Method of sampling and analyzing biocidal gas from a reaction chamber

Claim 1

A method of determining the composition and concentration of a biocidal gas present in a reaction chamber during processing of material contained in the chamber and exposed to the biocidal gas, said method comprising the steps of covering a valved, fixed-volume, reuseable gas sampling vessel having an interior with an enveloping jacket as an insulating layer therefor, evacuating said vessel, placing the evacuated vessel within a reaction chamber containing articles to be processed, providing a remotely operable valve control means accessible outside of the reaction chamber, coupling said remotely operable valve control means to the valve of said sampling vessel in the reaction chamber for selectively manipulating the valve, closing the reaction chamber and introducing article-treating biocidal gas thereinto for processing material contained in the chamber, establishing gaseous flow communication between the interior of said evacuated sampling vessel and the reaction chamber by manipulating the valve of said valved vessel through said remotely operable valve control means to open the valve, holding the valve in an open position for a finite time period sufficient to allow a gaseous atmosphere present in the reaction chamber to diffuse into and to fill said sampling vessel and to establish equilibrium between gases in said sampling vessel and in said chamber, closing the valve of said valved gas sampling vessel to trap and to seal therewithin an aliquot of the gaseous atmosphere present in said reaction chamber, retrieving the gas-filled sampling vessel from said reaction chamber, and analyzing the gas contained in said vessel.

Claim 2

A method of determining the composition and concentration of a biocidal gas present in a reaction chamber during processing of material contained in the chamber and exposed to the biocidal gas, said method comprising the steps of covering a valved, fixed-volume, reuseable gas sampling vessel having an interior with an enveloping jacket as an insulating layer therefor, evacuating said vessel, placing the evacuated vessel within a reaction chamber containing articles to be processed, providing a remotely operable valve control means accessible outside of the reaction chamber, coupling said remotely operable valve control means to the valve of said sampling vessel in the reaction chamber for selectively manipulating the valve, closing the reaction chamber and introducing article-treating biocidal gas thereinto for processing material contained in the chamber, establishing gaseous flow communication between the interior of said evacuated sampling vessel and the reaction chamber by manipulating the valve of said valved vessel through said remotely operable valve control means to open the valve, holding the valve in an open position for a finite time period sufficient to allow a gaseous atmosphere present in the reaction chamber to diffuse into and to fill said sampling vessel and to establish equilibrium between gases in said sampling vessel and in said chamber, closing the valve of said valved gas sampling vessel to trap and to seal therewithin an aliquot of the gaseous atmosphere present in said reaction chamber, retrieving the gas-filled sampling vessel from said reaction chamber, and analyzing the gas contained in said vessel.