SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Picarro, Inc. has debuted a
unique ultra-trace gas analyzer for precisely measuring Isotopic CO2, a
marker of the type of CO2 and its origin. The instrument is based on cavity
ring down spectroscopy (CRDS) technology exclusively licensed from Stanford
University, and further enhanced at Picarro.
Picarro's CRDS analyzers deliver parts-per-billion to
parts-per-trillion gas sensitivity at high speed and without interference
to meet the requirements of the most demanding applications. The Isotopic
CO2 application was originally developed for the Los Alamos National
Laboratory where the instruments are used to study CO2 ratios and
concentration in plants and the atmosphere.
"Fast response, continuous isotope measurement systems allow us to
better understand CO2 flow through ecosystems, water usage, the
biochemistry of plants, and in a multitude of other temporal and spatial
studies," says Dr. Nate McDowell, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Division, Atmospheric and Environmental Dynamics Group, Los Alamos National
Laboratory.
"Many studies of plant, ecosystem and global carbon and water cycling
are based on a number of assumptions because we could never before analyze
stable isotopes of CO2 or water rapidly and continuously. With this
analyzer, we can get fast and continuous results which will allow studies
to be based on facts."
Additional applications for Isotopic CO2 systems include monitoring of
carbon sequestration programs and measuring mud-gas samples collected
during the natural gas exploration process. Carbon sequestration is a
process of capturing carbon emissions from power plants, compressing them,
and putting them underground instead of into the atmosphere. Mud-gas
analysis is done to help energy service providers pinpoint the quality and
potential quantity of natural gases.
The new analyzer incorporates a platform first introduced by Picarro in
2005. It measures single spectral features in a compact flow cell with an
effective path length of up to 12 kilometers which produces huge advantages
in sensitivity, selectivity, precision, and data quality. It is an
exceptionally rugged analyzer, making it ideal for deployment in any
environment. The instruments are essentially drift and maintenance free,
and require no consumables, potentially offering significant ease of use
and cost of ownership benefits for customers.
"Picarro's CRDS analyzers are an emerging platform for trace isotopic
measurements, particularly for scientists who wish to measure closer to the
point of sample origin," says Michael Woelk, President and CEO of Picarro.
"Compared to isotopic ratio mass spectrometers, our instruments are
considerably smaller, exceptionally simple to run, and inexpensive to
operate. We designed our instruments to run unattended for days on end in
some pretty remote locations making them an ideal solution for both
field-based and laboratory-based applications."
The Picarro analyzer for Isotopic CO2 was first demonstrated to the
public at the American Geophysical Union meeting in fall of 2007. It was
shown at The IFPAC Annual Meeting on Process Technology in Baltimore, MD
from January 27-30, 2008 and will be shown at PITTCON, in New Orleans, LA
from March 3-6, 2008.
Picarro, Inc. is a privately held company dedicated to developing
instrumentation for the precise measurement and identification of specific
molecules of interest to environmental and atmospheric scientists,
geophysicists, and others monitoring the effects of global warming and
change. The company is a leader in cavity ring down spectroscopy (CDRS)
technology with eight exclusive licenses to Stanford University patents and
nine of its own on CDRS extensions. Visit us at http://www.picarro.com.
Contact: Tania Pashkevich
(408) 962.3937
tpashkevich@picarro.com
SOURCE Picarro, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.picarro.com
CONTACT:
Tania Pashkevich of Picarro, +1-408-962-3937,
tpashkevich@picarro.com
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