Patent ID: 8497683

Claim:
An apparatus for spectroscopic sample analysis, the apparatus comprising: an actively controlled heat exchanger configured for being disposed in upstream serial fluid communication with a spectroscopic analyzer; a controller communicably coupled to said heat exchanger; and said heat exchanger disposed in serial fluid communication downstream of at least one fluid handler selected from the group consisting of: a stream selection unit (SSU) including: a plurality of stream input ports; a stream output port; one or more SSU valves configured to selectively couple individual ones of said stream input ports to said stream output port; wherein said controller is configured to selectively actuate said one or more SSU valves to select and couple a stream source to the stream output port, and actuate the heat exchanger to maintain a sample of said stream source at a predetermined temperature; a solvent/standard recirculation unit (SRU) including: one or more solvent/standard reservoirs; a fluid output port respectively associated with each of said one or more reservoirs; one or more SRU valves coupled to said output ports, to selectively couple an individual one of said fluid output ports to said heat exchanger; said controller being configured to selectively actuate individual ones of the SRU valves to couple a reservoir to the heat exchanger, and actuate the heat exchanger to maintain a sample of solvent/standard at a predetermined temperature for input into the analyzer; and a return line configured to return the solvent/standard sample to the reservoirs from the analyzer; and an auto-sampling unit (ASU) including: one or more sample reservoirs configured to store one or more samples therein; a sample port respectively coupled to each of said reservoirs; said sample reservoirs each having a sample transfer pathway coupled to said sample port and extending into said reservoir; said pathway having a plurality of orifices disposed at spaced locations along a length thereof; one or more ASU valves configured to selectively couple said sample port to said heat exchanger; wherein said controller is configured to selectively actuate said one or more ASU valves to enable a sample to flow through the sample pathway to the heat exchanger, and to actuate the heat exchanger to maintain said sample at a predetermined temperature.