摘要 |
The present invention is an improved modular cooling device for cooling gas chromatography analyte sample injectors. The invention is embodied in a series of tubes connected in fluid communication from a coolant supply valve to the injector heating block. A flexible supply tube capable of carrying coolant while maintaining structural integrity at temperatures up to about 150 DEG C., and having a low thermal conductivity is connected in fluid connection with a coolant supply at one end, and a transition tube at the other. A transition tube, in fluid communication with the supply tube at one end and with the cooling tube at the other, is selected to maintain structural integrity at temperatures up to 450 DEG C. and to have a low thermal conductivity. The cooling tube is in fluid communication with the transition tube at a receiving end and with an exhaust at an exhaust end, and has an outer surface that is physically engageable with a surface of the heating block. The cooling tube is capable of maintaining structural integrity at temperatures up to 450 DEG and has a high thermal conductivity (at least about 200 watts/meter DEG C.) to facilitate heat transfer. The cooling tube further has a flattened surface for creating a greater surface area for physical engagement with the heating block to provide greater cooling effect. |