DEVICES FOR USE IN DETECTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF TRACE AND VAPOR AMOUNTS OF SUBSTANCES

• US 20160209382A1
• Filed: 08/14/2014
• Published: 07/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MS Tech Ltd.
• Original Assignee: MS Tech Ltd.
• Inventors: SHALOM, Moshe, DAYAN, Lev, SHALOM, Doron, SISTER, Michael, TSVEER, Veniamin, SERGEYEV, Vladimir
• Granted Patent: US 10,705,065 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/04 in the solid state, e.g. by cutting
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2273 Atmospheric sampling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/24 Suction devices G01N1/22 - G01N1/2294 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/036 by measuring frequency or resonance of acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/222 Constructional or flow details for analysing fluids optoacoustic fluid cells G01N29/2425
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0009 General constructional details of gas analysers, e.g. portable test equipment devices for withdrawing samples in the gaseous state G01N1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0016 by regulating a physical variable, e.g. pressure or temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0019 by preconcentration
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0021 involving the use of a carrier gas for transport to the sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0031 comprising two or more sensors, e.g. a sensor array
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/22 Fuels; Explosives
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/225 Gaseous fuels, e.g. natural gas

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.

Claims

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.

2. The device according to claim 1, comprising a control unit configured and operable to receive and process the sensing data generated by the sensing elements and determine the presence of one or more specific substances in said sample.

3. The device of claim 1, comprising a pressure unit located in said housing and configured and operable for applying a pressure of a certain profile to thereby selectively attract the sample flow along said path into said sensing unit to cause interaction with the sensing elements, and cause the sample flow from the sensing elements to discharge the sample from said housing.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing unit comprises the sensing elements arranged in a circular array around an axis, the sample path connecting the opening and a location on said axis.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the sensing unit comprises a vessel containing the circular array of sensing elements, formed with an array of apertures arranged around the axis and being aligned with said array of the sensing elements respectively, said apertures serving as gas inlets for the sample passage towards the respective sensing elements resulting in substantially concurrent supply of the sample to the sensing elements, and serving as gas outlets for facilitating flow of the separated sample from the sensing elements.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing unit comprises the sensing elements arranged in a linear array along the sample path.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing unit is mounted in a chamber.

8. The device according to 7, wherein said chamber is configured for removably mounting the sensing unit therein.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the heating unit and the housing are configured for removably mounting the heating unit in the housing in the vicinity of the sensing unit.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the heating unit is configured with a geometry matching that of an arrangement of the sensing elements in said sensing unit.

11. The device according to claim 7, wherein the chamber comprises a one way outlet valve configured and operable to permit discharge of the sample from said chamber.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the one way outlet valve is configured and operable to respond to a predetermined pressure level inside the chamber for selectively shifting from its normally closed state to an open state to permit discharge of the sample from said chamber.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein said heating unit is configured and operable to receive the sample material drawn through said opening in the housing and produce a vapor thereof.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the heating unit comprises a first heater configured and operable for heating said sensing elements to physically separate between the sample and the sensing elements, and a second heater for producing the vapor of the received sample.

15. The device according to claim 13, wherein the heating unit comprises a heater configured and operable for selectively producing the vapor of the received sample for interaction with the sensing elements, and for heating said sensing elements to physically separate between the sample and sensing elements.

16. The device according to claim 1, wherein each of the sensing elements is accommodated in a dedicated compartment of the sensing unit defining the vicinity of the sensing element, the compartment being formed with the gas inlets and outlets for passage of the sample into and out of the compartment.

17. The device according to claim 3, wherein the opening in the housing is configured to sealably connect to a sample collection accessory, and said pressure unit is operable for drawing the sample therefrom through said opening.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein said sample collection accessory is configured to draw a stream of ambient air with the sample therethrough.

19. The device according to claim 17, wherein said sample collection accessory comprises a handheld unit having a handle at a proximate portion thereof and a sample collector at a distal portion thereof, said sample collector being configured for adsorbing a sample material thereon, and for said connection to the opening of the housing.

20. The device according to claim 18, configured and operable to establish an electrical connection with the sample collection accessory being connected to said opening.

21. The device according to claim 20, configured and operable to operate an internal heating element of the sample collection accessory to produce vapors of the collected sample.

22. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

said sensing elements of the sensing unit are arranged in an array of a certain number of spaced-apart rows of sensing elements;

the sample inlet for passage of the sample material into the housing is in the form of a certain number of inlet openings formed in the front side of said housing, each of the inlet openings being associated with one row of the sensing elements of said array; and

a pump device is provided being mounted in a rear side of the housing and being 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.

23. The device of claim 22 wherein at least some of the inlet openings have different sizes thereby affecting different flow rates of at least some of the fluid streams.

24. The device of claim 22, wherein location of each inlet opening on the front side of the housing corresponds to a location of sensory portions of the sensing elements in the respective row associated with the inlet opening.

25. The device of claim 22, comprising a control unit configured and operable to actuate the pump device and the sensing elements, and receive and process the sensing data generated by sensing elements responsive to the fluid streams drawn into the housing.

26. The device of claim 25 comprising a communication module configured and operable to receive data associated with the sensing data from the control unit and transmit the same to a computer system.

27. The device of claim 26 wherein the computer system is one of the following:

a smart device, a desktop computer, a laptop, or a remote server.

28. The device of claim 26, wherein the communication module is configured and operable for wireless data communication.

29. A monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of substance detection and identification devices according to claim 26; and

a computer system, said computer system configured and operable to receive and process the data transmitted from the substance detection device and generate corresponding indications to a user; and

a data storage system for storing measurement data received from the plurality of substance detection and identification devices.

31. A kit for use in detection of foreign substances, the kit comprising:

a handheld portable substance detection device configured according to claim 1, wherein the housing has an opening configured to sealably connect to one or more predetermined sample collection accessories, thereby enabling to receive a sample flow therefrom by pressure; 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.

33. The kit according to claim 31, wherein said set of one or more sample collection accessories comprises the sample collection accessory configured to draw a stream of ambient air with the sample therethrough.

34. The kit according to claim 33, wherein said substance detection device is configured and operable to establish electrical connection with the sample collection accessory being connected to said opening.

35. The kit according to claim 34, wherein said substance detection device comprises a controller configured and operable to identify the electrical connection with the sample collection accessory and operate an internal heating element of the sample collection accessory to produce vapors of the collected sample.

36. The kit according to claim 31, wherein said set of one or more sample collection accessories comprises the sample collection accessory configured as a handheld unit having a handle at a proximate portion thereof and a sample collector at a distal portion thereof, said sample collector being configured for adsorbing a sample material thereon, and for said connection to the opening of the housing.

37. The kit according to claim 36, wherein said sample collection accessory is configured for removably attaching the handle of one or more different sizes to the proximate portion thereof, thereby enabling replacement of the handle.

38. The kit according to claim 37, comprising a set of handles of different sizes.

39. The kit according to claim 31, comprising a set of sample collection accessories for drawing ambient air with the sample therethrough, the sample collection accessories of said set differing from one another in at least a length thereof.

40. The kit according to claim 31, comprising a belt fastening arrangement configured for carrying the substance detection device and for fastening it to a belt worn by a user.

41. The kit according to claim 31 comprising a charger for charging a rechargeable power source of the substance detection device.

42. The kit according to claim 31 comprising a handheld unit configured for collecting a sample from a vicinity thereof by suction, and comprising a slot for receiving a sample collector portion of the sample collection accessory, thereby enabling absorbance of the sample collected by the handheld unit onto said sample collector portion, said sample collector being configured for connecting to the opening of the housing.

43. The kit according to claim 42, wherein said handheld unit has a handle at a proximate portion thereof, a tube at a distal end thereof, and contains a vacuum pump for suction of the sample through the tube towards said slot.

44. The kit according to claim 43, wherein said handheld unit is configured for removably attaching one the tubes of different sizes to the distal end thereof, thereby enabling replacement of the tube.

45. The kit according to claim 44, comprising a set of tubes of different sizes.

46. The kit according to claim 31, comprising a vest configured and operable for carrying at least some components of the kit.

30. A substance detection and identification device comprising:

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.

32. A kit for use in detection of foreign substances, the kit comprising:

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.

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.