# US 2017/0284977 A1 · Detection of substances of interest using gas-solid phase chemistry

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- Number: US 2017/0284977 A1
- Document ID: US20170284977A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/087,251
- Filed: 2016-03-31
- Published: 2017-10-05
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-31
- Assignees: Morpho Detection, Inc.
- Applicants: Morpho Detection, LLC
- Inventors: William Rogers; Vladimir Romanov; Stefan Lukow; Hartwig Schmidt
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170284977A1

## CPC

- G01N 30/12: by evaporation
- G01N 27/622: Ion mobility spectrometry
- G01N 31/224: {for investigating presence of dangerous gases}
- H01J 49/0409: {Sample holders or containers (containers for retaining a material to be analyzed, B01L3/50, for DNA, C12Q1/6834, for biological materials, G01N33/543)}
- G01N 2030/128: {Thermal desorption analysis}
- H01J 49/00: Particle spectrometers or separator tubes
- 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)
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)

## Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to methods and systems for detecting a chemical substance. The methods and systems include using gas-solid phase chemistry to chemically and/or physically modify a substance of interest so that the substance can be vaporized and detected through an analysis of the substance.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for detecting a substance of interest, the method comprising:
collecting a sample of a substantially non-volatile substance of interest on a sampling trap;
inserting the trap into a thermal desorber;
introducing a vaporized clustering agent into the desorber, wherein the clustering agent increases the volatility of the substance of interest;
vaporizing the substance of interest;
transferring the vaporized substance of interest into a detector;
performing an analysis of the substance of interest; and,
detecting the substance of interest.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the clustering agent includes at least one of an organic acid, a crown ether, an amine, an ester, an amide and combinations thereof.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the substance of interest includes at least one of an explosive, an energetic material, a taggant, a narcotic, a toxin, a chemical warfare agent, a biological warfare agent, a pollutant, a pesticide, a toxic industrial chemical, a toxic industrial material, a homemade explosive, a pharmaceutical trace contaminant and combinations thereof.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the substance of interest includes at least one of nitrates, chlorates, perchlorates, nitrites, chlorites, permanganates, chromates, dichromates, bromates, iodates, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the vaporized clustering agent is introduced into the desorber at a flow rate of from about 5 cc/min to about 1,000 cc/min.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the vaporized clustering agent is introduced into the desorber at a concentration of from about 0.01 μg/min to about 250 μg/min.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the detector includes at least one of an ion mobility spectrometer (IMS), an ion trap mobility spectrometer (ITMS), a drift spectrometer (DS), an aspiration ion mobility spectrometer, a non-linear drift spectrometer, a field ion spectrometer (FIS), a radio frequency ion mobility increment spectrometer (IMIS), a field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometer (FAIMS), an ultra-high-field FAIMS, a differential ion mobility spectrometer (DIMS), a differential mobility spectrometer (DMS), a drift spectrometer, a non-linear drift spectrometer, an ultra-high FAIMS, a trapped ion mobility spectrometer (TIMS), a traveling wave ion mobility spectrometer, a semiconductor gas sensor, a raman spectrometer, a laser diode detector, a mass spectrometer (MS), a gas chromatograph (GC), an electron capture detector, a photoionization detector, a chemiluminescence-based detector, an electrochemical sensor, an infrared spectrometer, a lab-on-a-chip detector and combinations thereof.

### Claim 8

A method for detecting a substance of interest, the method comprising:
increasing the volatility of a substantially non-volatile substance of interest, wherein the volatility of the substance of interest is increased by applying a vaporized clustering agent to the substance of interest;
vaporizing the substance of interest in a thermal desorber; and,
transferring the vaporized substance of interest into a detector, wherein the detector performs an analysis of the vaporized substance of interest and detects the substance of interest.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the clustering agent includes at least one of an organic acid, a crown ether, an amine, an ester, an amide and combinations thereof.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the substance of interest includes at least one of an explosive, an energetic material, a taggant, a narcotic, a toxin, a chemical warfare agent, a biological warfare agent, a pollutant, a pesticide, a toxic industrial chemical, a toxic industrial material, a homemade explosive, a pharmaceutical trace contaminant and combinations thereof.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the substance of interest includes at least one of nitrates, chlorates, perchlorates, nitrites, chlorites, permanganates, chromates, dichromates, bromates, iodates, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the vaporized clustering agent is applied at a flow rate of from about 5 cc/min to about 1,000 cc/min.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the vaporized clustering agent is applied at a concentration of from about 0.01 μg/min to about 250 μg/min.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the detector includes at least one of an ion mobility spectrometer (IMS), an ion trap mobility spectrometer (ITMS), a drift spectrometer (DS), an aspiration ion mobility spectrometer, a non-linear drift spectrometer, a field ion spectrometer (FIS), a radio frequency ion mobility increment spectrometer (IMIS), a field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometer (FAIMS), an ultra-high-field FAIMS, a differential ion mobility spectrometer (DIMS), a differential mobility spectrometer (DMS), a drift spectrometer, a non-linear drift spectrometer, an ultra-high FAIMS, a trapped ion mobility spectrometer (TIMS), a traveling wave ion mobility spectrometer, a semiconductor gas sensor, a raman spectrometer, a laser diode detector, a mass spectrometer (MS), a gas chromatograph (GC), an electron capture detector, a photoionization detector, a chemiluminescence-based detector, an electrochemical sensor, an infrared spectrometer, a lab-on-a-chip detector and combinations thereof.

### Claim 15

A substance detection system, the system comprising:
a sampling trap including a substantially non-volatile substance of interest;
a housing including a clustering agent, the housing configured to vaporize the clustering agent;
a thermal desorber configured to receive the sampling trap, wherein the desorber is configured to vaporize the substance of interest;
a transfer line, wherein the transfer line connects the housing to the desorber and transfers the vaporized clustering agent from the housing to the desorber, wherein the vaporized clustering agent increases the volatility of the substance of interest;
an analysis device coupled in flow communication with the desorber, the analysis device configured to receive the vaporized substance of interest from the desorber and perform an analysis of the substance of interest.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the clustering agent includes at least one of an organic acid, a crown ether, an amine, an ester, an amide and combinations thereof.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the substance of interest includes at least one of an explosive, an energetic material, a taggant, a narcotic, a toxin, a chemical warfare agent, a biological warfare agent, a pollutant, a pesticide, a toxic industrial chemical, a toxic industrial material, a homemade explosive, a pharmaceutical trace contaminant and combinations thereof.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein the substance of interest includes at least one of nitrates, chlorates, perchlorates, nitrites, chlorites, permanganates, chromates, dichromates, bromates, iodates, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the vaporized clustering agent is transferred to the desorber at a flow rate of from about 5 cc/min to about 1,000 cc/min.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the vaporized clustering agent is transferred to the desorber at a concentration of from about 0.01 μg/min to about 250 μg/min.