Smiths Detection-watford Limited

Smtihs Detection-watford Limited

Bruce Grant

Alastair Clark

Matthew Easton

Frederic Fournier

Jonathan R Atkinson

Oliver Kirkby

Stephen John Taylor

Henry McIntyre

Matt Easton

Henry Mcintyre

A detector comprising an analytical apparatus for detecting a substance of interest, and a detector inlet. The detector inlet comprises a flow passage for carrying a flow of fluid, the flow passage comprising a sampling volume, and a sampling inlet adapted to collect samples of the fluid from the sampling volume as the fluid flows past the sampling inlet, and to provide the samples to the analytical apparatus, wherein the flow of fluid carries particulates. The detector inlet also comprises a flow director arranged to vary a spatial distribution of the particulates carried by the fluid to increase a relative proportion of the particulates carried past the sampling inlet along the flow passage without entering the sampling volume.

Detector inlet and sampling method

A detector inlet for providing a sample to an analytical apparatus for detecting an aerosol, the detector inlet comprising; an intake for inhaling a flow of gaseous fluid to be sampled by the analytical apparatus; a mixing region; a first conduit for carrying a first part of the flow of gaseous fluid from the intake to the mixing region; a second conduit for carrying a second part of the flow of gaseous fluid from the intake to the mixing region; and a heater configured to heat the first part more than the second part, and wherein the detector inlet is configured to combine the first part with the second part in the mixing region.

Detector with detector inlet for sampling gaseous fluid

A detector comprising an analytical apparatus for detecting a substance of interest, and a detector inlet. The detector inlet comprises a flow passage for carrying a flow of fluid, the flow passage comprising a sampling volume, and a sampling inlet adapted to collect samples of the fluid from the sampling volume as the fluid flows past the sampling inlet, and to provide the samples to the analytical apparatus, wherein the how of fluid carries particulates. The detector inlet also comprises a flow director arranged to vary a spatial distribution of the particulates carried by the fluid to increase a relative proportion of the particulates carried past the sampling inlet along the flow passage without entering the sampling volume.

A detector inlet for providing a sample to an analytical apparatus for detecting a substance of interest, the detector inlet comprising a plenum for allowing passage of a flow of a gaseous fluid, the plenum comprising a sampling volume a sampling inlet arranged in the plenum and arranged to collect samples of the gaseous fluid from the sampling volume and to provide the samples to the analytical apparatus, wherein the flow carries particulates and a flow director arranged to create circulatory flow of the gaseous fluid around the plenum encircling the sampling inlet thereby to vary a spatial distribution of the particulates carried by the fluid to increase a relative proportion of the particulates carried past the sampling inlet without entering the sampling volume.

Apparatus and method for gaseous fluid sampling

An ion mobility spectrometer comprising an ioniser for ionising a sample; a detector separated from the ioniser by a drift chamber along which ions can travel from the ioniser toward the detector; a gate for controlling the passage of ions from the ioniser to the drift chamber; an ion modifier arranged between the ioniser and the detector and comprising a first electrode and a second electrode; and a voltage provider configured to provide a time varying voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode wherein the time varying voltage has a frequency of at least 2.5 MHz.

Ion modification

An ion mobility spectrometer comprising an ionizer for ionizing a sample; a detector separated from the ionizer by a drift chamber along which ions can travel from the ionizer toward the detector; a gate for controlling the passage of ions from the ionizer to the drift chamber; an ion modifier arranged between the ionizer and the detector and comprising a first electrode and a second electrode; and a voltage provider configured to provide a time varying voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode wherein the time varying voltage has a frequency of at least 2.5 MHz.

Systems and techniques for cleaning a corona discharge point are described. A controller () can be operatively coupled to a corona discharge point () to control the operation of the corona discharge point (. The controller () and the corona discharge point () can be included with, for example, an ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) system (). The controller () can be used to operate the corona discharge point () at an operating voltage for a first time interval, with or without an additional higher pulse voltage, to produce a corona discharge, and to operate the corona discharge point () at a cleaning voltage greater than the operating voltage for a second time interval subsequent to the first time interval to produce a corona discharge. The effectiveness of the corona discharge point () can be monitored by, for instance, measuring a voltage necessary to produce a corona discharge at the corona discharge point (), measuring a current produced at the corona discharge point () from a corona discharge, and so forth.

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Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

Bruce Grant