Title:
INSTRUMENT AND METHOD FOR DETECTING LEAKS IN HERMETICALLY SEALED PACKAGING
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO2006076110
Kind Code:
A3
Abstract:
An instrument (10) for detecting leaks in a hermetically sealed package (100). The instrument (10) includes (i) a hollow needle (20), (ii) a mass flow rate sensor (70) in sealed fluid communication with the lumen defined by the hollow needle (20), and (iii) a vacuum pump (60). The vacuum pump (60) is in fluid communication with the lumen defined by the needle (20) for evacuating gas (102) from the hermetically sealed package (100), and in fluid communication with the mass flow rate sensor (70) for directing mass flow from the evacuated package (100) into operable contact with the mass flow rate sensor (70) so as to permit sensing of any continuing mass flow from the evacuated package (100). The instrument (10) may further include an oxygen sensor (40) in sealed fluid communication with the lumen defined by the hollow needle (20) for analyzing the oxygen concentration of the gas (102) within the hermetically sealed package (100).
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Inventors:
MAYER DANIEL W (US)
ASCHEMAN TIMOTHY A (US)
ASCHEMAN TIMOTHY A (US)
Application Number:
PCT/US2005/045133
Publication Date:
September 14, 2006
Filing Date:
December 13, 2005
Export Citation:
Assignee:
MOCON INC (US)
MAYER DANIEL W (US)
ASCHEMAN TIMOTHY A (US)
MAYER DANIEL W (US)
ASCHEMAN TIMOTHY A (US)
International Classes:
G01M3/00; G01M3/34; G01N1/00; G01N1/10; G01N1/22
Foreign References:
| US5212993A | 1993-05-25 |
Other References:
ARNDT G.W.: "Examination of Containers for Integrity", vol. CHAP 22C, January 2001, article "Bacteriological Analytical Manual Online U.S. Food & Drug Administration (Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition)", XP003002346
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