The present invention relates to a device for accomplishing
noise reduction in a photoacoustic
gas detector using a sound damping element and / or a background or reference
microphone where a preferably larger external volume that acts as a sound damping element (SDE) is coupled to a smaller volume through which the gas diffuses. The
coupling is accomplished in such a way that the externally generated sound
waves incident upon the photoacoustic
detector are adequately attenuated by the larger volume SDE without adversely affecting
diffusion of the gaseous species of interest through the smaller volume for measurement by the
detector. Preferably this is accomplished by
coupling the larger SDE volume to the smaller gas
diffusion volume by a long and thin pressure channel. Another photoacoustic
detector includes a measuring
system to measure the photoacoustic excitation of
analyte gas entering the photoacoustic detector, a reference
system to measure the effect of pressure
waves in the environment, and a
system for offsetting an output from the measuring system with an output from the reference system to reduce
noise resulting from pressure
waves in the environment in an output
signal of the photoacoustic detector. The present invention also relates to a device for testing the integrity of a porous member and includes a source of pressure waves and a sensor for measuring a
signal resulting from the transmittal of pressure waves from the
transmitter. The
signal is proportional to pressure losses through the porous member. The pressure losses through the porous member are, in turn, a measure of the degree to which the porous member has become clogged.