Detector for halogen toxicants and method

• US 7,074,365 B1
• Filed: 04/22/2002
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Antony R. Shoaf
• Original Assignee: Antony R. Shoaf
• Inventors: Shoaf, Antony R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): SINES, BRIAN J
• Application Number:
  US10/127,291
• Time in Patent Office: 1,541 Days
• Field of Search: 422/50, 422/52, 422/68.1, 422/82.05, 422/82.07, 422/82.08, 422/83, 422/91, 436/124, 436/125, 436/126, 436/164, 436/172, 73/10.1, 73/10.2, 73/530.1
• US Class Current: 422/82.08
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/04 Determining presence or kind of microorganism; Use of selective media for testing antibiotics or bacteriocides; Compositions containing a chemical indicator therefor C12Q1/6897 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/84 involving inorganic compounds or pH
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/19 Halogen containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/193333 In aqueous solution
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/196666 Carbon containing compound [e.g., vinylchloride, etc.]

Abstract

The invention herein provides for the detection of certain organic halogen-containing agents or toxicants such as sarin, chloropicrin, mustard gas, mustard chlorohydrin, phosgene, chlorine, soman, lewisite, diphosgene and others by, in one embodiment, first reacting the agents with superoxide free radical anion (.O_{{overscore (2)}}) to produce light pulses which can be detected by a standard photon counter. The superoxide may be available from a dimethyl sulfoxide superoxide (.O_{{overscore (2)}}) liquid solution, from lecithin coated beads charged with superoxide (.O_{{overscore (2)}}) in a reaction vessel or from a quarternary ammonium ion exchange resin charged with superoxide anion (.O_{{overscore (2)}}) in a reaction vessel.

Claims

1. A device for detecting halogen-containing toxicants comprising:

a reaction vessel, a chemiluminescent substance, said chemiluminescent substance comprising choline-containing beads charged with a superoxide free radical anion, said chemiluminescent substance contained within said reaction vessel, a spectrometer, said spectrometer positioned proximate said reaction vessel whereby halogen-containing toxicants directed into said reaction vessel will react with said chemiluminescent substance for detection by said spectrometer.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said reaction vessel comprises a glass container.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said chemiluminescent substance further comprises a DMSO solution.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said DMSO solution further comprises potassium superoxide.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said spectrometer comprises a liquid scintillation spectrometer.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein said spectrometer comprises a pair of photomultiplier tubes.

9. The device of claim 1 further comprising an air pump, an air intake conduit, said air pump connected to said air intake conduit, said intake conduit in communication with said reaction vessel.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein said intake conduit has a diameter of 4 mm.

11. The device of claim 9 wherein said air pump forces air through said intake conduit at approximately 5 L/min. for liquid phase reactions and 5–

12 L/min for gas phase reactions.

5. A device for detecting halogen-containing toxicants comprising:

a reaction vessel, a chemiluminescent substance, said chemiluminescent substance comprising lecithin-coated beads charged with .O_{{overscore (2)}}, said chemiluminescent substance contained within said reaction vessel, a spectrometer, said spectrometer positioned proximate said reaction vessel whereby halogen-containing toxicants directed into said reaction vessel will react with said chemiluminescent substance for detection by said spectrometer.

7. A device for detecting halogen-containing toxicants comprising:

a reaction vessel, a chemiluminescent substance, said chemiluminescent substance comprises a quaternary ammonium ion exchange resin charged with .O_{{overscore (2)}}, said chemiluminescent substance contained within said reaction vessel, a spectrometer, said spectrometer positioned proximate said reaction vessel whereby halogen-containing toxicants directed into said reaction vessel will react with said chemiluminescent substance for detection by said spectrometer.

12. The device of claim 7 wherein said quaternary ammonium ion exchange resin comprises a styrene copolymer.

13. The device of claim 7 wherein said quaternary ammonium ion exchange resin comprises a divinyl benzene copolymer.