CHEMICAL SENSING DEVICE

• US 20160025605A1
• Filed: 08/05/2014
• Published: 01/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Triton Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Triton Systems, Inc., Board of Regents of the University of Michigan (University of Michigan)
• Inventors: WELING, Aniruddha, LAWRENCE, Tyson, MAHMUD, Ken, BURGESS, James, KRASNOBAEV, Leonid, LAHANN, Joerg
• Granted Patent: US 9,816,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/405 by adsorption or absorption
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/44 Sample treatment involving radiation, e.g. heat
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0057 for warfare agents or explosives properties of explosives G01N33/227
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/173076 Nitrite or nitrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25875 Gaseous sample or with change of physical state

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.

Claims

1. A preconcentrator comprising a cartridge and a substrate coated with an organic compound, wherein the organic compound comprises copolymers having polar functional groups and hydrophobic functional groups, and wherein the substrate is enclosed within the cartridge.

2. The preconcentrator of claim 1, wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of metal fiber, woven metal fibers, non-woven metal fibers, porous metal, sheet metal, metal coated glass, metal coated plastic, metal coated ceramic, carbonaceous material, graphite, charcoal, activated carbon, activated carbon cloth, and combinations thereof.

3. The preconcentrator of claim 1, wherein the substrate has a resistivity of about 10⁵ ohm-meters (Ω

·

m) to about 10<sup>−

7</sup>Ω

·

m, magnetic permeability of greater than about 1×

10<sup>−

4</sup> H/m, relative permeability of greater than 100, or combinations thereof.

4. The preconcentrator of claim 1, wherein the organic compound has an electrical resistivity of greater than 10³Ω

·

m.

5. The preconcentrator of claim 1, wherein the polar functional groups are selected from the group consisting of amide (—

C(O)NH₂), C₁-C₁₀ alkyl amide, carboxylic acid (—

COOH), C₁-C₁₀ alkyl carboxylic acid, hydroxyl (—

OH), C₁-C₁₀ alkyl hydroxyl, C₁-C₁₀ alkyoxy, aldehyde (—

C(O)H), C₁-C₁₀ alkyl aldehyde, ketone (—

C(O)CH₃), C₁-C₁₀ alkyl ketone, amine (—

NH₂), C₁-C₁₀ alkyl amine, and combinations thereof.

6. The preconcentrator of claim 1, wherein the non-polar functional groups are selected from the group consisting of C₁-C₁₀ alkyl, C₂-C₁₀ alkene, C₂-C₁₀ alkyne, C₆-C₁₆ arene, halide (Br, F, Cl), C₁-C₁₀ alkyl halide, and combinations thereof.

7. The preconcentrator of claim 1, wherein the organic coating comprises functionalized xylene.

8. The preconcentrator of claim 1, wherein the organic compound comprises a coating having a thickness of about 100 nm to about 500 nm on substantially all surfaces of the substrate.

9. The preconcentrator of claim 1, wherein the cartridge further comprises at least a first reversibly sealable opening on one side of the cartridge and at least a second reversibly sealable opening on the opposite side of the cartridge.

10. A method for detecting an chemical comprising:

collecting particles and gases in a preconcentrator comprising a substrate coated with an organic compound, wherein the organic compound comprises copolymers having polar functional groups and hydrophobic functional groups;

heating the substrate to release the particles; and

detecting particles of the chemical.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the substrate has a resistivity of about 10⁵ ohm-meters (Ω

·

m) to about 10<sup>−

7</sup>Ω

·

m, magnetic permeability of greater than about 1×

10<sup>−

4</sup> H/m, relative permeability of greater than 100, or combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the heating is inductive heating.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein inductive heating is carried out at a frequency of about 100 kHz to about 10 MHz

14. The method of claim 10, wherein heating is carried out to about 120°

C. to about 300°

C.

15. A sample collector comprising:

a sample collector housing having a preconcentrator holder sized to reversibly receive a preconcentrator; and

an air suction pump operably connected to the sample collector housing and configured to produce air flow through the preconcentrator.

16. The sample collector of claim 15, further comprising a pulsed air nozzle connected to the sample collector housing.

17. The sample collector of claim 16, further comprising an air compressor operably connected to the sample collector housing and is configured to expel air from the pulsed air nozzle and direct the expelled air toward a sample collection area.

18. The sample collector of claim 15, wherein the air suction pump provides a flow of 1 m³/min to 10 m³/min.

27. The system of claim 17, wherein the detector further comprises a compressor operably connected to the detector access port and configured to generate a differential pressure across the preconcentrator when the preconcentrator is received by the detector.

19. A system comprising:

a sample collector comprising;

a sample collector housing having a preconcentrator holder sized to reversibly receive a preconcentrator;

a detector comprising;

a detector housing having an detector access port sized to reversibly receive the preconcentrator;

an induction heater contained within the detector housing, the induction heater configured to heat the preconcentrator; and

a sensing system operably connected to the access port and positioned to receive particles from the preconcentrator when the preconcentrator is received by the detector.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising an air suction pump operably connected to the access port and configured to produce air flow through the preconcentrator.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the air suction pump provides a flow of 1 m³/min to 10 m³/min.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the sample collector further comprises a pulsed air nozzle connected to the sample collector housing.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising an air compressor operably connected to the sample collector housing and is configured to expel air from the pulsed air nozzle and direct the expelled air toward a sample collection area.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the preconcentrator comprises a cartridge and a substrate coated with an organic compound, wherein the organic compound comprises copolymers having polar functional groups and hydrophobic functional groups, and wherein the substrate is enclosed within the cartridge.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the substrate has a resistivity of about 10⁵ ohm-meters (Ω

·

m) to about 10<sup>−

7</sup>Ω

·

m enclosed within the cartridge.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the detector comprises temperature feedback that limits the temperature to about 120°

C. to about 300°

C.