Patent ID: 11927574
Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 8:
9. A gas chromatography architecture, comprising:
one or more preconcentrators coupled together in series, the one or more preconcentrators having an inlet configured to receive an analyte and an outlet, each preconcentrator comprising a chamber through which the analyte passes and sorbent material within the chamber, wherein surface area of sorbent material residing in a given preconcentrator increases from the inlet to the outlet across the one or more preconcentrators;
a sampling pump fluidly coupled to the outlet of the one or more preconcentrators;
a sampling valve interposed between the sampling pump and the outlet of the two or more preconcentrators;
a gas filter interposed between the sampling valve and the outlet of the one or more preconcentrators;
a first separation pump;
for each preconcentrator of the one or more preconcentrators, a separation path fluidly coupled between an inlet of the given preconcentrator and the first separation pump;
a separation column in each separation path;
a second separation pump fluidly coupled to the outlet of the one or more preconcentrators and operates to push gas through the one or more preconcentrators towards the inlet of the one or more preconcentrators;
a separation valve disposed in each of the separation paths between the corresponding preconcentrator and the first separation pump;
a detector disposed in each of the separation paths, where each detector is located between the corresponding preconcentrator and the separation valve; and
a controller operably coupled to the sampling valve and each of the separation valves.