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US 10,520,440 B2Granted
Gas-phase delivery system for molecule sensing apparatus
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsDevin Alexander Mourey, James William Stasiak, James Elmer Abbott, Jr., Zhiyong Li
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Molecule sensing apparatus. The apparatus has first and second chambers, an input port extending into the first chamber, a fluid channel extending from the first chamber to the second chamber, and a surface-enhanced substrate in the second chamber.
Claims20
A molecule sensing apparatus comprising:
- first and second chambers;
- an input port extending into the first chamber;
- a fluid channel extending from the first chamber to the second chamber;
- and
- a surface-enhanced substrate in the second chamber, the surface-enhanced substrate comprising nano fingers spaced apart and deformable so as to bend towards each other under influence of capillary action resulting from condensation on the nano fingers.
2 more elements
A method of processing an analyte, the method comprising:
- mixing the analyte with a liquid solvent in a first chamber to obtain a liquid-phase mixture;
- vaporizing the liquid-phase mixture in the first chamber to obtain a gas-phase mixture in which analyte molecules are attached to solvent molecules;
- transferring the gas-phase mixture out of the first chamber and into a second chamber containing a surface enhanced substrate;
- and
- condensing the gas-phase mixture onto the surface-enhanced substrate.
2 more elements
A method of analyzing an unknown substance, the method comprising:
- mixing the unknown substance with a solvent to obtain a mixture in which molecules of the unknown substance are attached to molecules of the solvent;
- adsorbing the mixture onto a surface-enhanced substrate;
- exposing the substrate to incident laser radiation to obtain scattered radiation;
- measuring a spectrum of the scattered radiation;
- and
- comparing the measured spectrum with known spectra to identify the unknown substance wherein the unknown substance comprises a fluid, the solvent comprises a liquid, and mixing the unknown substance with the solvent comprises bubbling the unknown substance through the solvent.
3 more elements
A molecule sensing apparatus comprising:
- first and second chambers, the first chamber to contain a liquid;
- an input port extending into the first chamber;
- a heater to heat the liquid in the first chamber;
- a fluid channel extending from the first chamber to the second chamber;
- a surface-enhanced substrate in the second chamber;
- a laser directed toward the substrate;
- and
- a photo detector oriented to receive laser radiation scattered from the substrate.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.