analysis, e.g. determination of the chemical composition of exhaled breath A61B5/083, A61B5/091 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3504 for analysing gases, e.g. multi-gas analysis

Abstract

A water separator for a gas analyzer comprising a container defining a water separation chamber and having a generally conical bottom. An inlet conduit is connected to the chamber for conducting a gas sample to the chamber, and a water outlet conduit communicates with the lower end of the chamber and collected water is continuously drawn from the chamber by a pump. A gas outlet conduit is connected to the upper end of the water separation chamber and a second pump is connected to the gas outlet conduit to continuously draw gas from the chamber.

Claims

1. A water separator for a gas analyzer comprising, a container defining a water separation chamber, an inlet conduit for conducting a gas sample to the chamber, said chamber having an inwardly tapered lower end and being formed of two sections generally having the shape of opposed interconnected cones, each cone having an apex and a base, said cones being disposed in axially offset base-to-base relation, a first outlet conduit being connected to the apex of the lower cone and to a vacuum source for creating sub-atmospheric pressure in said first outlet conduit and continuously drawing collected water from said chamber, a second outlet conduit being connected to the apex of the upper cone and to a vacuum source for creating sub-atmospheric pressure in said second outlet conduit to thereby continuously draw gas from said chamber.

2. The water separator of claim 1, and including a separate emptiable condensate collecting vessel connected in the first outlet conduit between the chamber and said vacuum source, the sub-atmospheric pressure produced by said vacuum source acting through said vessel.

3. The water separator of claim 1, characterized in that said vacuum source for creating a sub-atmospheric pressure is selected from the group consisting of a diaphragm pump and a peristaltic flexible tube pump.

4. The water separator of claim 1, characterized in that the container is formed of two parts joined together along an interface in sealed relation, one of said cones being formed in one of said parts and the other of said cones being formed in the other of said parts, the bases of the cones being located at said interface.