Devices, systems and methods for purging and loading sorbent tubes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9600001-B2
Application number	US-201213349859-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2012
Priority date	Jan 13, 2012
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

Certain embodiments described herein are directed to devices that can be used in purging and loading applications. In some examples, a device configured to purge a sorbent tube until a desired water level is reached is provided. In other examples, a device configured to load a sorbent tube with a desired water level is provided. Systems and methods using the devices are also described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device configured to load a sorbent tube with a desired level of water using a fluid flow comprising humidified fluid, the device comprising a humidity sensor constructed and arranged to fluidically couple to the sorbent tube, the humidity sensor separate from the sorbent tube and configured to receive a fluid stream from the sorbent tube to determine the level of water in the sorbent tube, and a processor electrically coupled to the humidity sensor, the processor configured to permit the fluid flow comprising the humidified fluid into the sorbent tube when the determined level of water in the sorbent tube is below a desired level and to stop the fluid flow into the sorbent tube when the determined level of water in the sorbent tube reaches a desired level, in which the humidity sensor is configured to detect an inflection point as an indicator of the desired level of water in the sorbent tube and wherein the desired level of water in the sorbent tube is measured by the humidity sensor to be about 3% relative humidity when the fluid flow into the sorbent tube is stopped by the processor.

2. The device of claim 1 , in which the device comprising the humidity sensor is configured to receive the sorbent tube.

3. The device of claim 1 , in which the device comprising the humidity sensor is configured to fluidically couple to a receptacle comprising the sorbent tube, wherein the receptacle comprising the sorbent tube is separate from the device comprising the humidity sensor.

4. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of receptacles each configured to receive a single sorbent tube.

5. The device of claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of humidity sensors in which a respective one of the plurality of receptacles is fluidically coupled to one of the plurality of humidity sensors and is separate from the plurality of humidity sensors and in which each of the plurality of humidity sensors is electrically coupled to the processor.

6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor.

7. A system comprising:
a humidified gas source;
a receptacle configured to receive at least one sorbent tube and fluidically coupled to the humidified gas source;
a humidity sensor separate from the receptacle and fluidically coupled to the receptacle and configured to receive fluid from the receptacle to detect water levels in the received fluid;
a processor electrically coupled to the humidity sensor and configured to permit fluid flow from the humidified gas source into the at least one sorbent tube when water levels in the at least one sorbent tube detected by the humidity sensor are below a desired level and to stop fluid flow from the humidified gas source into the at least one sorbent tube when water levels in the at least one sorbent tube detected by the humidity sensor are at a desired level;
a manifold fluidically coupled to the humidified gas source, the manifold comprising at least one outlet configured to fluidically couple to the receptacle;
a valve in the manifold and electrically coupled to the processor, the valve being configured to actuate between a closed position to stop the fluid flow from the humidified gas source into the at least one sorbent tube and an open position to permit the fluid flow from the humidified gas source into the at least one sorbent tube, in which the processor is configured to actuate the valve from the open position to the closed position when the water level in the at least one sorbent tube is measured by the humidity sensor to be about 3% relative humidity.

8. The system of claim 7 , in which the humidified gas source is coupled to a plurality of receptacles each configured to receive at least one sorbent tube.

9. The system of claim 7 , in which the receptacle is configured to receive two separate sorbent tubes positioned in parallel.

10. The system of claim 7 , in which the receptacle is configured to receive two separate sorbent tubes positioned in series.

11. The system of claim 7 , in which the manifold comprises at least two ports and each of the at least two ports of the manifold is also fluidically coupled to a single sorbent tube.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of humidity sensors each configured to fluidically couple to a respective single sorbent tube.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a respective valve in each of the at least two ports of the manifold, in which each respective valve is electrically coupled to the processor, in which each valve is independently configured to actuate between an open position to permit the fluid flow from the humidified gas source into a respective single sorbent tube when the detected water level in the single sorbent tube is below the desired level and a closed position to stop the fluid flow from the humidified gas source into the respective single sorbent tube when the detected water level in the single sorbent tube reaches the desired level.

14. The system of claim 13 , further comprising a temperature sensor electrically coupled to the processor.

15. A device configured to load a sorbent tube with a desired level of water using a fluid flow comprising humidified fluid, the device comprising a humidity sensor fluidically coupled to the sorbent tube, the humidity sensor separate from the sorbent tube and configured to receive a fluid stream from the sorbent tube to determine the level of water in the sorbent tube, and a processor electrically coupled to the humidity sensor, the processor configured to permit the fluid flow comprising the humidified fluid into the sorbent tube when the determined level of water in the sorbent tube is below a desired level and to stop the fluid flow into the sorbent tube when the determined level of water in the sorbent tube reaches a desired level, in which the sorbent tube comprises at least two different sorbent materials arranged from a material with a weakest sorbent strength to a material with a strongest sorbent strength with the weakest sorbent strength material adjacent to a sampling inlet of the sorbent tube.

16. The device of claim 15 , further comprising at least one temperature sensor coupled to the processor.

Assignees

• Snow Miles
• Marotta Lee
• Perkinelmer Health Sci Inc

Inventors

• Snow Miles
• Marotta Lee

Classifications

• G01N25/56

  by investigating moisture content · CPC title

• G01N33/0016

  by regulating a physical variable, e.g. pressure or temperature · CPC title

• G05D22/02 Primary

  characterised by the use of electric means · CPC title