Patent ID: 7976780

Claim:
An apparatus for measuring the isotopic characteristics of a sample, the apparatus comprising: a thermal extraction device adapted to differentiate the sample's components through volatization by progressive temperature elevation of the sample over a period of time, the thermal extraction device being capable of differentiating a solid, a semi-solid, and a liquid sample and producing vapour or gas sample components; a reactant tube configured to accept the sample components from the output of the thermal extraction device and also adapted to contain and convert the sample components; a combustion furnace configured such that the reactant tube passes through the combustion furnace, the combustion furnace adapted to combust the differentiated sample components in the reactant tube as they pass through; a laser isotopic measurement device coupled to the reactant tube on the exit end and adapted to measure the isotopic characteristics of the sample; and wherein the sample is transportable through the apparatus by a carrier gas.