Chemical sensing device
Inventors
WELING, Aniruddha • Lawrence, Tyson • Mahmud, Ken • Burgess, James • Krasnobaev, Leonid • Lahann, Joerg
Assignees
Publication Number
US-10466149-B2
Publication Date
2019-11-05
Expiration Date
2034-08-05
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Abstract
A chemical sensing system includes a substrate material, a detector capable of indicating a presence of a target compound, gas, or vapor, and a heater for rapidly releasing compounds, gases and vapors from the substrate material. The substrate material acts to concentrate the compounds, gases, and vapors from a sample area for improved detection by the detector.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a chemical sensing system comprising a substrate material, a detector capable of indicating the presence of a target compound, gas, or vapor, and a heater for rapidly releasing compounds, gases, and vapors from the substrate material. The substrate is designed to concentrate compounds, gases, and vapors from a sample area, thereby improving the detection capability of the detector. The substrate can have specific resistivity and magnetic permeability properties, may be coated with a polymer containing various aromatic or aliphatic backbones, and can be incorporated within a cartridge with reversibly sealable openings.
The system further comprises a sample collector with a holder for the preconcentrator and an air suction pump to draw air through the preconcentrator, enabling the substrate to capture the target chemical species. The captured species are subsequently released rapidly by heating, especially via an induction heater, to concentrate the chemicals for improved detection. The device addresses the need for enhanced detection of trace amounts of volatile organic compounds, chemical warfare agents, explosives, and other compounds in various environments.
The patent details methods for collecting particles and vapors in the preconcentrator, heating the substrate to release the collected substances, and then detecting the chemicals with a sensing system. The system can be portable or fixed, with interchangeability between the collecting and detecting units, and may utilize coatings to selectively increase affinity for specific target compounds while discriminating against common interferents such as water and non-target vapors.
Claims Coverage
The patent contains four independent claims, each describing a principal inventive feature related to a preconcentrator, method, sample collector, and system.
Preconcentrator with coated substrate having specific resistivity and permeability characteristics
A preconcentrator including: - A cartridge. - A coated substrate enclosed within the cartridge, where the substrate has a resistivity of about 105 ohm-meters (Ω·m) to about 10−7 Ω·m and magnetic permeability of greater than about 1×10−4 H/m. - The coated substrate comprises a polymer having a backbone containing benzene, toluene, xylene, cyclohexane, dimethylcyclohexane, ethylcyclohexane, or combinations thereof.
Method for detecting a chemical using a coated, magnetically permeable substrate
A method comprising: 1. Collecting particles and gases in a preconcentrator comprising a cartridge and a coated substrate enclosed therein, with the substrate having a resistivity of about 105 ohm-meters (Ω·m) to about 10−7 Ω·m and magnetic permeability greater than about 1×10−4 H/m. 2. Heating the substrate to release the particles and gases. 3. Detecting the chemical, where the coated substrate comprises a polymer having a backbone containing benzene, toluene, xylene, cyclohexane, dimethylcyclohexane, ethylcyclohexane, or combinations thereof.
Sample collector with preconcentrator, housing, and airflow system
A sample collector comprising: - A preconcentrator with a coated substrate having a resistivity of about 105 ohm-meters (Ω·m) to about 10−7 Ω·m and magnetic permeability greater than about 1×10−4 H/m. - A sample collector housing having a preconcentrator holder sized to reversibly receive the preconcentrator. - An air suction pump operably connected to the sample collector housing and configured to produce air flow through the preconcentrator. - The coated substrate includes a polymer backbone as described in the first inventive feature.
System integrating sample collector, preconcentrator, induction heater, and detector
A system comprising: - A sample collector with a preconcentrator (as described above) and a sample collector housing having a preconcentrator holder. - A detector with a housing having an access port sized to reversibly receive the preconcentrator. - An induction heater within the detector housing, configured to heat the preconcentrator. - A sensing system connected to the access port, positioned to receive desorbed gases from the preconcentrator when it is received by the detector. - The coated substrate comprises a polymer backbone as described in preceding features.
The inventive features cover a preconcentrator with a specifically designed coated substrate, a method for chemical detection using this component, a sample collector for effective sample acquisition, and a system that brings together collection, concentration, heating, and detection functionalities. All features include the coated substrate with specific electrical and magnetic properties for enhanced chemical sensing.
Stated Advantages
The substrate and coating allow for rapid heating and desorption, enabling fast release of analytes from the substrate for detection.
The system achieves improved concentration of target compounds, gases, and vapors, enhancing detection sensitivity.
Low power consumption of the induction heating enables operation with small batteries and high portability.
The coated substrates are reusable for multiple cycles with stable coating performance and low outgassing at high temperatures.
The coating provides selective affinity for target analytes and discrimination against common interferents, improving selectivity and signal quality.
The system components are easily replaceable and have low maintenance and usage costs.
Documented Applications
Detection of trace amounts of volatile organic compounds, including warfare gas stimulants, explosives, and compounds in mouth breath.
Use with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) detectors such as ion mobility spectrometry (IMS), differential mobility spectrometry (DMS), and mass spectrometry (MS).
Selective detection of explosives including TNT and DNT, and improvement of selectivity in environments with secondhand smoke and gasoline exhaust.
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