Patent ID: 7139072

Claim:
A thermo-electrically cooled surface enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (TEC-SERS) fiber optic probe, comprising: a sample chamber for receiving a gas sample, said chamber comprising: an inlet having a semipermeable membrane for separating moisture from said gas sample; a thermoelectric cooler for concentrating said gas sample onto a SERS substrate having top and bottom surfaces, wherein said bottom surface of said substrate is mounted on said thermoelectric cooler and said top surface is opposed to a transparent window in said sample chamber; a mass flow device operably coupled to said sample chamber for providing airflow in said sample chamber; an output port for transporting said gas sample out of said sample chamber; and a fiber optic Raman probe operably coupled to said window in said sample chamber for directing an optical excitation signal to irradiate said SERS substrate and for receiving a SERS optical emissions signal.