Remote biological, chemical and explosive detector

• US 20060249683A1
• Filed: 12/06/2005
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaak, Inc. (Arlo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bar-Giora Goldberg, Gioia Messinger
• Inventors: Messinger, Gioia, Goldberg, Bar-Giora
• Granted Patent: US 7,834,320 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/370.10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/7786 Fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/31 Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry G01N21/72 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/78 producing a change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/783 for analysing gases
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 31/224 for investigating presence of dangerous gases

Abstract

A distributed detector system is provided for remotely detecting agents indicating the presence of particular biological, explosive, or chemical targets. The distributed detector system may be used for security threat detection, manufacturing or environmental monitoring, or medical assaying. In the detection system, a central server or base station wirelessly communicates with a set of distributed detectors. In this way, the central server or base station is able to aggregate detection information, as well as apply additional processing and analysis to data collected at the detectors. Each detector has a reactive material, such as a silicon-polymer, that changes an optical property in the presence of a target agent. A camera is positioned to take images of the reactive material from time to time, and has local processing to determine when the reactive material has likely changed. In some cases, the detector may have sufficient processing power to classify the change according to its urgency or threat level. The detector wirelessly communications to the central server or base station, and appropriate alerts or notifications can be generated.

Claims

1. A remote detector, comprising:

a substrate member;

a reactive material disposed on the substrate;

a camera positioned to receive reflected electromagnetic radiation from the reactive materiel and to generate image data;

a processor coupled to the camera and configure to receive the image data and generate a processed signal; and

a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to transmit the processed signal.

2. The remote detector according to claim 1 further including a receiver configured to receive remote commands.

3. The remote detector according to claim 1, further including a battery.

4. The remote detector according to claim 1, wherein the reactive materiel is selected from the group consisting of:

a biologically reactive material, a chemically reactive materiel, an explosive reactive material, and a medially reactive material.

5. The remote detector according to claim 1 wherein the reactive material is selected from the group comprising:

color changing reagent, polymer, polymer coated silicon wafer, and photo-luminescent agent.

6. The remote detector according to claim 1, wherein the camera is a CCD device or a CMOS device.

7. The remote detector according to claim 1, further comprising:

an imager substrate on the camera; and

wherein the reactive material is disposed on the imager substrate.

8. A remote detecting system, comprising:

a sensor, further comprising;

a substrate member;

a reactive material disposed on the substrate;

a camera positioned to receive reflected electromagnetic radiation from the reactive materiel and to generate image data;

a processor coupled to the camera and configure to receive the image data and generate a processed signal;

a transmitter coupled to the processor arid configured to transmit the processed signal; and

a power source; and

a base station receiver further comprising;

a receiver configured to receive the processed signal; and

an output device for providing a signal indicative of the processed signal.

9. The remote detecting system according to claim 8, further including;

a transmitter in the base station configured to transmit commands; and

a receiver in the sensor configured to receive the transmitted commands.

10. The remote detecting system according to claim 8, wherein the output device is selected from the group consisting of:

a speaker, an audible alarm, an optical alarm, a lamp, a network connection, a local area transmitter, and a wide area transmitter.

11. The remote detecting system according to claim 8, wherein the base station is a portable handheld wireless device.

12. A method of generating an alert signal, comprising;

receiving at a client camera device an electromagnetic signal from a reactive materiel;

generating image data indicative of the electromagnetic signal;

processing the image data to identify a change in the reactive material;

classifying the change to determine a threat or urgency level; and

transmitting threat or urgency information to a central server.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the receiving step includes receiving the electromagnetic signal at a CCD sensor or a CMOS sensor.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the generating step includes generating an image data stream or an image data file.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the processing step includes using a DSP.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the processing step includes using a principal component analysis, pattern recognition, or image recognition process.

17. The method according to claim 12, further including classifying the threat or urgency as biological, infection, chemical, explosive, or fire.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the threat or urgency information includes at least some of the image data.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein the threat or urgency information includes the processed image data or classification.

20. A portable spectrographic device, comprising:

a material to be reacted;

a camera positioned to receive electromagnetic radiation from the reacted material and to generate image data;

a processor coupled to the camera and configure to receive the image data and generate a processed signal; and

a transmitter coupled to the processor arid configured to transmit the processed signal.