Method and apparatus for detecting substance to be detected containing at least one component that is dispersible in air in the form of solid particles

• US 20040202574A1
• Filed: 10/03/2003
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ICTS Europe SA
• Original Assignee: ICTS Europe Holdings BV (Deutsche Beteiligungs AG)
• Inventors: Sapir, Oren, Eldar, Zamir, Bar Yoseph, Abraham
• Granted Patent: US 7,846,742 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/132 Biological systems, e.g. with detection by animals or plants
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/134 Chemical systems, e.g. with detection by vapour analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2202 involving separation of sample components during sampling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2205 with filters
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2226 Sampling from a closed space, e.g. food package, head space
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/007 Devices specially adapted for forensic samples, e.g. tamper-proofing, sample tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/022 sampling for security purposes, e.g. contraband, warfare agents
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/2223 aerosol sampling devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/2288 Filter arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25375 Liberation or purification of sample or separation of material from a sample [e.g., filtering, centrifuging, etc.]

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for detecting substance to be detected. The apparatus comprises at least one sampling member for sampling air contained in a closed space, the sampling member comprising at least one filter presenting pore or mesh size adapted to filtering solid particles of the substance to be detected that might be dispersed in the air contained in the closed space; the apparatus further comprising a pump (not shown) enabling the air contained in the closed space to be sucked in. The invention can be used for detecting a substance to be detected comprising, for example, an explosive or a narcotic.

Claims

1. / A method of detecting a substance to be detected containing at least one component dispersible in air in the form of solid particles, comprising the following steps:

a) when a load that might contain said substance to be detected is not itself contained in a closed space, placing said load in a substantially closed space, at least for a predetermined storage time for allowing solid particles of said substance to be detected to disperse in air;

b) inserting at least one sampling member for sampling the air contained inside said closed space, at least after said load has been stored for said predetermined time in said closed space, said sampling member comprising at least one filter presenting pore or mesh size adapted to filtering solid particles of said substance that might be dispersed in the air contained in said closed space;

c) sucking in the air contained in said closed space via said sampling member containing said filter for a period of time necessary for filtering a sufficient quantity of air that might contain solid particles of said substance dispersed in said air;

d) removing the filter from the sampling member and optionally placing it in a hermetically closed receptacle prior to performing detection; and

e) proceeding to detect the presence, if any, of solid particles of substance to be detected retained on said filter.

2. / The method of claim 1, wherein solid particles of substance to be detected present on said filter are detected by performing analysis in an analysis device adapted to detect traces of solid particles of said substance to be detected.

3. / The method of claim 1, wherein the presence, if any, of traces of substance to be detected is detected with the help of a biosensor device.

4. / the method of claim 3, wherein said substance has a smell, comprising detecting the smell of traces of solid particles of substance to be detected retained on said filter, by an animal sniffing said filter.

5. / The method of claim 1, wherein traces of solid particles of substance to be detected retained on said filter are detected by chemical analysis equipment capable of detecting at least one chemical component of said substance to be detected.

6. / The method of claim 1, wherein detection is performed of said substance to be detected containing an explosive.

7. / The method of claim 6, wherein said explosive is selected from the group consisting of plastrite, hexogen, dynamite, PETN, TNT, “

watergel”

, and mixtures thereof.

8. / The method of claim 1, wherein detection is performed of a narcotic.

9. / The method of claim 7, wherein said narcotic is selected from the group consisting of heroin, cocaine, Ecstasy, cannabis, marijuana, hashish, and mixtures thereof.

10. / The method of claim 1, wherein the filter comprises a filter-forming element which comprises a fabric presenting pore or mesh diameter adapted to filtering solid particles of said substance to be detected dispersed in air.

11. / The method of claim 10, wherein said fabric is a fabric of plastics material.

12. / The method of claim 10, wherein said fabric is a fabric of plastics material selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene and mixtures thereof.

13. / The method of claim 11, wherein said fabric is a woven fabric.

14. / The method of claim 11, wherein said fabric is a non-woven fabric.

15. / The method of claim 1, wherein said step of placing said load in a substantially closed space comprises placing said load in a wrapping that is substantially hermetically closed.

16. / Apparatus for detecting a substance to be detected, containing at least one component that is dispersible in air in the form of solid particles, comprising:

a) optionally a substantially hermetically closed wrapping in which a load that might contain said substance to be detected can be placed at least for a predetermined storage time for allowing solid particles of said substance to disperse in air;

b) at least one sampling member for sampling the air contained in said closed space, the sampling member comprising at least one filter presenting pore or mesh size adapted to filtering solid particles of said substance that might be dispersed in the air contained in said closed space; and

c) at least one pump for sucking in the air contained in said closed space via said sampling member containing said filter.

17. / The apparatus of claim 16, wherein at least one receptacle is also provided that is suitable for being hermetically closed for the purpose of storing at least temporarily the filter that might contain solid particles of said substance to be detected.

18. / The apparatus of claim 16, comprising a device comprising a plurality of supports for exposing to ambient air one or more filters that might contain solid particles of the substance to be detected, each of the supports optionally being provided with a filter that has been used in a different confined space to detect solid particles of the substance to be detected that might be contained in different loads.

19. / The apparatus of claim 16, comprising at least one analysis device for detecting the presence of solid particles of said substance to be detected filtered or retained on the filter.

20. / The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the analysis device is selected from the group consisting of a gas phase chromatographic apparatus, a nuclear magnetic resonance apparatus, a mass spectrometer apparatus, and combinations thereof, such apparatuses being adapted to detect at least one air dispersible component of said substance to be detected contained in said solid particles.

21. / The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said filter has pore or mesh size adapted to detect an explosive.

22. / The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said explosive is selected from the group consisting of plastrite, hexogen, dynamite, and pentrite, TNT, or “

watergel”

, and its mixtures thereof.

23. / The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said filter has pore or mesh size adapted to detect a narcotic.

24. / The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said narcotic is selected from the group consisting of heroin, cocaine, Ecstasy, cannabis, marijuana, hashish, and mixtures thereof.

25. / The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the filter comprises a hollow tubular outer casing containing a filter-forming element.

26. / The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said filter forming element is supported on a central element.

27. / The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the filter-forming element is provided at a length that is sufficient to project outside the tubular outer casing.

28. / The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said filter is suitable for mounting at a free end of the sampling member.

29. / The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the filter comprises a filter-forming element which comprises a fabric having a pore or mesh diameter adapted to filtering air-dispersed solid particles of said substance to be detected.

30. / The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the fabric is a fabric of a plastic material.

31. / The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said fabric is a fabric of plastic material selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, and mixtures thereof.

32. / The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said fabric is a woven fabric.

33. / The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the fabric is a no-woven fabric.

34. / The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the filter-forming element is obtained by rolling up the fabric so as to define a plurality of layers providing a relatively tight winding between the layers of the rolled up fabric, thereby efficiently filtering said solid particles of the substance dispersed in air.

35. / The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the pore or mesh size is about 1 mm to about 2 mm and diameter or side.

36. / The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the mesh is made by horizontal and vertical weaving defining a substantially square shape mesh.