Patent ID: 7700044

Claim:
A chemical vapor sensor comprising: an infrared source for generating infrared waves; an infrared detector in optical communication with the infrared source, and configured to measure the intensity of the infrared waves generated from the infrared source; a vapor concentrator comprising: a vapor adsorber; a heating source to heat the vapor adsorber; an infrared absorption cell in optical communication between the infrared source and infrared detector, and defining an inlet for taking in air from the vapor concentrator, and an outlet for expelling air, wherein the infrared waves pass through the infrared absorption cell; an air flow source configured to control air flow through the vapor adsorber and through the infrared absorption cell; and a microcontroller configured to control the air flow source, such that the air flow source is activated to flow air into the vapor concentrator, deactivated when the heating source is heating the vapor adsorber, which releases a concentrated vapor from the air, activated to flow the concentrated vapor into the path of the infrared waves in the absorption cell, deactivated when the infrared detector measures the intensity of the infrared waves that pass through the infrared absorption cell and the concentrated vapor, and activated to purge the infrared absorption cell.