DEVICES FOR USE IN DETECTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF TRACE AND VAPOR AMOUNTS OF SUBSTANCES
First Claim
1. A substance detection and identification device comprising:
- a housing;
a sample inlet in said housing for passage of a sample material therethrough,a sensing unit located in said housing and comprising an array of sensing elements, each configured and operable to interact with sample material in the vicinity thereof for detecting one or more specific substances and generate sensing data indicative thereof,a sample path in the housing between the opening and the sensing unit for facilitating flow of the sample material towards the sensing unit; and
a gas inlet assembly in the housing configured for providing a predetermined supply of the sample material to the sensing elements in said array, to thereby enable a predetermined time pattern of the sensing data from the array of sensing elements;
a heating unit in said housing configured and operable to heat said sensing elements to thereby physically separate between the sample material and said sensing elements and enable discharge of the sample material by pressure from the sensing unit.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed are substance detection and identification devices, and methods of using them for detection and identification of substances in ambient surroundings, on surfaces of objects, inside closed items or in fluids. A substance detection and identification device may comprise a housing, an opening in the housing for passage of sample material therethrough, a sensing unit located in the housing and an array of sensing elements configured and operable to interact with sample material in the vicinity thereof for detecting one or more specific substances and generating sensing data indicative thereof. A sample path defined in the housing between the opening and the sensing unit is used for facilitating flow of the sample material towards the sensing unit. A gas inlet assembly provided in the housing is configured for providing a predetermined supply of the sample material to the sensing elements in the sensors array, to thereby enable a predetermined time pattern of the sensing data from the array of sensing elements. A heating unit may be provided in the housing for heating the sensing elements.
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Citations
47 Claims
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1. A substance detection and identification device comprising:
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a housing; a sample inlet in said housing for passage of a sample material therethrough, a sensing unit located in said housing and comprising an array of sensing elements, each configured and operable to interact with sample material in the vicinity thereof for detecting one or more specific substances and generate sensing data indicative thereof, a sample path in the housing between the opening and the sensing unit for facilitating flow of the sample material towards the sensing unit; and a gas inlet assembly in the housing configured for providing a predetermined supply of the sample material to the sensing elements in said array, to thereby enable a predetermined time pattern of the sensing data from the array of sensing elements; a heating unit in said housing configured and operable to heat said sensing elements to thereby physically separate between the sample material and said sensing elements and enable discharge of the sample material by pressure from the sensing unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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30. A substance detection and identification device comprising:
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a housing having front and rear sides; a sensing unit comprising an array of sensing elements including a certain number of spaced-apart rows of sensing elements mounted inside said housing, each sensing element configured and operable to interact with sample material in the vicinity thereof for detecting one or more specific substances and generating sensing data indicative thereof; a certain number of inlet openings formed in the front side of said housing for passage of sample material therethrough into said housing, each of the inlet openings being associated with one row of sensing elements of said array; and a pump device mounted in said rear side of the housing and configured and operable to draw a certain number of fluid streams into said housing, each fluid stream being drawn through a respective one of said inlet openings for interaction with the sensing elements of a respective row in said array.
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32. A kit for use in detection of foreign substances, the kit comprising:
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a handheld portable substance detection device having a housing containing a sensing unit configured and operable to interact with sample material in the vicinity thereof for detecting one or more specific substances and generate sensing data indicative thereof, said housing having an opening configured to sealably connect to one or more predetermined sample collection accessories, to thereby receive a sample flow from the connected sample collection accessory to the sensing unit; and a set of said one or more sample collection accessories each configured to collect sample material from the vicinity thereof and, when connected to said housing, deliver the collected sample through said opening.
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47. A sample collecting unit for collecting a sample from a vicinity thereof, said sample collecting unit being configured as a handheld unit, and comprising:
- a housing, a handle connectable to said housing at one side thereof, and a tube connectable to said housing at an opposite side thereof, wherein said housing contains a vacuum pump for suction of a sample from the surroundings through the tube, and said housing has a slot for receiving a sample collector portion of a separate sample collection accessory, thereby enabling absorbance of the sample flowing through said tube onto said sample collector portion.
Specification