Patent ID: 9442047
Filing Date: 2016-09-13
CPC Classification: G01N

Claim Text:
1. A method of capturing a sample from a source and delivering the sample to a collector, comprising: drawing a sample from the source into a conduit; advancing the sample within the conduit in a downstream direction toward a sample indicator, wherein the sample defines a leading end that approaches the sample indicator as the sample is advanced in the downstream direction; indicating the presence of the sample within the conduit using the sample indicator when the sample attains a predetermined position within the conduit relative to the sample indicator; injecting a gas into the conduit in response to the indication of the presence of the sample within the conduit, wherein the injection of the gas into the conduit forms a sample bolus between the downstream end of the sample and an upstream end of the sample formed by the injection of the gas into the conduit; advancing the sample bolus together with the injected gas in the downstream direction past the sample indicator; and delivering the sample bolus and the injected gas to the collector.