# US 11,906,403 B2 · Molecule collection devices and system for environment monitoring > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,906,403 B2 - Document ID: US11906403B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/536,293 - Filed: 2021-11-29 - Published: 2022-06-02 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2020-11-30 - Assignees: University of North Texas - Applicants: University of North Texas - Inventors: Guido Fridolin Verbeck, IV - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11906403B2 ## CPC - G01N 1/2214: {by sorption} - G01N 1/2273: {Atmospheric sampling} - B01J 20/26: Synthetic macromolecular compounds - B01J 20/28033: {Membrane, sheet, cloth, pad, lamellar or mat} - G01N 1/26: with provision for intake from several spaces - G01N 1/405: {by adsorption or absorption} - G01N 21/3504: for analysing gases, e.g. multi-gas analysis - G01N 21/35: using infrared light (G01N21/39 takes precedence) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS ## Abstract The present disclosure provides a system, method, and apparatus for detecting chemical effluents in an environment using Teslin substrates. To illustrate, a system includes one or more Teslin substrates which can capture molecules present in an ambient environment. The system includes a housing with the one or more Teslin substrates disposed within the housing. The system further includes means for selectively exposing different portions of the one or more Teslin substrates to the ambient environment, in which the molecules present in the ambient environment are captured by the different portions of the one or more Teslin substrates as the different portions of the one or more Teslin substrates are exposed. The system can include that the means for selectively exposing different portions of the one or more Teslin substrates is an aperture in the housing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for detecting one or more chemical effluents in an environment, the system comprising: one or more Teslin® substrates configured to capture molecules present in an environment; a housing comprising a plurality of surfaces, wherein the one or more Teslin® substrates are disposed within the housing; and means for selectively exposing different portions of the one or more Teslin® substrates to the environment, wherein the molecules present in the environment are captured by the different portions of the one or more Teslin® substrates as the different portions of the one or more Teslin® substrates are exposed. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more apertures disposed on a surface of the housing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, further comprising a fan configured to direct an air flow within the environment towards the one or more apertures. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the means for selectively exposing the different portions of the one or more Teslin® substrates to the environment is configured to move the surface of the housing relative to the one or more Teslin® substrates to expose the different portions of the one or more Teslin® substrates to the environment via the one or more apertures disposed on the surface of the housing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the means for selectively exposing the different portions of the one or more Teslin® substrates to the environment comprises a motor configured to move the surface of the housing on which the one or more apertures are disposed to expose the different portions of the one or more Teslin® substrates to the environment. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the motor is configured to rotate the surface of the housing to expose the different portions of the one or more Teslin® substrates to the environment. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the means for selectively exposing the different portions of the one or more Teslin® substrates to the environment is configured to move the one or more Teslin® substrates relative to the one or more apertures to expose the different portions of the one or more Teslin® substrates to the environment via the one or more apertures. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the means for selectively exposing the different portions of the one or more Teslin® substrates to the environment comprises a motor configured to move the one or more Teslin® substrates relative to the one or more apertures to expose the different portions of the one or more Teslin® substrates to the environment. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the motor is configured to rotate the one or more Teslin® substrates to expose the different portions of the one or more Teslin® substrates to the environment. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a vehicle, wherein the vehicle is a car, truck, van, bicycle, motorcycle, train, bus, boat, submarine, helicopter, airplane, drone, quadcopter, or hot air balloon. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the means for selectively exposing different portions of the one or more Teslin® substrates to the environment is configured to incrementally expose the different portions of the one or more Teslin® substrates to the environment, wherein a first increment exposes a first portion of the one or more Teslin® substrates to the environment and a second increment exposes a second portion of the one or more Teslin® substrates to the environment. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more Teslin® substrates are tunable to capture different molecules. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a reading device configured to: analyze the one or more Teslin® substrates; identify molecules of interest captured by the one or more Teslin® substrates; and provide a report of the identified molecules. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the reading device is a mass spectrometer or an infrared spectrometer. ### Claim 15 A method for detecting one or more chemical effluents in an environment, the method comprising: providing one or more Teslin® substrates; and selectively exposing different portions of the one or more Teslin® substrates to an environment, wherein molecules present in the environment are captured by the different portions of the one or more Teslin® substrates as the portions of the one or more Teslin® substrates are exposed to the environment. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more Teslin® substrates are disposed in a housing comprising a plurality of surfaces, wherein one or more apertures are present on at least one of the plurality of surfaces, and wherein selectively exposing the different portions of the one or more Teslin® substrates to an environment comprises: moving the one or more apertures to expose at least one portion of the one or more Teslin® substrates to the environment. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more Teslin® substrates are disposed in a housing comprising a plurality of surfaces, wherein the one or more apertures are present on at least one of the plurality of surfaces, and wherein selectively exposing the different portions of the one or more Teslin® substrates to an environment comprises: moving the one or more Teslin® substrates relative to the one or more apertures to expose at least one portion of the one or more Teslin® substrates to the environment. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising analyzing, by a reading device, the one or more Teslin® substrates to identify molecules captured by the one or more Teslin® substrates. ### Claim 19 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations for capturing molecules present in an environment, the operations comprising: controlling exposure of one or more Teslin® substrates to an environment such that different portions of the one or more Teslin® substrates are exposed to the environment over time, wherein the one or more Teslin® substrates are disposed in a housing comprising a plurality of surfaces, wherein one or more apertures are present on at least one of the plurality of surfaces, and wherein the one or more Teslin® substrates are exposed to the environment via the one or more apertures; analyzing the one or more Teslin® substrates to identify molecules captured by the one or more Teslin® substrates; and generating an output comprising information associated with the identified molecules. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein controlling exposure of the one or more Teslin® substrates to the environment comprises moving the one or more apertures relative to the one or more Teslin® substrates or moving the one or more Teslin® substrates relative to the one or more apertures.