Contaminant identification and concentration determination by monitoring the intensity of the output of an intracavity laser
US5991032A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 2, 1998 |
| Grant date | Nov 23, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 2, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N21/39
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method and apparatus for detecting the presence of a specific concentration of gaseous species within a calibrated range in a gas sample are disclosed. The ILS gas detection system of the present invention simply comprises an ILS laser and an optical detector. However, the potential or operational wavelength bandwidth of the ILS laser is preferably entirely included within one of the absorption bands or regions assigned to the intracavity gaseous species being monitored. Thus, within the calibrated range, the presence of the gaseous species changes the output laser intensity of the ILS laser. Consequently, only the intensity of the output of the ILS laser need be monitored in order to quantitatively determine the concentration of the absorbing gaseous species when using the ILS method of the present invention.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.