Techniques for detection of molecules in a sample using fractionization and selective capture

Inventors

Verbeck, IV, Guido Fridolin • Redmond, John • Wing, Tim • Keiser, Luke

Assignees

Inspectir Systems Inc • University of North Texas

Abstract

An exemplary analysis system may include a fractionization device configured to separate a sample into various molecules that may be introduced to a sampling chamber having a molecule collector disposed therein. The molecule detector may be configured such that molecules of interest produced during fractionization adhere to the molecule collector. A heating element may introduce heat within the sampling chamber, causing release of at least a portion of the molecules adhered to the molecule collector. An analysis device (e.g., a mass spectrometer, a terahertz (THz) spectrometer, etc.) may detect the presence of the one or more molecules of interest from among molecules produced during the fractionization and generate an output representative of the identified molecule(s) of interest. The output may include information that quantitates a concentration of the molecule(s) of interest within sample.

Core Innovation

The invention provides a rapid sample-analysis system that analyzes a sample by fractionizing it and selectively capturing molecules of interest produced via the fractionization of the sample. A sampling chamber receives fractionized molecules through an inlet coupling the sampling chamber to the fractionization device, and the sampling chamber includes a molecule collector configured to selectively capture one or more molecules of interest.

The system then releases the collected molecules by introducing heat within the sampling chamber using a heating element. After release of at least a portion of the one or more molecules of interest from the molecule collector in response to the heat, an analysis device detects a presence of at least one of the one or more molecules of interest and generates an output that indicates the presence of the at least one of the one or more molecules of interest.

The system can further purge molecules not captured by the molecule collector via an outlet and associated pump, and can use additional flow/control components such as valves and additional sampling chambers to manage how different molecule sets are introduced, released, and delivered to the analysis device. The fractionization device is described as fractionizing the sample using pyrolysis, plasma, corona discharge, or laser ablation, with tuning of fractionization parameters and selection of a molecule collector material or form factor to generate molecule signatures with reduced noise and improved selectivity while eliminating GC separation delays.

Claims Coverage

The document includes two independent claims: one directed to a system for analyzing a sample and one directed to a method for analyzing a sample. Across these independent claims, the coverage focuses on a fractionization-to-selective-capture-to-heat-release-to-detection workflow, with a purging function in the method claim and corresponding system elements in the system claim.

Overall claim coverage centers on fractionizing a sample to generate molecules, selectively capturing target molecules in a molecule collector within a sampling chamber, releasing the captured molecules by heating, purging molecules not collected, and detecting presence of the released molecules using an analysis device to generate an output.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications

No documented applications found