Patent ID: 7525662
Filing Date: 2009-04-28
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for carrying out environmentally isolated analysis of contents of the interior of a receptacle of the type having a sealable coupling element, said apparatus, comprising: (a) a guide housing which at least partially encloses a space inside said guide housing; (b) a docking element coupled to said guide housing, said docking element being removably attachable to the coupling element to form a sealed connection between said space inside said guide housing and at least a portion of the coupling element, and (c) a probe having (i) a probe housing which includes at least one window of a solid material transmissive of radiant energy, (ii) at least one transmitting element disposed to transmit radiant energy from said probe, and (iii) at least one detecting element disposed to receive radiant energy by way of said window; at least a portion of said probe housing being received within said space inside said guide housing, said probe housing and said guide housing being displaceable relative to one another between at least (i) a retracted position at which said probe is clear of the coupling element when said docking element is attached to the coupling element, and (ii) an extended position at which said probe penetrates the coupling element to expose said at least one window to the interior of the receptacle when said docking element is attached to the coupling element to permit analysis of the contents of the receptacle to be carried out based on said radiant energy received by said at least one detecting element.