NON-INVASIVE METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SCREENING THE CONTENT OF CONTAINERS FOR THE PRESENCE OF THREAT SUBSTANCES

• US 20100326216A1
• Filed: 06/01/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anika Sterilis Private Limited
• Original Assignee: TeknoScan Systems Inc.
• Inventors: Nacson, Sabatino
• Granted Patent: US 8,220,312 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/864.35
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2214 by sorption
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2226 Sampling from a closed space, e.g. food package, head space
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/24 Suction devices G01N1/22 - G01N1/2294 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/022 sampling for security purposes, e.g. contraband, warfare agents

Abstract

The invention is a method and system of screening the content of an enclosure, such as a cargo container, for the presence of one or more target substances, such as explosives or drugs, comprising drawing air from the enclosure and passing the drawn air across at least one sampling card having a coating configured to absorb/adsorb the one or more target substances and thereafter analyzing the sampling card to determine if the coating has absorbed/adsorbed one or more target substances. The system embodiment includes a vacuum source, a conduit coupled to the vacuum source and a sampling card holder disposed along the conduit. The sampling card holder removably holds at least one sampling card having a coating thereon configured to absorb/adsorb the one or more target substances, so that air drawn into the conduct from the enclosure passes across the at least one sampling card.

Claims

1. A method of screening the content of an enclosure for the presence of one or more target substances comprising:

drawing air from the enclosure and passing the drawn air across at least one sampling card having a coating configured to absorb/adsorb the one or more target substances; and

thereafter analyzing the card to determine if the coating has absorbed/adsorbed one or more target substances.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said drawing comprises drawing air from the enclosure for a sampling interval having a duration that is a function of the size of said enclosure.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said enclosure is a freight cargo container and said one or more target substances are threat substances.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising tagging the freight cargo container if the coating has absorbed/adsorbed one or more threat substances.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said tagging comprises electronically tagging the freight cargo container.

6. A system for screening the content of an enclosure for the presence of one or more target substances comprising:

a vacuum source;

a conduit coupled to said vacuum source; and

a sampling card holder disposed along said conduit, said sampling card holder removably holding at least one sampling card having a coating thereon configured to absorb/adsorb the one or more target substances, so that air drawn into said conduct from the enclosure passes across the at least one sampling card.