Apparatus and methods for gas sampling

• US 6,431,016 B1
• Filed: 03/13/2000
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Genmark Diagnostics Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Osmetech PLC (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Payne, Peter Alfred
• Primary Examiner(s): NOLAND, THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US09/462,304
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 738/647.3, 738/637.1, 73/233.4
• US Class Current: 73/864.73
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0006 Calibrating gas analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0011 Sample conditioning preparing specimens for investigation G01N1/28
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0031 comprising two or more sensors, e.g. a sensor array

Abstract

There is disclosed a gas sampling apparatus (10) adapted for use in a hand-held gas sensing device (12) having at least one gas sensor (14), the apparatus comprising: a gas inlet (16); a gas conductor (18) for conducting gas from the gas inlet to the sensor or sensors; a gas outlet (20), a gas conductor (22) for conducting gas from the sensor or sensors to the gas outlet; and a vacuum containment (24) enclosing an inner region having a pressure below atmospheric pressure and adapted for connection to the gas outlet so that a flow of gas is developed from the gas inlet to the vacuum containment.

Claims

1. Gas sampling apparatus adapted for use in a hand-held gas sensing device having at least one gas sensor, the apparatus comprising:

gas inlet means;

gas conducting means for conducting gas from said gas inlet means to the sensor or sensors;

gas outlet means;

gas conducting means for conducting gas from the sensor or sensors to the gas outlet means; and

vacuum containment means enclosing an inner region having a pressure below atmospheric pressure and adapted for connection to the gas outlet means so that a flow of gas is developed from the gas inlet means to the vacuum containment means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising pressurised wash gas containment means containing a wash gas and adapted for connection to the gas outlet means so that a flow of wash gas is developed across the gas sensor or sensors.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 further comprising pressurised reference gas containment means containing a reference gas and adapted for connection to the gas outlet means so that a flow of reference gas is developed across the gas sensor or sensors.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the gas outlet means comprises valve means.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the gas inlet means comprises valve means.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the vacuum containment means comprises valve means.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising gas flow constriction means.

8. A method for sampling gas in a hand-held gas sensing device having at least one gas sensor comprising the steps of:

providing apparatus according to claim 1; and

connecting the vacuum containment means to the gas outlet means so that a flow of gas is developed from the gas inlet means to the vacuum containment means.

9. A method according to claim 8 in which the step of connecting the vacuum containment means to the gas outlet means is preceded by the step of connecting pressurised reference gas containment means containing a reference gas to said gas outlet means so that a flow of reference gas is developed across the gas sensor or sensors.

10. A method according to claim 9 in which the step of connecting the pressurised reference gas containment means is preceded by the step of connecting pressurised wash gas containment means containing a wash gas to said gas outlet means so that a flow of wash gas is developed across the gas sensor or sensors.

11. A method according to claim 8 further comprising the steps of gas tightly sealing the vacuum containment means;

detaching same from the gas outlet means; and

transporting said vacuum containment means to secondary analysis means for further analysis of the sampled gas.