Patent ID: 6103533
Filing Date: 2000-08-15
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
A method of identifying individual substances within a mixture of substances comprising the steps of:(a) causing the mixture to travel past a spaced plurality of detectors, each detector I.sub.k being arranged to produce a signal S.sub.k representative of a characteristic of the mixture as the mixture passes the detector I.sub.k ;(b) repeatedly measuring the signal S.sub.k (t) at each detector I.sub.k at a plurality of times t=t.sub.1, t.sub.2, t.sub.3 . . . ;(c) associating each signal S.sub.k (t) with a respective nominal velocity V.sub.k (t), wherein V.sub.k (t) is calculated as that constant velocity which a substance traveling within the mixture would need to reach the detector I.sub.k at time t;(d) grouping the signals S.sub.k (t) by nominal velocity V.sub.k (t); and,(e) identifying individual substances within the mixture according to peaks within a histogram of the grouped signals.