US 2025/0146996 A1 · Methods and Apparatus for Trace Chemical and Biological Detection from Water or Other Liquid Samples

Abstract

Compact and portable, real-time or near real-time, in-line, on-line, at-line, or off-line reagentless detection, identification, and/or quantification spectroscopic methods and sensor systems provide detection and quantification of chemical and biological (CB) materials or analytes (whether harmful or beneficial) at trace quantities and concentrations (e.g., at less than 10 ppb, 10 ppt, or 10 ppq). Some embodiments detect trace volumes of materials of interest that were originally in water or another liquid wherein detection is enhanced by one or more of (1) liquid reduction or elimination, (2) overlaid multi-droplet deposition, (3) analyte spatial separation, and/or (4) creation and storage of analyte sample archives in a readily accessible manner for future re-examination.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A method of spectroscopic analysis, comprising:

(a) obtaining a liquid sample to be tested from at least one source;
(b) providing a substrate;
(c) depositing a total volume of the liquid sample to a predefined location on the substrate;
(d) allowing or causing at least a portion of the liquid to evaporate from the sample to provide an analyte sample for testing;
(e) directing excitation radiation on to the analyte sample;
(f) detecting resulting emission radiation coming from the analyte sample;
and
(g) analyzing emission radiation spectra to provide a determination concerning the presence of any biological or chemical analyte of interest.

5 more elements

A spectroscopic analysis apparatus, comprising:

(a) a substrate;
(b) a computer-controlled dispenser for depositing a total volume of a liquid sample to a predefined location on the substrate;
(c) an evaporation promoter selected from the group consisting of at least one of:
(1) a substrate heater, (2) an air heater, (3) an air chiller, (4) a desiccant, (5) at least one air filter, (6) an exhaust fan, (7) an intake fan, and (8) a wait time for promoting evaporation of the liquid from the deposited liquid sample to provide an analyte sample for testing;
(d) a source of excitation radiation controlled to direct the excitation radiation at the predefined location on the substrate when the analyte sample is present;
(e) at least one optical component and a detector for capturing emission radiation in a plurality of selected spectral bands arising from an interaction between the excitation radiation and the analyte sample;
and
(f) a computer programmed to compare detected emission radiation with spectral emission data from samples of known materials of interest to determine presence of at least one material of interest in the analyte sample.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods and Apparatus for Trace Chemical and Biological Detection from Water or Other Liquid Samples

Life of this patent

Methods and Apparatus for Trace Chemical and Biological Detection from Water or Other Liquid Samples

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30