Air sampler with trap

• US 5,847,291 A
• Filed: 02/21/1997
• Issued: 12/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Teledyne Tekmar Company (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Tekmar Company
• Inventors: Hill, Michael A., Wolsing, Todd A., Naughton, Valerie J., Borer, Joseph A., Green, Thomas B., Lewis, Edmund T., DaPrato, Larry J.
• Primary Examiner(s): RAEVIS, ROBERT R
• Application Number:
  US08/803,018
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 73/863.01, 73/863.11, 73/863.12, 73/863.21, 73/863.31, 73/863.33, 73/863.83, 73/864.81-864.83, 73/864.87, 73/864.21
• US Class Current: 73/863.33
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2214 by sorption
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2226 Sampling from a closed space, e.g. food package, head space
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/26 with provision for intake from several spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/025 Gas chromatography
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0011 Sample conditioning in general G01N1/28
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0047 for organic compounds

Abstract

An air sampler includes a stand adapted to support sample enclosures at spaced-apart locations. A multiposition valve is mounted to the stand. The multiposition valve has a plurality of inlet ports and an outlet port selectively fluidly coupled to any of the plurality of inlet ports. A plurality of inlet lines connects the sample enclosures to the inlet ports. A concentrator trap mounted on the stand and coupled to the outlet port concentrates selected constituents from one of the sample enclosures.

Claims

1. An ambient air sampler for obtaining air samples from sample enclosures and concentrating constituents contained in the air samples, the ambient air sampler comprising:

a stand adapted to support the sample enclosures at spaced-apart locations;

a multiposition valve carried by the stand, the multiposition valve having a plurality of inlet ports and an outlet port selectively fluidly coupleable to any of the plurality of inlet ports;

a plurality of inlet lines, wherein each inlet line has a first end fluidly coupled to one of the inlet ports and a second end fluidly coupleable to one of the sample enclosures;

a concentrator trap carried by the stand and fluidly coupleable to the outlet port to concentrate the constituents from at least one of the air samples; and

a heating device for heating at least a portion of each of the inlet lines, the heating device having a slot extending inwardly to a cavity, wherein said at least a portion of each of the inlet lines is disposed in the cavity with the corresponding inlet lines extending through the slot at spaced-apart locations.

2. The ambient air sampler of claim 1 wherein the heating device comprises a heatable surface.

3. The ambient air sampler of claim 2 wherein the heating device comprises a heating element thermally coupled to the heatable surface.

4. The ambient air sampler of claim 3 wherein the heating device comprises an insulator insulating the heatable surface.

5. The ambient air sampler of claim 1 wherein the trap includes a sorbent bed consisting essentially of a single compound.

6. The ambient air sampler of claim 5 wherein the single compound is a graphitized carbon based sorbent.

7. The ambient air sampler of claim 1 wherein the trap includes an injection port for injecting a known sample therein.

8. An ambient air sampler, comprising:

a stand adapted to support a plurality of sample enclosures at spaced-apart locations;

a multiposition valve mounted to the stand, the multiposition valve having an outlet port and a plurality of inlet ports selectively fluidly coupleable to the outlet port;

a plurality of inlet lines wherein each inlet line has a first end fluidly coupled to one of the inlet ports and a second end fluidly coupleable to one of the sample enclosures;

a concentrator trap carried by the stand and coupleable to the outlet port to concentrate selected constituents from the sample enclosure, the trap including an injection port for injecting a known sample through a self-sealing septum.

9. The ambient air sampler of claim 8 wherein the trap is mounted to the stand and the injection port extends through an outer surface of the stand.

10. The ambient air sampler of claim 8 and further comprising a manifold having a plurality of spacedapart apertures, wherein an inlet line extends through each of the spaced-apart apertures.

11. The ambient air sampler of claim 10 and further comprising a heating device to heat the manifold.

12. The ambient air sampler of claim 8 wherein the trap includes a trap tube and an enclosure surrounding the trap tube forming a chamber therebetween for the circulation of a fluid to cool the trap tube.

13. The ambient air sampler of claim 12 wherein the enclosure includes a first port opening to the chamber and a second port opening to the chamber, the first port and the second port being fluidly connectable to a source of cooling fluid.