Flow cell for direct absorption spectroscopy

1. A flow cell assembly for a fluid analyzer that analyzes a sample, the flow cell comprising:

a base that includes a base window;

a cap that is secured to the base, the cap includes a cap window that is spaced apart from the base window;

a gasket that is secured to and positioned between the base and the cap, the gasket including a gasket body that includes a gasket opening; wherein the gasket body, the base and the cap cooperate to define a flow cell chamber; and wherein the base window and the cap window define a portion the flow cell chamber; wherein the gasket has a gasket thickness is less than or equal to three millimeters; wherein the gasket opening is rectangular shaped and the flow cell chamber has a rectangular shape; and

an inlet passageway into the flow cell chamber that allows the sample to be directed into the flow cell chamber; wherein the flow cell chamber has a cell cross-sectional area measured orthogonal to flow that is approximately equal to an inlet cross-sectional area of the inlet passageway measured orthogonal to the flow.

2. The flow cell assembly of claim 1 further comprising an outlet passageway into the flow cell chamber that allows the sample to exit the flow cell chamber; wherein an outlet cross-sectional area of the outlet passageway measured orthogonal to the flow is approximately equal to the cell cross-sectional area.

3. The flow cell assembly of claim 2 wherein the inlet passageway extends through at least one of the base and the cap; wherein the outlet passageway extends through at least one of the base and the cap; and wherein the windows are spaced apart along a window axis, and wherein the inlet passageway is at an angle of between approximately twenty to seventy degrees relative to window axis.

4. The flow cell assembly of claim 3 wherein the outlet passageway is at an angle of between approximately twenty to seventy degrees relative to window axis.

5. The flow cell assembly of claim 4 wherein the base includes a base aperture that is aligned with the base window, and the cap includes a cap aperture that is aligned with the cap window; and wherein the base window, the base aperture, the cap window, and the cap aperture are aligned along the window axis.

6. The flow cell assembly of claim 5 wherein the gasket thickness defines a path length of the flow cell chamber between the windows.

7. The flow cell assembly of claim 1 wherein the gasket thickness defines a path length of the flow cell chamber between the windows.

8. The flow cell assembly of claim 1 further comprising a fastener assembly that selectively attaches the cap to the base with the gasket therebetween.

9. The flow cell assembly of claim 1 wherein the flow cell chamber has a volume of less than one micro-liter.

10. A fluid analyzer that comprises the flow cell assembly of claim 1 , a light source that directs an input light beam through one of the windows into the sample in the flow cell chamber, and an optical detector assembly that receives the beam that passes through the sample; wherein the light source is a tunable laser that is tuned to different center wavelengths over time while the sample is in the flow cell chamber.

11. A system comprises the fluid analyzer of claim 10 and a pump assembly that moves the sample through the flow cell chamber; wherein the light source is tuned to different center wavelengths while the sample is flowing through the flow cell chamber.

12. The flow cell assembly of claim 1 wherein the inlet passageway extends through at least one of the base and the cap; wherein the outlet passageway extends through at least one of the base and the cap; and wherein the windows are spaced apart along a window axis, and wherein the inlet passageway is at an angle of between approximately twenty to seventy degrees relative to window axis.

13. The flow cell assembly of claim 12 wherein the outlet passageway is at an angle of between approximately twenty to seventy degrees relative to window axis.

14. The flow cell assembly of claim 13 wherein each passageway extends through the cap.

15. A fluid analyzer for analyzing a sample, the fluid analyzer comprising:

a flow cell assembly having (i) a base that includes a base window; (ii) a cap that is secured to the base, the cap includes a cap window that is spaced apart from the base window; (iii) a gasket that is secured to and positioned between the base and the cap, the gasket including a gasket body that includes a gasket opening; wherein the gasket body, the base and the cap cooperate to define a flow cell chamber; wherein the gasket opening is rectangular shaped; and wherein the base window and the cap window define a portion the flow cell chamber; and (iv) an inlet passageway into the flow cell chamber that allows the sample to be directed into the flow cell chamber; wherein the gasket has a gasket thickness that defines a path length of the flow cell chamber between the windows; wherein the gasket thickness is less than or equal to three millimeters; and wherein the flow cell chamber has a cell cross-sectional area measured orthogonal to flow that is approximately equal to an inlet cross-sectional area of the inlet passageway measured orthogonal to the flow;

a light source that directs an input light beam through one of the windows into the sample in the flow cell chamber, wherein the light source is a tunable mid-infrared laser that is tuned to different center wavelengths in the mid-infrared range over time while the sample is in the flow cell chamber; wherein the input light beam is normal to the windows; and

an optical detector assembly that receives the beam that passes through the sample.

16. The fluid analyzer of claim 15 wherein the flow cell chamber has a volume of less than one micro-liter.

17. The fluid analyzer of claim 15 wherein the flow cell chamber includes an outlet passageway into the flow cell chamber that allows the sample to exit the flow cell chamber; wherein an outlet cross-sectional area of the outlet passageway measured orthogonal to the flow is approximately equal to the cell cross-sectional area.

18. The flow cell assembly of claim 15 wherein the inlet passageway extends through at least one of the base and the cap; wherein the outlet passageway extends through at least one of the base and the cap; and wherein the windows are spaced apart along a window axis, and wherein the inlet passageway is at an angle of between approximately twenty to seventy degrees relative to window axis.

19. The flow cell assembly of claim 18 wherein the outlet passageway is at an angle of between approximately twenty to seventy degrees relative to window axis.

20. The flow cell assembly of claim 19 wherein each passageway extends through the cap.

21. A method for analyzing a sample, the method comprising:

providing a base that includes a base window;

providing a cap that includes a cap window that is spaced apart from the base window;

providing a gasket that includes a gasket body having a gasket opening; the gasket having a gasket thickness is less than or equal to three millimeters and the gasket opening is rectangular shaped;

securing the base to the cap with the gasket therebetween; wherein the gasket body, the base and the cap cooperate to define a rectangular shaped flow cell chamber; and wherein the base window and the cap window define a portion of the flow cell chamber; and

directing the sample into the flow cell chamber through an inlet passageway; wherein the flow cell chamber has a cell cross-sectional area measured orthogonal to the flow that is approximately equal to an inlet cross-sectional area of the inlet passageway measured orthogonal to the flow.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising directing an input light beam from a light source through one of the windows into the sample in the flow cell chamber, and collecting the beam that passes through the sample with an optical detector assembly, wherein the light source is a tunable mid-infrared laser that is tuned to different center wavelengths over time while the sample is in the flow cell chamber; wherein the input light beam is normal to the windows.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of providing a gasket includes the gasket thickness defining a path length of the flow cell chamber between the windows.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the flow cell chamber has a volume of less than one micro-liter.