Patent ID: 7351976

Claim:
A detector system adapted for processing of a material therein, said system comprising: a sampling region for the material, the material comprising a first gas; an infrared radiation source constructed and arranged to transmit infrared radiation through the sampling region; and a thermopile detector constructed and arranged to receive infrared radiation after the transmission thereof through the sampling region and to responsively generate an output signal correlative of said material within the sampling region; wherein the infrared radiation is transmitted along a transmission path that is substantially linear, and wherein said infrared radiation source and said thermopile detector are aligned along the transmission path of said infrared radiation; and wherein the system is characterized by any of the following: (a) a process controller receives the output signal from the thermopile detector; (b) a heating element distinct from said infrared radiation source is adapted to heat at least a portion of the transmission path; (c) said transmission path comprises an inner surface characterized by a roughness in a range of from about 0.012 μm Ra to about 1.80 μm Ra; and (d) at least one gas introduction element is arranged to introduce a second gas between the infrared radiation source and the thermopile detector.