Sample Feed Device Helium Purging Vacuum Analysis
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sample feed devices in elemental and isotope analysis fail to effectively remove air and moisture from the surface of samples, particularly powder samples, leading to reduced accuracy and sensitivity, especially for samples with low element content.
Innovation Solution
A sample feed device with a reciprocating moving part and processing system that includes helium gas purging and vacuuming, ensuring the sample is processed in a sealed transfer chamber to remove impurities before analysis, improving the accuracy and sensitivity of elemental and isotope analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sample is dropped directly into elemental analyzer from sample tray, then operation is simple and fast, but air and moisture on sample surface cannot be removed, affecting analysis accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The device segments the sample feeding process into distinct stages: sample loading in sample tray, transfer to moving rod, sealing in transfer chamber, and introduction to analyzer. This segmentation allows impurity removal operations to be performed during transfer without delaying the overall analysis process, thus improving accuracy without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The moving rod performs preliminary actions by sealing the transfer chamber and removing air and moisture from the sample surface before the sample is introduced into the elemental analyzer. This preliminary treatment ensures that when analysis begins, the sample is already prepared, improving measurement precision without adding significant operational complexity.
2Measurement precision
If high temperature baking is applied to remove moisture, then moisture removal is enhanced, but air adsorption remains and analysis background is still affected
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer chamber creates a sealed inert environment that prevents air re-adsorption on the sample surface after high temperature baking. By maintaining a controlled atmosphere during transfer, the system preserves the drying effect and prevents new contamination, thereby improving analysis sensitivity for low-content samples.
Solution Approach 2:
The moving rod acts as an intermediary carrier that transports the sample from the sample tray through the transfer chamber to the analyzer. This intermediary structure enables the sample to undergo impurity removal in a controlled environment without direct exposure to atmospheric air during transfer, effectively addressing both moisture and air contamination issues.
3Productivity
If sample transfer is performed without sealing, then transfer speed is fast, but air and moisture are continuously adsorbed, reducing detection sensitivity
Solution Approach 1:
The moving rod dynamically seals the transfer chamber during sample transfer, creating a temporary closed system. This dynamic sealing maintains sample isolation from atmospheric air and moisture during the transfer process, ensuring detection sensitivity is not compromised while still enabling efficient sample delivery to the analyzer.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device significantly enhances the accuracy and sensitivity of elemental and isotope analysis by removing adsorbed impurities, achieving a zero background analysis and improving the detection of low-content samples by an order of magnitude.
Implementation Method 1
the processing system capable of performing helium gas purging and vacuuming on the sample located in the transfer chamber
Implementation Method 2
the processing system capable of performing helium gas purging and vacuuming on the sample located in the transfer chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A sample feed device is provided, including: a body; a sample tray provided on the body; a moving part provided on the body and capable of reciprocating on the body, and the moving part provided with a transfer chamber, the transfer chamber capable of receiving a sample from the sample tray and transferring the sample to an analyzer with the movement of the moving part; a processing system provided on the body, and capable of performing helium gas purging and vacuum processing to the sample. The sample feed device may feed the sample automatically through relay transfer of the sample by the sample tray and the moving part. The processing system may perform the helium gas purging and vacuuming to the sample, which strips adsorbate on the surface of the sample by the helium gas purging, and removes the stripped adsorbate on the surface of the sample by vacuuming.