Concentration detector

Claim 1

A concentration detector comprising: a single chamber, only, for containment of a sample chemical, the concentration of which is to be measured; a first optical detector that produces a signal S 1 indicative of an intensity of light incident thereon; a tunable source of substantially monochromatic light of a wavelength λ, said substantially monochromatic light being directed through said single chamber onto said first optical detector; means, coupled to said first optical detector and to said tunable source of light and responsive to the measured intensity of light incident on said first optical detector, for locking the wavelength λ to an absorption peak of said sample chemical; means, coupled to said first optical detector, for producing an output signal indicative of the intensity of light incident on said first optical detector; whereby, by use of only a single chamber for containment of a sample that is used both for adjustment of the wavelength of the light to an absorption peak of the sample and for measuring the amount of absorption of this sample, a simpler, more compact, less expensive, high sensitivity concentration detector is produced than in devices in which additional chambers or sensing means or both are included to provide these two functions of adjusting the wavelength and of measuring an amount of absorption of said light in passing through said chamber and sample.