1. An apparatus for separating specific compounds in a gas mixture, the apparatus comprising:
a line (1) for delivering a pressure-controlled neutral carrier gas;
a sample chamber (2) of specific volume for collecting a gas mixture to be examined, the sample chamber (2) being removably connectable to the line (1) in a bypass configuration for pressurizing the gas sample before injection;
means (8) for injecting the gas sample into said line (1) when the sample chamber (2) is connected to said line (1) and pressurized by said pressure-controlled carrier gas;
a temperature-controlled separation capillary column (4) arranged to receive the gas sample injected into said line (1);
a gas sensor (5) at the outlet of the capillary column (4); and
a control interface (6) comprising means (6) for automatic control of the measurement sequence such as the sample injection, the injection and measurement time.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the exchangeable sample chamber (2) is a pre-concentrator element.
3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas sensor (5) is non-selective but highly sensitive.
4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sample chamber (2) is removably connectable in a by-pass to said line (1) by means of two valves (7, 8).
5. An apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a data control system (6) for compound recognition by automatic peak detection and relative concentration by peak area comparative calculation.
6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the capillary column’s (4) length is comprised between 1 to 5 meters, the capillary column’s (4) height is comprised between 50 to 250 micrometer, the capillary column’s (4) width is comprised between 30 to 150 micrometer.
7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the said capillary column (4) is unfilled but internally coated with a polymer.
8. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the polymer is polydimethylsiloxane.
9. An apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a miniature pumping system for generating said carrier gas from ambient air.
10. An apparatus according to claim 1, for halitosis diagnosis.
11. A method for separating specific compounds in a gas mixture, the method comprising:
delivering a pressure-controlled neutral carrier gas via a line (1);
collecting a gas mixture to be analyzed in a sample chamber (2) of specific volume, the sample chamber (2) being removably connectable in said line (1);
connecting the sample chamber (2) to said line (1) for pressurizing the sample volume;
injecting the gas sample into said line (1) during an injection time chosen between 0.5 and 3 seconds;
receiving the gas sample injected into said line (1) in a temperature-controlled separation capillary column (4) ; and
sensing the separated gas compounds at the outlet of the capillary column (4) via a highly sensitive but non-selective gas sensor (5).
12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the injection takes place in a pressure range between 0.15 to 0.5 bar.
13. A method according to claim 11, comprising generating said carrier from ambient air using a miniature pumping system.
14. A method according to claim 11, wherein compound recognition is performed by automatic peak detection and relative concentration determined by peak area comparative calculation using a data control system (6).
15. A method according to claim 11, for halitosis analysis.
16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the specific compounds detected in breath are H2S (hydrogen sulphide) andor CH2SH (methyl mercaptan) andor (CH3)2S (dimethyl sulphide),
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A pointer controlling apparatus, comprising:
(a) means for receiving position information of a pointer and determining whether the pointer has crossed over a boundary of a predetermined area from outside to inside;
(b) means for setting an operating mode of the pointer to a first control mode when a change in the position information of the pointer per unit time is less than a predetermined value, and setting the operating mode of the pointer to a second control mode when the change in the position information of the pointer per unit time is greater than or equal to the predetermined value;
(c) means for moving the pointer to a predetermined position within the predetermined area when in the first control mode and the pointer has crossed over the boundary of the predetermined area from outside to inside; and
(d) means for changing a moving distance of the pointer, when in the first control mode and the pointer is determined to exist within the predetermined area, based on the change in the position information of the pointer per unit time determined when the pointer existed outside the predetermined area.
2. A pointer controlling apparatus, comprising:
(a) means for receiving position information of a pointer and determining whether the pointer has crossed over a boundary of a predetermined area from outside to inside;
(b) means for setting an operating mode of the pointer to a first control mode when a predetermined event has not occurred, and setting the operating mode of the pointer to a second control mode when the predetermined event has occurred;
(c) means for moving the pointer to a predetermined position within the predetermined area when in the first control mode and the pointer has crossed over the boundary of the predetermined area from outside to inside; and
(d) means for changing a moving distance of the pointer, when in the first control mode and the pointer is determined to exist within the predetermined area, based on a change in the position information of the pointer per unit time determined when the pointer existed outside the predetermined area.
3. The pointer controlling apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second control mode does not change the moving distance of the pointer based on the change in the position information of the pointer per unit time regardless of the location of the pointer relative to the inside and the outside of the predetermined area.
4. The pointer controlling apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the predetermined position within the predetermined area is the center of the predetermined area.
5. The pointer controlling apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein when the pointer has crossed over the boundary of the predetermined area from outside to inside, a display in the predetermined area is emphasized.
6. The pointer controlling apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the predetermined event is at least one selected from the group comprising: a clicking operation; and a dragging operation.
7. A pointer controlling method, comprising the steps of:
(a) receiving position information of a pointer and determining whether the pointer has crossed over a boundary of a predetermined area from outside to inside;
(b) setting an operating mode of the pointer to a first control mode when a change in the position information of the pointer per unit time is less than a predetermined value, and setting the operating mode of the pointer to a second control mode when the change in the position information of the pointer per unit time is greater than or equal to the predetermined value;
(c) moving the pointer to a predetermined position within the predetermined area when in the first control mode and the pointer has crossed over the boundary of the predetermined area from outside to inside; and
(d) changing a moving distance of the pointer, when in the first control mode and the pointer is determined to exist within the predetermined area, based on the change in the position information of the pointer per unit time determined when the pointer existed outside the predetermined area.
8. A pointer controlling program executable by a computer to implement the steps comprising:
(a) receiving position information of a pointer and determining whether the pointer has crossed over a boundary of a predetermined area from outside to inside;
(b) setting an operating mode of the pointer to a first control mode when a change in the position information of the pointer per unit time is less than a predetermined value, and setting the operating mode of the pointer to a second control mode when the change in the position information of the pointer per unit time is greater than or equal to the predetermined value;
(c) moving the pointer to a predetermined position within the predetermined area when in the first control mode and the pointer has crossed over the boundary of the predetermined area from outside to inside; and
(d) changing a moving distance of the pointer, when in the first control mode and the pointer is determined to exist within the predetermined area, based on the change in the position information of the pointer per unit time determined when the pointer existed outside the predetermined area.
9. A pointer controlling apparatus, comprising:
(a) means for receiving position information of a pointer and determining whether the pointer has crossed over a boundary of a predetermined area from outside to inside;
(b) means for setting an operating mode of the pointer to a first control mode when a change in the position information of the pointer per unit time is less than a predetermined value, and setting the operating mode of the pointer to a second control mode when the change in the position information of the pointer per unit time is greater than or equal to the predetermined value;
changing a moving distance of the pointer, when in the first control mode and the pointer is determined to exist within the predetermined area, based on the change in the position information of the pointer per unit time determined when the pointer existed outside the predetermined area.
(c) means for increasing a moving distance of the pointer, when the pointer exists inside the boundary of the predetermined area and the pointer moves closer to a center of the predetermined area, based on the change in the position information of the pointer per unit time determined when the pointer existed outside the predetermined area when in the first control mode; and
(d) means for decreasing the moving distance of the pointer, when the pointer exists inside the boundary of the predetermined area and the pointer moves away from the center of the predetermined area, based on the change in the position information of the pointer per unit time determined when the pointer existed outside the predetermined area when in the first control mode.
10. A pointer controlling apparatus, comprising:
(a) means for receiving position information of a pointer and determining whether the pointer has crossed over a boundary of a predetermined area from outside to inside;
(b) means for setting an operating mode of the pointer to a first control mode when a change in the position information of the pointer per unit time is less than a predetermined value, and setting the operating mode of the pointer to a second control mode when the change in the position information of the pointer per unit time is greater than or equal to the predetermined value;
(c) means for increasing a moving distance of the pointer, when it is determined that the pointer exists inside the boundary of the predetermined area and the pointer moves closer to a center of the predetermined area, based on the change in the position information of the pointer per unit time when the pointer existed outside the predetermined area when in the first control mode; and
(d) means for suspending movement of the pointer, when in the first control mode, the pointer exists inside the boundary of the predetermined area, and the pointer moves away from the center of the predetermined area, even when change in the position information of the pointer per unit time has occurred.