Patent ID: 8616073

Claim:
Sampler, of the sealed fully tight type, for an elemental analyzer, comprising: a sample housing suitable to accommodate one or more samples to be analyzed; closure means suitable to reversibly seal said sample housing; a sample passage having a connection opening for the passage of said sample from the sampler into the analyzer through said connection opening, comprising means for heating said sample housing and means for pumping out environmental gases and vapors from said sample housing; a flushing duct connected or connectable to said sample passage and connected or connectable to a gas cylinder suitable to accommodate pressurized inert gas, said flushing duct being in fluid connection with said sample housing, such that the pressurized inert gas from the gas cylinder is capable of passing through said sample housing; a carrier gas duct connected or connectable to said sample passage and connected or connectable to said gas cylinder, such that the pressurized inert gas from the gas cylinder is capable of passing through said connection opening of the sample passage to flow into the analyzer; wherein said sample passage comprises sampler isolation valve means located in the sample passage between a first and a second gas port at which said flushing duct and said carrier gas duct are respectively connected with said sample passage, said sampler isolation valve means being configurable in at least an open configuration and a closed position.