Serinus Gas Analyzer

Carbon monoxide poisoning is the most common type of fatal poisoning in many industrialized countries . Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odorless and tasteless gas caused by the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbon fuels.

Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas to the human body, when inhaled it binds to hemoglobin, myoglobin, and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase reducing oxygen storage, transport and respiration in these organelles.

The measurement of Carbon Monoxide (CO) is completed via the following principles and measurement techniques:

• Carbon monoxide absorbs infrared radiation (IR) at a wavelength near 4.7 microns
• IR radiation (at 4.7 microns) is passed through a 5 meter path length through sample air
• The strength of the signal received is proportional to the amount of Carbon monoxide in the sample as shown in the Beer Lambert Law
• A band pass filter is fitted to the signal detector to ensure only light near 4.7 microns wavelength is detected
• A gas filter correlation wheel is combined with this system in the light path. This wheel contains 3 parts to increase measurement accuracy, CO, N₂ and the mask
  • The Carbon monoxide window contains a saturation of Carbon monoxide which acts as a reference beam
  • The N₂ window does not absorb IR at 4.7 microns and is used during normal Carbon monoxide measurement
  • The mask totally blocks the light source and is used to determine background signals and the strength of other signals relative to each other and the background

Beer Lambert Law

where:
T     =  Transmittance of light through the gas to the detector
I     =  light intensity after absorption by Carbon monoxide
Io    =  light intensity at zero Carbon monoxide concentration
a     =  specific Carbon monoxide molar absorption coefficient
x     =  path length, and
C =  Carbon monoxide concentration