Patent ID: 7467559

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: (a) a primary sample containment vessel defining a primary chamber, the containment vessel having walls comprising materials capable of maintaining temperatures and pressures in the primary chamber at least different than ambient conditions, and further comprising two or more viewing ports comprising materials selected from natural and synthetic materials having optical and mechanical properties suitable for high-pressure, high-temperature applications, the primary chamber having a primary sample inlet and outlet; (b) a secondary sample collection container defining a collection chamber fluidly connected to the primary containment vessel; (c) a sample probe comprising a distal end able to isolate a secondary sample in the primary chamber and transfer the secondary sample to the collection chamber, the sample probe fluidly connected to the primary chamber via a seal between the containment vessel and the sample probe allowing 3-dimensional movement of at least the distal end of the sample probe within the primary chamber; and (d) a camera or other charge couple device positioned to visually access the primary chamber through one viewing port, and a light source visually connected to a second viewing port and allowing light from the light source to enter the primary chamber.