Air sampling method and sensor system for spectroscopic detection and identification of chemical and biological contaminants
First Claim
1. An air sampling sensor system for detection and identification of chemical and biological contaminants, comprising:
- (a) substrate feed reel;
(b) a porous adsorptive substrate in the form of a tape;
(c) a substrate uptake reel, said porous adsorptive substrate originating from said feed reel and being advanced from said feed reel to and received by said uptake reel;
(d) a sampling area on a surface of said substrate at an area between said feed reel and said uptake reel;
(e) an air intake for drawing air from the environment containing contaminants through said substrate at said sampling area;
(f) multiple optical or spectrometric interrogation devices for concurrently interrogating said sampling area, wherein said multiple interrogation devices provide independent detection schemes that allow the system to self-confirm identification, and wherein a first interrogation device performs an interrogation along one axis of the substrate and a second interrogation device performs an interrogation along an orthogonal axis to the substrate; and
(g) a detector for monitoring the interrogation of said sampling area.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A continuous monitoring method and system wherein a porous substrate or film is used. The air from the environment is drawn through a region of the porous substrate by a simple air pump and the substances in the air are deposited or chemically adsorbed onto the surface of the substrate. The region of the substrate where the environmental air is drawn through is continuously monitored by an optical or spectrometric method. The substrate is in the form of a tape supplied by a feed reel in a reel-to-reel cartridge and taken up by a take-up reel as found in a film cartridge or a magnetic tape cartridge. The cartridge can be replaceable. A variety of materials may be employed as the substrate with an adequate surface area to effect accumulation of solid, liquid, aerosol, or gas phase compounds. An optical interrogation system is engineered such that the surface of the tape at the point where air from the environment is drawn through the substrate becomes the interaction region between the source output and the sample. As material from the environment accumulates in this region, the interaction of the source with the material is monitored by a suitable detector and supporting circuitry.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An air sampling sensor system for detection and identification of chemical and biological contaminants, comprising:
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(a) substrate feed reel; (b) a porous adsorptive substrate in the form of a tape; (c) a substrate uptake reel, said porous adsorptive substrate originating from said feed reel and being advanced from said feed reel to and received by said uptake reel; (d) a sampling area on a surface of said substrate at an area between said feed reel and said uptake reel; (e) an air intake for drawing air from the environment containing contaminants through said substrate at said sampling area; (f) multiple optical or spectrometric interrogation devices for concurrently interrogating said sampling area, wherein said multiple interrogation devices provide independent detection schemes that allow the system to self-confirm identification, and wherein a first interrogation device performs an interrogation along one axis of the substrate and a second interrogation device performs an interrogation along an orthogonal axis to the substrate; and (g) a detector for monitoring the interrogation of said sampling area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification