Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
157 words
A controller for controlling purge gas flow to a sample cell having open communication with the atmosphere that is heated during a heating cycle to a first low level to produce a drying of a sample and to a second high level to produce an atomization of said sample so as to permit an atomic absorption spectrophotometric measurement thereof, comprising in combination valve means having first and second operating states for providing respectively a first flowpath for coupling said purge gas to said sample cell and a second flowpath for effectively decoupling said purge gas from said sample cell, and programmer means coupled to said valve means for actuating said valve means to operate in said first state during the drying period of said heating cycle and in the second state during the atomization period of said heating cycle so as to lengthen the time of said atomized sample in said sample cell during said spectrophotometric measurement.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
157 words
A controller for controlling purge gas flow to a sample cell having open communication with the atmosphere that is heated during a heating cycle to a first low level to produce a drying of a sample and to a second high level to produce an atomization of said sample so as to permit an atomic absorption spectrophotometric measurement thereof, comprising in combination valve means having first and second operating states for providing respectively a first flowpath for coupling said purge gas to said sample cell and a second flowpath for effectively decoupling said purge gas from said sample cell, and programmer means coupled to said valve means for actuating said valve means to operate in said first state during the drying period of said heating cycle and in the second state during the atomization period of said heating cycle so as to lengthen the time of said atomized sample in said sample cell during said spectrophotometric measurement.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The combination in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said purge gas comprises an inert gas that prevents oxidation of said sample cell.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
The combination in accordance with claim 2 wherein: said sample cell comprises a graphite tube and wherein said graphite tube is electrically heated by a low current to produce said drying period and by a high current to produce said atomization period of said heating cycle.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The combination in accordance with claim 3 wherein said programmer means includes a plurality of timers, one for each of said periods of said heating cycle.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The combination in accordance with claim 4 wherein: said valve means comprises a solenoid actuated valve.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
The combination in accordance with claim 5 wherein: one of said timers is coupled to activate said solenoid actuated valve during the atomization portion of said heating cycle.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
95 words
The method of operating an electrically heated graphite sample cell having open ends comprising the steps of: heating said sample cell to dry a sample contained therein, applying a purge gas to said sample cell during said drying period, increasing the current applied to said sample cell to atomize said sample, diverting said purge gas away from said sample cell during said atomization period to prevent said atomized sample from being swept out of said sample cell, and making an atomic absorption spectrophotometric measurement of said sample during said atomization period of said heating cycle.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
95 words
The method of operating an electrically heated graphite sample cell having open ends comprising the steps of: heating said sample cell to dry a sample contained therein, applying a purge gas to said sample cell during said drying period, increasing the current applied to said sample cell to atomize said sample, diverting said purge gas away from said sample cell during said atomization period to prevent said atomized sample from being swept out of said sample cell, and making an atomic absorption spectrophotometric measurement of said sample during said atomization period of said heating cycle.