Patent ID: 7481125

Claim:
A device for obtaining a spot sample, comprising: a housing formed therein a sample cavity having first and second ends and a wall, said housing being formed so as to be immersed into a pressurized fluid process; a moveable end slidingly engaging said wall of said sample cavity, so as to form a moveable fluid barrier within said sample cavity, said moveable end slidably positionable from said second end of said cavity to said first end of said cavity, so as to provide in said cavity a variable volume associated with the position of said moveable barrier; a valve associated with said sample cavity, said valve having a passage communicating with said second end of said sample cavity, said valve comprising a stem/poppet, said stem/poppet formed to be situated adjacent to said moveable end when said moveable end is situated adjacent to said second end of said cavity and said valve is in a closed position, so as to form a minimum volume at said second end of said cavity; whereby, upon positioning said moveable end adjacent to said second end of said cavity to form a minimum volume at said second end of said cavity, and immersing said device into a pressurized fluid process so that said device reaches temperature equilibrium with said pressurized process, and opening said valve, said fluid passes through said valve, such that the pressurized fluid engages said moveable end so as to urge said moveable end from said second end of said cavity towards said first end of said cavity so as to increase the size of said cavity while, filling said cavity, while maintaining the spot sample at the prevailing pressure and temperature of the pressurized fluid process.