Electron capture detector operating with a scintillation crystal
View Patent ↗A detector for use with a gas chromatography device includes a column input for receiving a sample, a gas inlet for introducing a carrier gas, and a gas mixing area for mixing the sample with the carrier gas. A measurement chamber is in fluid communication with the gas mixing area and includes a gas inlet line and a gas outlet line. A scintillator crystal is positioned to interact with the mixed gases and to emit photons to generate an optical signal. A photodetector receives the optical signal and generates a corresponding electrical signal. The scintillator crystal may have an uncoated or conductive-coated outer surface. A fixing apparatus supports the scintillator crystal and/or photodetector and transmits the electrical signal to a data output line.
1 . A detector, comprising:
at least one data output line connected to an electronic mechanism;
at least one column input connected to a detector outlet column of a gas chromatography device configured to receive a sample from which the gas chromatography data is obtained;
at least one gas inlet configured to receive nitrogen gas;
at least one gas outlet configured to evacuate gas from the detector;
at least one gas mixing area for mixing gas received by the at least one column input from the detector outlet column, and configured to mix nitrogen gas received from the at least one gas inlet;
at least one radioactive measurement chamber;
at least one gas inlet line for transferring gas from the at least one gas mixing area, to said at least one radioactive measurement chamber;
at least one radioactive or non-radioactive light emitting source;
at least one shielding material that prevents gases from exiting at least one shielding area;
at least one gas outlet line for gas to exit from said at least one radioactive measurement chamber;
at least one outlet chamber configured to evacuate gas from the at least one gas outlet line;
a first power source;
a photodetector unit;
wherein the detector further comprises at least one scintillator crystal, configured to receive a current applied by the first power source and which interacts with mixed gases in the at least one radioactive measurement chamber, wherein the at least one scintillator crystal allows the formation of an optical signal by emitting photons which have specific emission wavelengths as the photons interact with the gases and as a result of current applied to the photodetector unit or without the application of current;
wherein the at least one scintillator crystal either has an uncoated outer surface, or has an outer surface coated with a conductive coating, wherein the outer surface has a predetermined thickness for obtaining the electrical signal formed on the surface of the at least one scintillator crystal, as well as an optical signal; wherein the outer surface prevents corrosion that would occur thereon and separates low energy electrons from the optical signal;
at least one fixing apparatus that carries data from the optical signal coming from a fiber optic cable inside said at least one scintillator crystal, or the data from the optical signal detected with said photodetector placed on the surface of the at least one scintillator crystal, and fixed to the scintillator crystal, and transfers the electrical data from the scintillator crystal to the data output line.
2 . The detector according to claim 1 , wherein the detector comprises YAP(Ce) or YAG(Ce) or LYSO or CdWO4 and NaI(TI) or CaF 2 scintillator crystals.
3 . The detector according to claim 2 , wherein the detector comprises a conductive coating, wherein the conductive coating is a metal with a high conductivity.
4 . The detector according to claim 3 , wherein the detector comprises a conductive coating which has a thickness of 100 nm.
5 . The detector according to claim 3 , wherein the metal with a high conductivity is selected from group consisting of gold, platinum, and silver.