Gas Scanning and Analysis

• US 20100058833A1
• Filed: 11/18/2009
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RF Science & Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pindi Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Harra, David James, Sanner, Rick Eugene, Iverson, Mark Norman
• Granted Patent: US 8,259,299 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/23.350
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/05 Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves impedance plethysmography A61B5/0295; measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0507 using microwaves or terahertz waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance

Abstract

Systems and methods for scanning and analyzing characteristics of a gas sample utilizing electromagnetic radiation are disclosed. More particularly, the systems and methods utilize an electromagnetic radiation source connected to a transmitter and an analyzer connected to a receiver. A sample gas volume to be analyzed is placed between the transmitter and receiver and a frequency sweep of electromagnetic radiation is transmitted through the sample to create a series of spectral data sets, which are developed into a composite spectrogram by the analyzer and processed to determine the one or more characteristics of the sample. A magnetic field can alternatively be applied around the transmitter, receiver and sample to enhance some characteristic analysis applications and to make other characteristic analysis applications possible.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a gas sample using a gas sample scanning and analysis system including a storage system, comprising the steps of:

scanning the gas sample with a gas scanning apparatus, the gas scanning apparatus including a transmitter for transmitting a series of electromagnetic signals, each of the signals having a transmitted amplitude over a plurality of sample points within a range of frequencies, and a receiver for receiving the series of signals as the series of signals are reflected from or transmitted through the sample;

generating a series of spectral data sets representing at least a scanned amplitude of each of the signals over the plurality of sample points;

generating one or more composite spectrograms from the series of spectral data sets;

analyzing the one or more composite spectrograms to identify a characteristic of the gas sample, the characteristic having a first variance that is minimized across the one or more composite spectrograms and a second variance that is maximally different across a plurality of characteristics corresponding to a plurality of other samples in the storage system;

comparing the characteristic to a plurality of profiles corresponding to a plurality of gasses at a plurality of concentrations stored in the storage system to identify a profile among the plurality of profiles that corresponds to the characteristic; and

identifying the gas sample based on the profile.