Patent ID: 7208123

Claim:
A molecular contaminant monitoring system comprising: a housing forming a diffusion chamber; a diffusion chamber entry passage extending through said housing; a diffusion chamber exit passage extending through said housing; a detection surface exposed to the interior of said diffusion chamber; and a sensor physically or electrically connected to said detection surface and providing a sensor output signal characteristic of molecular contaminants on said detection surface; said diffusion chamber entry passage and said diffusion chamber exit passage adapted and located such that when a fluid containing molecular contaminants and particles is flowed through said entry passage above a predetermined flow rate, the majority of said particles passing through said entry passage are channeled into said exit passage whiles portion of said molecular contaminant passing through said entry passage moves into said diffusion chamber essentially solely by the process of molecular diffusion, said portion of said molecular contaminant being large enough to be sensed by said sensor; and wherein said diffusion chamber entry passage includes a diffusion chamber inlet port and a nozzle surrounding said chamber inlet port, and said diffusion chamber exit passage includes a diffusion chamber outlet port and a funnel surrounding said chamber outlet port.