Elemental Scientific, Inc.

Systems and methods are described for controlling flow of a purge gas introduced to an ablation cell between samples to remove atmospheric gas. A system embodiment includes, but is not limited to, a spray chamber including a spray chamber body, a transfer gas inlet configured to receive gas from a laser ablation sample cell, a first outlet line configured to transfer gas from the spray chamber to an inductively-coupled plasma torch, and a second outlet line coupled to the spray chamber body, the second gas outlet having a larger internal cross-sectional area than an internal cross-sectional area of the first outlet line; and a valve fluidically coupled to the second outlet line, the valve configured to transition between at least an open configuration configured to permit transfer gas through the second outlet line and a closed configuration configured to prevent transfer of gas through the second outlet line.

Systems and methods for collecting, transferring, and distributing fluid samples taken from multiple remote sample devices to multiple analysis systems are described. In an aspect, a system embodiment includes, but is not limited to, a plurality of remote sample devices, each remote sample device configured to draw a sample from a sample source; a distribution system fluidically coupled with each remote sample device of the plurality of remote sample devices via a transfer line; and a plurality of analysis systems fluidically coupled with the distribution system, wherein the distribution system includes a valve system having a plurality of valve clusters each of which is configured to transfer samples having a unique chemical composition to specific analysis systems of the plurality of analysis systems.

Sample preparation systems and methods are described having pump control, valve configurations, and control logic that facilitate automatic, inline preparation dilutions of a sample according to at least two dilution operating modes. A system embodiment includes, but is not limited to a first pump configured to drive a carrier fluid; a second pump configured to drive a diluent; and a plurality of selection valves fluidically coupled with the first pump and the second pump, the plurality of selection valves being configured to direct fluid flows from the first pump and the second pump according to at least two modes of operation to provide a single-stage sample dilution according to a first operating mode and to provide a dual-stage sample dilution according to a second operating mode.

Systems and methods for analyzing fluid samples containing nanoparticles for the determination of nanoparticle count and nanoparticle elemental composition are described. In an aspect, a system embodiment includes, but is not limited to, a remote sampling system configured to receive a fluid sample containing nanoparticles, the remote sampling system including a particle counter configured to determine a number of nanoparticles present in the fluid sample via light scattering detection; a sample analysis system configured to receive the fluid sample from the remote sampling system, the sample analysis system including a mass spectrometer configured to determine an elemental composition of the nanoparticles present in the fluid sample; and a system controller communicatively configured to provide a distribution of the nanoparticles in the fluid sample by specific element type based on an output from each of the mass spectrometer and the particle counter.

Systems and methods for analyzing spectrometry data for the determination of nanoparticle detection thresholds are described. In an aspect, a method embodiment includes, but is not limited to, transferring a fluid sample containing nanoparticles to a spectrometry sample analyzer; generating a spectrometry data set via the spectrometry sample analyzer associated with detected ion signal intensity over time; establishing an ionic noise data set associated with background ion signal intensity by modeling the ionic noise as an exponential curve via regression analysis with a part of a frequency-intensity histogram of the spectrometry data set; and subtracting the ionic noise data set from the spectrometry data set to obtain a nanoparticle data set.

Systems and methods are described for transferring gas from an ablation cell to an inductively coupled plasma analysis system via a gas exchange membrane transfer line to exchange gas introduced to the ablation cell with a sweep gas. A system embodiment includes, but is not limited to, a laser ablation cell configured to generate a sample transfer stream through laser ablation of a sample and introduction of a carrier gas to flow the ablated sample from the laser ablation cell; an inductively-coupled plasma analysis device configured to measure one or more analytes in the sample transfer stream; and a gas exchange membrane transfer line fluidically coupled between the laser ablation cell and the inductively-coupled plasma analysis device, the gas exchange membrane transfer line configured to replace gas in the sample transfer stream with sweep gas via gas exchange across a membrane of the gas exchange membrane transfer line.

Sample preparation systems and methods for inline autodilution of fluid samples are described. A system embodiment includes, but is not limited to, a filter probe including a probe tube, a probe fluid line, and a filter having an array of through-holes to block particulates present in a fluid sample to provide a filtered sample; a probe valve; a nebulizer valve; a plurality of fluid lines including (i) a sample line and (ii) a dilution line; a pump system; and a controller configured to access sample information associated with the fluid sample to determine a dilution factor for the fluid sample, the controller configured to change the configuration of the probe valve or the nebulizer valve based on the dilution factor to direct, via action of the pump system, the filtered sample into the dilution line prior to the sample line for fluid samples having a dilution factor greater than one.

Systems and methods are described for preventing the release of metal particles from an autosampler that could otherwise be detected within a sample during sample analysis. In an example implementation, an autosampler systems includes, but is not limited to, a sample probe support structure; a z-axis support; an outer shuttle coupled with an outer surface of the z-axis support; and an inner shuttle linearly moveable within an interior volume of the z-axis support, the inner shuttle magnetically coupled with the outer shuttle to translate linear motion of the inner shuttle to the outer shuttle.

A sample analysis system is available that can include a remote sampling system, at least one analyzer, and a controller. The remote sampling system can include a plurality of sample sources for providing a corresponding sample therefrom; and a plurality of sample collection devices selectively coupled to any of the plurality of sample sources for receiving at least one of the samples therefrom. The at least one analyzer can be coupled to the plurality of the sample collection devices for receiving at least one of the samples therefrom. The controller can be coupled with the remote sampling system and the at least one analyzer, the controller configured to control which of the sample sources is actively coupled to a given sample collection device at a given time.

Systems and methods are described to concentrate and homogenize a remote sample for analysis. A sample concentration and homogenization system embodiment includes, but is not limited to, at least a first valve, at least a first column fluidically coupled to the first valve, a flow meter fluidically coupled with the first column when the first valve is in a first flow path configuration to measure an amount of the liquid sample passed through the first column, and a homogenization valve including a sample homogenizing loop in which the concentrated sample is homogenized.