Non-contact trace chemical screening

A device for detecting a target substance on a subject without contacting said subject, said device comprising:

• at least one air jet for blowing analyte from a surface of said subject into an airflow, said airflow entraining said analyte;
• an inlet for receiving at least a portion of said airflow;
• a desorption channel in fluid communication with said inlet for desorbing molecules from analyte in said portion of said airflow travelling through said desorption channel;
• an ionizer, in fluid communication with said desorption channel, for forming ions from vapour molecules in said portion of said airflow;
• at least one mass spectrometer in fluid communication with said ionizer, for analyzing said ions to detect said target substance;
• wherein said airflow travels without interruption from said subject to said at least one mass spectrometer;
• and
• wherein said desorption channel causes a sufficient quantity of molecules to desorb from said analyte to enable said at least one mass spectrometer to detect said target substance.