Patents by Inventor Douglas A. Meece

Douglas A. Meece has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9347965
    Abstract: A chemical autosampler is disclosed having a main control unit with a processing circuit that communicates with various electronic modules using wireless communications signals, which allows for easy expansion of the capabilities of the basic autosampler unit. The main control unit resides on a longitudinal rail module that allows many various accessory modules to be physically mounted to the rail. There is a head module that includes the sampling syringe, and also includes transport motors that allow the head module to move in three axes. The head module includes its own processing circuit to control various solenoids and valves to properly move liquids and gasses for the sampling procedures, and to control the various transport motors. The autosampler also includes a control routine to automatically detect and calibrate the position of each of the accessory modules that are installed by a user on the rail module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: EST Analytical, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas A. Meece, Richard C. Kirkland
  • Patent number: 8850905
    Abstract: An automated sampler for sampling contaminants that are dissolved in water. An empty, sealed first vial is placed at a first sampling station with a dual-port needle, and a mechanical syringe pump displaces a programmable volume of gas from the first vial. A sealed second vial having a field sample of water with dissolved contaminants, typically without a headspace region, is placed at a second sampling station, with a dual-port needle. The syringe pump extracts an aqueous volume from the second vial, then transfers the aqueous volume into the first vial. This is all done without exposing the field sample to any external gasses or other compounds, and without opening the seal of the field sample to atmosphere. The sample in the first vial is heated, and an aliquot of headspace from the first vial is then injected into an analyzer device for identification and quantification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: EST Analytical, Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas A. Meece
  • Publication number: 20130233094
    Abstract: An automated sampler for sampling contaminants that are dissolved in water. An empty, sealed first vial is placed at a first sampling station with a dual-port needle, and a mechanical syringe pump displaces a programmable volume of gas from the first vial. A sealed second vial having a field sample of water with dissolved contaminants, typically without a headspace region, is placed at a second sampling station, with a dual-port needle. The syringe pump extracts an aqueous volume from the second vial, then transfers the aqueous volume into the first vial. This is all done without exposing the field sample to any external gasses or other compounds, and without opening the seal of the field sample to atmosphere. The sample in the first vial is heated, and an aliquot of headspace from the first vial is then injected into an analyzer device for identification and quantification.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Inventor: Douglas A. Meece
  • Patent number: 8092744
    Abstract: A purge and trap concentrator system that includes a sparge vessel, and includes a variable gas flow valve for controlling the gas pressure in an analytic trap or the sparge vessel; a sensor that detects both a foaming sample state and a high liquid level in the sparge vessel, using one optical sensor; a control scheme that re-directs the purge gases to a second inlet of the sparge vessel during a foaming condition; a control scheme that uses a split flow to enhance the quantity of sample gases passed from an analytic trap; an electrically powered thermal energy source with a fan raising the sparge vessel temperature via thermal convection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: EST Analytical, Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas A. Meece
  • Patent number: 8075842
    Abstract: A purge and trap concentrator system that includes a sparge vessel, and includes a variable gas flow valve for controlling the gas pressure in an analytic trap or the sparge vessel; a sensor that detects both a foaming sample state and a high liquid level in the sparge vessel, using one optical sensor; a control scheme that re-directs the purge gases to a second inlet of the sparge vessel during a foaming condition; a control scheme that uses a split flow to enhance the quantity of sample gases passed from an analytic trap; an electrically powered thermal energy source with a fan raising the sparge vessel temperature via thermal convection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: EST Analytical, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas A. Meece, Richard C. Kirkland
  • Patent number: 8062905
    Abstract: A purge and trap concentrator system that includes a sparge vessel, and includes a variable gas flow valve for controlling the gas pressure in an analytic trap or the sparge vessel; a sensor that detects both a foaming sample state and a high liquid level in the sparge vessel, using one optical sensor; a control scheme that re-directs the purge gases to a second inlet of the sparge vessel during a foaming condition; a control scheme that uses a split flow to enhance the quantity of sample gases passed from an analytic trap; an electrically powered thermal energy source with a fan raising the sparge vessel temperature via thermal convection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: EST Analytical, Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas A. Meece
  • Patent number: 7951609
    Abstract: A purge and trap concentrator system that includes a sparge vessel, and includes a variable gas flow valve for controlling the gas pressure in an analytic trap or the sparge vessel; a sensor that detects both a foaming sample state and a high liquid level in the sparge vessel, using one optical sensor; a control scheme that re-directs the purge gases to a second inlet of the sparge vessel during a foaming condition; a control scheme that uses a split flow to enhance the quantity of sample gases passed from an analytic trap; an electrically powered thermal energy source with a fan raising the sparge vessel temperature via thermal convection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: EST Analytical, Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas A. Meece
  • Patent number: 7803635
    Abstract: A purge and trap concentrator system that includes a sparge vessel, and includes a variable gas flow valve for controlling the gas pressure in an analytic trap or the sparge vessel; a sensor that detects both a foaming sample state and a high liquid level in the sparge vessel, using one optical sensor; a control scheme that re-directs the purge gases to a second inlet of the sparge vessel during a foaming condition; a control scheme that uses a split flow to enhance the quantity of sample gases passed from an analytic trap; an electrically powered thermal energy source with a fan raising the sparge vessel temperature via thermal convection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: EST Analytical, Inc
    Inventor: Douglas A. Meece