Gas sample analysis system

• US 7,183,115 B1
• Filed: 11/09/2001
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gardner Denver Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Factor, Inc. (Ingersoll Rand, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lauglin, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ludlow; Jan M.
• Application Number:
  US10/045,229
• Time in Patent Office: 1,936 Days
• Field of Search: 422/83, 436/38, 436/60, 436/181, 702/22, 702/23, 702/24, 702/30, 73 3101- 3103
• US Class Current: 436/38
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0073 Control unit therefor

Abstract

A gas analyzer system for analyzing samples of compressed or ambient gas such as breathing air within a scuba tank, SCBA or ambient air within an industrial plant and informing the user as to the results of the sample'"'"'s gas purity without the gas sample having to be physically transported to an accredited laboratory. The system comprises a gas analyzer situated at a user facility for receiving the contents of a gas sample and detecting gas purity characteristics, and a server situated at a remote certified testing site and electrically coupled to the gas analysis module via data transmission, such as a wireless or a computer network connection, wherein the server, maintained by a qualified third party receives and stores the gas purity characteristics in the form of computer-readable data signals. Computer instructions stored within the qualification server compares the computer-readable data signals representing gas purity characteristics with the contents of a database containing threshold gas purity parameters. After determining if the gas sample characteristics for that particular gas sample meet the required threshold limits, the user receives immediate notification, either by e-mail or by receipt of a fax at the user site, informing the user whether the given gas sample has achieved the required gas purity levels by a qualified third party.

Claims

1. A method of analyzing a human breathing air sample derived from a user air source in order to determine the user air source air sample purity without the necessity of transporting the breathing air sample to a remote qualified third party breathing air testing facility and determining if the air sample passes the human breathing air purity standards, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a user air source for generating compressed human breathing air, said user air source used to supply SCUBA tanks and emergency air tanks at a user facility;

providing a human breathing air collection tank at said user facility;

collecting an air sample from said user air source in said air collection tank at said user facility;

collecting said breathing air sample within a breathing air analysis module from said air collection tank at said user facility;

determining breathing air purity characteristics of said human breathing air sample received within said breathing air analysis module from said air collection tank at said user facility;

converting said breathing air purity characteristics into computer readable data;

transmitting through an on-line computer network said computer readable data representing the air purity characteristics of said breathing air sample from said user air source at said user facility to a qualified server for certification of use situated at a remote site and electrically coupled to said breathing air analysis module, said server maintained by a qualified third party air purity certification site including a receiver for receiving said computer readable data via a data transmitter, said server containing a data storage element for storing said computer readable data;

determining if said breathing air sample passes certain gas purity requirements; and

informing said breathing air user facility having said user air source if said breathing air sample has passed said breathing air purity requirements using an on-line response to a computer located at said breathing air producer user facility.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said data transmission is via a wireless transmission.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said remote site is an accredited breathing air purity testing facility.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of storing and printing results of said breathing air sample analysis.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of comparing said computer-readable data related to said breathing air purity characteristics to a stored set of pre-determined breathing air purity standards.