System, apparatus, and method for monitoring organic compounds in a gas environment

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and micro monitor apparatus, a space-, time-, and cost-efficient device to concentrate, identify, and quantify organic compounds in gas environments. The invention further relates to a method centered on gas chromatography for identifying and quantifying organic compounds in gas environments, using air as the carrier gas, without the need for a compressed pre-bottled purified carrier gas.

1 . A system for analyzing a gas mixture, comprising:
 a filter;   a trap;   a chromatographic column;   a detector; and   a pump,
 wherein the trap and the pump are fluidly connected to form a first gas flow path, and 
 wherein the filter, the trap, the chromatographic column, the detector, and the pump, are fluidly connected to form a second gas flow path. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the detector and the pump are fluidly connected to form a third gas flow path. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the chromatographic column is selected from the group consisting of a gas-solid adsorption chromatographic column, and a gas-liquid gas chromatography column. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the trap further comprises an adsorbent material. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the filter is an activated charcoal filter. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the detector is selected from the group consisting of a photo ionization detector, a mass spectrometer, a spectrophotometer, and a thermal conductivity detector. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the detector is a photo ionization detector. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the pump provides negative pressure. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a housing. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the housing is no larger than 216 cubic inch. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is capable of detecting chemical compounds with a sensitivity of parts-per-trillion. 
     
     
         12 . A method of analyzing at least one chemical compound in a gas mix, the method comprising:
 directing flow of the gas mix through a trap to concentrate at least a quantity of the chemical compound;   redirecting flow of the gas mix through a filter to provide a filtered gas flow to the trap;   releasing at least a quantity of the concentrated chemical compound into the filtered gas flow; and   analyzing at least a quantity of the released concentrated chemical compound;   wherein the direction of flow of the gas mix through the trap is opposite the direction of flow of filtered gas through the trap.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one chemical compound comprises at least one organic compound. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one organic compound comprises at least one volatile organic compound. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein analysis of at least a quantity of the released concentrated chemical compound comprises running at least a quantity of the released concentrated chemical compound through a gas chromatography column. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the gas chromatography column is selected from the group consisting of a gas-solid adsorption chromatographic column, and a gas-liquid gas chromatography column. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein analysis of at least a quantity of the released concentrated chemical compound comprises identifying the organic compound by a method selected from the group consisting of photo ionization, mass spectrometry, spectrophotometry, and thermal conductivity. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising quantifying the chemical compound. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the gas mix is an environmental gas mix. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the gas mix comprises gases exhaled or otherwise originating from a human subject. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the gas mix is air.