Patent ID: 7351981

Claim:
A device for detecting impurities within a noble gas, the device comprising: an impurity detection chamber for holding the noble gas in liquid form, the impurity detection chamber comprising: a body having a first open end and a distal second open end, the body is hollow; a conductive cathode interfaced at the first open end of the body; a conductive ground plate interfaced at the distal second open end of the body; a conductive sensing anode within the impurity detection chamber in proximity to and insulated from the conductive ground plate, the conductive sensing anode connected to a conductive sensing lead which is insulated from and passes through the conductive ground plate; a pulsed ultraviolet light source; and a light-transmitting pipe having a first end and a second end, the first end of the light transmitting pipe interfaced to the pulsed ultraviolet light source, the second end of the light transmitting pipe passing through the conductive cathode, thereby transmitting ultraviolet light from the pulsed ultraviolet light source into the impurity detection chamber and onto a photocathode situated on the surface of the second end of the light-transmitting pipe.