Back to results
US 2013/0260478 A1Published application
System and process for selective detection of vapor-phase analytes
AssigneeBattelle Memorial Institute
InventorsRobert G. Ewing, David A. Atkinson, Brian H. Clowers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method are disclosed that provide selective detection of gas-phase target analytes at concentrations below 1 part-per-trillion including explosives, explosives compounds, and other threat agents involving chemical adduct ions between reactant ions and the target analytes for detection of the target analytes.
Claims28
A method, comprising the steps of:
- distributing a gas-phase sample containing at least one analyte in a carrier gas at a carrier gas pressure of at least about 100 Torr into a reaction region defined between an ion source and an ion detector disposed a selected distance apart in a reaction chamber;
- ionizing said carrier gas with said ion source to form reactant ions that selectively bind to said at least one analyte;
- forming adduct ions between said reactant ions and said at least one analyte by providing a sufficient residence time for said reactant ions in said reaction region;
- detecting said adduct ions to determine presence or absence of said at least one analyte in said gas-phase sample.
1 more element
A system for detection of a vapor phase analyte(s), comprising:
- a reaction chamber with an ionization source and a detector disposed a selected distance apart therein that defines a reaction region therebetween, wherein the ionization source ionizes a carrier gas when introduced into the reaction region at a pressure above 100 Torr (0.13 atm) forming reactant ions that selectively couple with an analyte(s) when introduced in the reaction region with a residence time therein sufficient for forming chemical adduct ions that when detected by the detector identify presence or absence of the analyte(s) in a sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.