Ram-air sample collection device for a chemical warfare agent sensor

• US 6,442,997 B1
• Filed: 10/01/2001
• Issued: 09/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: National Technology & Engineering Solutions Of Sandia LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Megerle, Clifford A., Adkins, Douglas R., Frye-Mason, Gregory C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): Politzer, Jay L.
• Application Number:
  US09/969,196
• Time in Patent Office: 337 Days
• Field of Search: 73/240.1, 73/232, 73/190.3, 73/233.4, 73/240.6, 73/310.5, 735/79, 736/09, 205/787, 204/406, 310/313.R, 422/82.02
• US Class Current: 73/24.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2273 Atmospheric sampling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/022 sampling for security purposes, e.g. contraband, warfare agents
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/2279 high altitude, e.g. rockets, balloons
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/2285 Details of probe structures
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0256 Adsorption, desorption, surface mass change, e.g. on biosensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0423 Surface waves, e.g. Rayleigh waves, Love waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/022 Fluid sensors based on microsensors, e.g. quartz crystal-microbalance [QCM], surface acoustic wave [SAW] devices, tuning forks, cantilevers, flexural plate wave [FPW] devices microdevices per se B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/22 Details , e.g. general constructional or apparatus details
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/222 Constructional or flow details for analysing fluids optoacoustic fluid cells G01N29/2425
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0036 specially adapted to detect a particular component physical analysis of gaseous biological material G01N33/497

Abstract

In a surface acoustic wave sensor mounted within a body, the sensor having a surface acoustic wave array detector and a micro-fabricated sample preconcentrator exposed on a surface of the body, an apparatus for collecting air for the sensor, comprising a housing operatively arranged to mount atop the body, the housing including a multi-stage channel having an inlet and an outlet, the channel having a first stage having a first height and width proximate the inlet, a second stage having a second lower height and width proximate the micro-fabricated sample preconcentrator, a third stage having a still lower third height and width proximate the surface acoustic wave array detector, and a fourth stage having a fourth height and width proximate the outlet, where the fourth height and width are substantially the same as the first height and width.

Claims

1. In a surface acoustic wave sensor mounted within a body, said sensor having a surface acoustic wave array detector and a micro-fabricated sample preconcentrator exposed on a surface of said body, an apparatus for collecting air for said sensor, comprising:

a housing operatively arranged to mount atop said body, said housing including a passageway having an inlet and an outlet, said passageway having a first section of a first cross-sectional area proximate said inlet, a second section of a second cross-sectional area proximate said first section, a third section of a third cross-sectional area proximate said second section, and a fourth section of a fourth cross-sectional area proximate said outlet, where said third cross-sectional area is less than said second cross-sectional area, and said first and fourth cross-sectional areas are each larger than said second cross-sectional area.

2. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said second section of said passageway communicates sampled air to said micro-fabricated sample preconcentrator.

3. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said third section of said passageway communicates sampled air to said surface acoustic wave array detector.

4. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said first cross-sectional area is substantially the same as said fourth cross-sectional area.

5. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said first and fourth cross-sectional areas are the same.

6. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said inlet is operatively arranged to be directed toward an oncoming stream of air to be sampled, and said outlet is operatively arranged to discharge sampled air into a low pressure region in air flow around said body.

7. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said apparatus creates a pressure difference between said inlet and said outlet.

8. In a surface acoustic wave sensor mounted within a body, said sensor having a surface acoustic wave array detector and a micro-fabricated sample preconcentrator exposed on a surface of said body, an apparatus for collecting air for said sensor, comprising:

a housing operatively arranged to mount atop said body, said housing including a multi-stage channel having an inlet and an outlet, said channel having a first stage having a first height and width proximate said inlet, a second stage having a second lower height and width proximate said micro-fabricated sample preconcentrator, a third stage having a still lower third height and width proximate said surface acoustic wave array detector, and a fourth stage having a fourth height and width proximate said outlet, where said fourth height and width are substantially the same as said first height and width.