System and method for light induced fluorescence detection

• US 7,468,520 B1
• Filed: 03/27/2008
• Issued: 12/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Science Applications International Corporation
• Original Assignee: Science Applications International Corporation
• Inventors: Varmette, Peter George, Lowe, Michael James, Baran, Michael Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta; David P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gaworecki; Mark R
• Application Number:
  US12/078,182
• Time in Patent Office: 271 Days
• Field of Search: 250/458.1, 250/459.1
• US Class Current: 250/458.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6417 Spectrofluorimetric devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6419 Excitation at two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/274 Calibration, base line adjustment, drift correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/645 Specially adapted constructive features of fluorimeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0221 Portable; cableless; compact; hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/062 LED's

Abstract

A device for determining the presence or absence of at least one substance is described. The device includes an illumination component including at least one light emitting diode in the forward bias mode acting as an emitter and configured to illuminate a target with a first waveband; and a detection component including at least one light emitting diode in the reverse bias mode acting as a detector and configured to detect a second waveband emitted by the target in response to the first waveband if the target contains a threshold amount of the at least one substance, wherein, the illumination component and the detection component are included in a single head unit module.

Claims

1. A device for determining the presence or absence of a substance comprising:

a head unit module comprising;

at least one illumination component configured to illuminate a target with a first waveband; and

at least two detection components,

wherein a first detection component is configured to detect a second waveband emitted by the target in response to the first waveband if the target contains the substance,

wherein a second detection component is configured to detect a third waveband emitted by the target in response to the first waveband if the target contains the substance, and

wherein each detection component is configured to detect for the presence or absence of a substance,

wherein the head unit module comprises a plurality of subsets of illumination and detection components,

the controller module including a subset selection component configured to facilitate the selection of a particular subset of illumination and detection components depending on a substance of interest.

2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a controller module configured to control the illumination component and the at least one detection component.

3. The device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a power module configured to provide power to the device.

4. The device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a data module configured to record data indicative of the presence or absence of the substance.

5. The device according to claim 1 the illumination component including at least one forward bias light emitting diode.

6. The device according to claim 5, the at least one detection component including at least one reverse-biased light emitting diode.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the ratio of forward bias light emitting diodes (M) and reverse bias light emitting diodes (N) is M:

N.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the ratio M:

N is 1;

3.

9. The device according to claim 1, the first waveband is approximately centered at 255 nm.

10. The device according to claim 1, the second waveband is centered at approximately 285 nm.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the third waveband is centered at approximately 305 nm.

12. The device according to claim 1, the substance is methamphetamine.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein each detection component is configured to detect an amount of the substance on the order of micrograms.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is handheld.

15. A device for determining the presence or absence of a substance comprising:

a head unit module comprising;

at least one illumination component configured to illuminate a target with a first waveband; and

at least two detection components,

wherein a first detection component is configured to detect a second waveband emitted by the target in response to the first waveband if the target contains the substance,

wherein a second detection component is configured to detect a third waveband emitted by the target in response to the first waveband if the target contains the substance, and

wherein each detection component is configured to detect for the presence or absence of a substance,

wherein the head unit module comprises a plurality of subsets of illumination and detection components,

the head unit module being rotatable such that a user selects a subset of illumination and detection components by rotating the single head unit and aligning a desired subset of illumination and detection components with an alignment indicator.

16. The device according to claim 15, further comprising:

a controller module configured to control the illumination component and the at least one detection component.

17. The device according to claim 16, further comprising:

a power module configured to provide power to the device.

18. The device according to claim 17, further comprising:

a data module configured to record data indicative of the presence or absence of the substance.

19. The device according to claim 16, the first waveband is approximately centered at 255 nm.

20. The device according to claim 15, the illumination component including at least one forward bias light emitting diode.

21. The device according to claim 20, the at least one detection component including at least one reverse-biased light emitting diode.

22. The device according to claim 21, wherein the ratio of forward bias light emitting diodes (M) and reverse bias light emitting diodes (N) is M:

N.

23. The device according to claim 22, wherein the ratio M:

N is 1;

3.

24. The device according to claim 15, the second waveband is centered at approximately 285 nm.

25. The device according to claim 15, wherein the third waveband is centered at approximately 305 nm.

26. The device according to claim 15, the substance is methamphetamine.

27. The device according to claim 15, wherein each detection component is configured to detect an amount of the substance on the order of micrograms.

28. The device according to claim 15, wherein the device is handheld.

29. A device for determining the presence or absence of a substance comprising:

a head unit module comprising;

at least one illumination component configured to illuminate a target with a first waveband; and

at least two detection components,

wherein a first detection component is configured to detect a second waveband emitted by the target in response to the first waveband if the target contains the substance,

wherein a second detection component is configured to detect a third waveband emitted by the target in response to the first waveband if the target contains the substance, and

wherein each detection component is configured to detect for the presence or absence of a substance,

including a calibration module containing light emitting diodes tuned to simulate a fluorescence response of the at least one substance.

30. The device according to claim 29, wherein the device is handheld.

31. The device according to claim 29, further comprising:

a controller module configured to control the illumination component and the at least one detection component.

32. The device according to claim 31, further comprising:

a power module configured to provide power to the device.

33. The device according to claim 32, further comprising:

a data module configured to record data indicative of the presence or absence of the substance.

34. The device according to claim 31, the first waveband is approximately centered at 255 nm.

35. The device according to claim 29, the illumination component including at least one forward bias light emitting diode.

36. The device according to claim 35, the at least one detection component including at least one reverse-biased light emitting diode.

37. The device according to claim 36, wherein the ratio of forward bias light emitting diodes (M) and reverse bias light emitting diodes (N) is M:

N.

38. The device according to claim 37, wherein the ratio M:

N is 1;

3.

39. The device according to claim 29, the second waveband is centered at approximately 285 nm.

40. The device according to claim 29, wherein the third waveband is centered at approximately 305 nm.

41. The device according to claim 29, the substance is methamphetamine.

42. The device according to claim 29, wherein each detection component is configured to detect an amount of the substance on the order of micrograms.

43. A device for determining the presence or absence of a substance comprising:

a head unit module comprising;

an illumination component configured to illuminate a target with a first waveband; and

a detection component configured to detect a second waveband emitted by the target in response to the first waveband if the target contains the substance, and configured to detect a third waveband emitted by a target in response to the first waveband if the target contains the substance;

wherein the head unit module is removable from the device and replaceable with one of multiple secondary head unit modules, each secondary head unit module being configured to determine the presence or absence of a different substance.

44. The device according to claim 43, further comprising:

a controller module configured to control the illumination component and detection component.

45. The device according to claim 43, further comprising:

a power module configured to provide power to the device.

46. The device according to claim 43, further comprising:

a data module configured to record data indicative of the presence or absence of the substance.

47. The device according to claim 43, the illumination component including at least one forward bias light emitting diode.

48. The device according to claim 47, the detection component including at least one reverse-biased light emitting diode.

49. The device according to claim 48, wherein the ratio of forward bias light emitting diodes (M) and reverse bias light emitting diodes (N) is M:

N.

50. The device according to claim 49, wherein the ratio M:

N is 1;

3.

51. The device according to claim 43, the first waveband is approximately centered at 255 nm.

52. The device according to claim 43, the second waveband is centered at approximately 285 nm.

53. The device according to claim 43, the third waveband is centered at approximately 305 mm.

54. The device according to claim 43, the substance is methamphetamine.

55. The device according to claim 43, including a calibration module containing light emitting diodes tuned to simulate a fluorescence response of the substance.

56. The device according to claim 43, wherein the detection component is configured to detect an amount of the substance on the order of micrograms.

57. The device according to claim 43, wherein the device is handheld.