Tamper-resistant chemical sampling

• US 10,371,607 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2015
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Original Assignee: Bettelle Memorial Institute
• Inventors: Williams, Pax T., Seibert, Jr., David C., Sullivan, Edward J., O'Donnell, Thomas S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hixson, Christopher Adam
• Application Number:
  US15/321,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20170131186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,504 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/082 Handling hazardous material
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/141 Preventing contamination, tampering
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/023 Sending and receiving of information, e.g. using bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/024 Storing results with means integrated into the container
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/025 Displaying results or values with integrated means
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/069 Absorbents; Gels to retain a fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/16 Surface properties and coatings
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/508 rigid containers not provided for above
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2214 by sorption
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2273 Atmospheric sampling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/007 Devices specially adapted for forensic samples, e.g. tamper-proofing, sample tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/021 Correlating sampling sites with geographical information, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/027 field kits / quick test kits

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses are disclosed for a tamper-resistant collection and retention a chemical sample. In one embodiment, the tamper-resistant system comprises a container operable to collect and retain a chemical sample, a tamper-resistant mechanism operable to disengage at a first chemical sample to allow for a collection of a chemical sample, wherein the tamper-resistant mechanism is operable to record one or more of: a date, a time, and a location, of the chemical sample during the collection of the chemical sample, and wherein the tamper-resistant mechanism is further operable to re-engage and lock after the collection of the chemical sample to resist subsequent chemical samples after the first chemical sampling.

Claims

1. A tamper-resistant system for chemical sampling, comprising:

a container operable to collect and retain a chemical sample; and

a tamper-resistant mechanism, the tamper-resistant mechanism being operable to;

disengage at a first chemical vapor sampling to allow for a collection of a chemical vapor sample after disengagement;

record one or more of;

a date, a time, and a location of the chemical sample during the collection of the chemical sample; and

re-engage and lock to resist subsequent chemical samples after the first chemical sampling, wherein the tamper-resistant mechanism further comprises a slide lock and a twist mechanism, the slide lock being configured to actuate to allow rotation of the twist mechanism, and the twist mechanism being configured to rotate to disengage the slide lock to allow the chemical sample to be drawn through a calibrated orifice into an interior of the container, wherein the calibrated orifice is on the twist mechanism.

2. The system of claim 1, the container comprising a durable material, the durable material being:

non-reactive with one or more of a chemical warfare agent and a toxic industrial chemical; and

capable of retaining a chemical sample within the container after a drop shock sustained by dropping the container from a height of at least about 2 meters onto a concrete surface.

3. The system of claim 1, one or more of:

an interior of the container comprising a passivated stainless steel configured to collect the chemical sample including one or more of;

a volatile chemical vapor sample, and a non-volatile chemical sample; and

an exterior of the container comprising a surface treatment, the surface treatment being one or more of;

formed on the exterior of the container by one or more of;

abrasion, chemical reaction; and

coating, and

operable to accept and retain one or more of;

an inked-based marking, a pigment based marking, a paint-based marking, graphite or charcoal-based marking, a wax-based marking, an abrasive-based marking, and an impact based marking.

4. The system of claim 1, comprising within the container a chemical sample collector comprising one or more of:

a solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME), the SPME comprising a fiber coated with an extracting phase for collecting the chemical sample, the extracting phase comprising one or more of;

a sorbent liquid, a sorbent solid, and a sorbent polymer; and

a sorbent tube, the sorbent tube comprising one or more of;

an activated charcoal, a silica gel, and a porous polymer resin.

5. The system of claim 1, comprising a chemical detector on a chip within the container, the chemical detector on a chip being configured to detect one or more of a presence and a concentration of a chemical.

6. The system of claim 5, the chemical detected by the chemical detector on a chip comprising one or more of:

a vesicant, the vesicant comprising one or more of;

phosgene oxime (CX);

ethyldichloroarsine (ED);

methyldichloroarsine (MD);

phenyldichloroarsine (PD);

lewisite (L);

mustard gas (HD); and

nitrogen mustard (HN);

a nerve agent, the nerve agent comprising or more of;

tabun (GA);

sarin (GB);

soman (GD);

cyclosarin (GF);

a V-Agent; and

a Novichok agent;

a blood agent, the blood agent comprising one or more of;

cyanogen chloride (CK) and hydrogen cyanide (AC);

a lachrymator;

a choking agent, the choking agent comprising one or more of;

chlorine gas (Cl2);

chloropicrin (PS);

diphosgene (DP);

phosgene (CG);

disulfur decafluoride;

perfluoroisobutene;

acrolein; and

diphenylcyanoarsine; and

a toxic industrial chemical (TIC), the TIC comprising one or more of;

ammonia (NH₃), chlorine (Cl₂), fluorine (F₂), formaldehyde (CH₂O), hydrogen bromide (HBr), hydrogen chloride (HCl), hydrogen fluoride (HF), hydrogen cyanide (AC), nitric acid (HNO₃), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), phosgene (CG), hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄), and sulfur dioxide (SO₂).

7. The system of claim 1, the tamper-resistant mechanism further comprising an indicator configured to indicate a status of one or more of the disengagement and the chemical sampling, the indicator comprising one or more of:

a text-based status indicator, a color-based status indicator, a tactile status indicator, an audible status indicator, and a graphic-based status indicator.

8. The system of claim 1, the tamper-resistant mechanism further comprising a timing chip operable to automatically assign and store a first date-time group (DTG) upon disengagement of the tamper-resistant mechanism.

9. The system of claim 8, the system further comprising a global positioning system (GPS) operatively connected to the tamper resistant mechanism, the GPS being configured to:

receive a GPS satellite signal and record a global coordinate for a location of the chemical sample; and

record a second DTG upon recording the global coordinate.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein with respect to the GPS, one or more of:

the system being configured to automatically;

record a first DTG associated with a first time upon collection of the chemical sample; and

record the second DTG associated with a second time upon recording the global coordinate;

the GPS further comprising a GPS button configured to acquire or attempt to acquire the GPS satellite signal, or attempts to acquire the GPS satellite signal, to assign and record the global coordinate associated with the chemical sample, and wherein the global coordinate and the second DTG are automatically assigned and recorded when the GPS acquires the GPS satellite signal;

the GPS further comprising one or more indicator lights configured to indicate one or more of acquisition of the GPS satellite signal and recordation of the global coordinate; and

the GPS being configured to automatically attempt to acquire the GPS satellite signal at a fixed or irregular interval; and

the tamper resistant chemical sampling system being configured to record one or more attempt DTGs for each unsuccessful GPS satellite signal acquisition attempt.

11. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising a memory, the memory being operable to store data related to one or more of:

a chemical data associated with a chemical detection by a chemical detector on chip;

a first DTG data associated with a chemical sample collection time;

GPS and global coordinate data associated with a collection location of the chemical sample;

a second DTG associated with an acquisition of a GPS satellite signal by a GPS and a recordation of the global coordinate data;

one or more attempt DTGs associated with each of one or more attempts by the GPS to acquire the GPS satellite signal, and a temperature data associated with a temperature within the container.

12. The system of claim 11, the system further comprising a tamper-resistant data transfer device for transferring data stored on the memory to a data receiving device external to the container.

13. The system of claim 12, the tamper-resistant data transfer device comprising a radio frequency identification (RFID) device.

14. The system of claim 1, the system being further operable to collect and retain one or more of:

a biological sample, an isotope, a radiological sample, and a fissile material.

15. A tamper-resistant apparatus for chemical sampling, the apparatus comprising:

(1) a stainless steel canister configured to retain a chemical sample, the stainless steel canister comprising an outer surface and an inner surface;

the outer surface comprising a surface treatment configured to provide one or more of;

an increased friction between the outer surface and another surface, a mark-able surface configured to accept and retain a marking; and

the inner surface being passivated to reduce a chemical reactivity between the stainless steel canister and the chemical sample;

(2) a tamper-resistant mechanism, the tamper-resistant mechanism being operable to collect, retain, and protect the chemical sample from tampering, the tamper-resistant mechanism comprising;

a slide lock, the slide lock operable to resist rotation of a twist mechanism;

a twist mechanism the twist mechanism being operable to rotate from a closed position to an open position effective to allow the chemical sample to pass into an interior of the stainless steel canister through a calibrated orifice, wherein the calibrated orifice is on the twist mechanism;

an electronic device operable to generate a first DTG data associated with a collection time of the chemical sample;

a GPS device operable to;

acquire a GPS satellite signal and generate a global coordinate data associated with a location of the chemical sample;

assign and record a second DTG data associated with an acquisition time of the GPS satellite signal by the GPS; and

record one or more attempt DTG data associated with a time for each attempt by the GPS device to acquire the GPS satellite signal;

a memory operable to store one or more of;

the first DTG data, the global coordinate data, the second DTG data, the attempt DTG data, chemical data associated with a chemical sample detected by a chemical detector on a chip, temperature data, and a fault code;

an RFID device operable to wirelessly transfer one or more data stored on the memory to a data receiving device external to the container; and

(3) an extractor operatively connected to the calibrated orifice and operable to extract one or more analytes from the chemical sample, the extractor comprising gone or more of;

a SPME fiber, a glass tube, a chemical detector on chip, a polymer, and a sorbent.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, one or more of:

the twist mechanism further comprising one or more of;

a fluted knob, a spoked knob, a scalloped knob, a winged knob, a tee knob, a skirted knob, an armed knob, and a lobed knob; and

the GPS device further comprising a switch, the switch being operable upon actuation to cause one or more of;

acquiring of the GPS satellite signal, attempting to acquire the GPS satellite signal, and recording a global coordinate data.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, one or more of:

the tamper-resistant mechanism further comprising a visual indicator configured to indicate an open and closed position of the twist mechanism; and

the GPS devices further comprising one or more indicator lights configured to indicate one or more of;

operation of the GPS device, acquisition of the GPS satellite signal by the GPS device, and recordation of the global coordinate data.