Method for remote detection of trace contaminants
AssigneeSandia Corporation
InventorsRobert J. Simonson, Bradley G. Hance
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Abstract
A method for remote detection of trace contaminants in a target area comprises applying sensor particles that preconcentrate the trace contaminant to the target area and detecting the contaminant-sensitive fluorescence from the sensor particles. The sensor particles can have contaminant-sensitive and contaminant-insensitive fluorescent compounds to enable the determination of the amount of trace contaminant present in the target are by relative comparison of the emission of the fluorescent compounds by a local or remote fluorescence detector. The method can be used to remotely detect buried minefields.
Claims13
A method for the remote detection of trace contaminants in a target area, comprising:
- a) applying sensor particles to the target area, the sensor particles capable of preconcentrating the trace contaminant and having a contaminant-sensitive fluorescent compound with optical emission that is sensitive to the presence of the trace contaminant and a contaminant-insensitive fluorescent compound with optical emission that is insensitive to the presence of the trace contaminant;
- b) detecting the optical emission of the contaminant-sensitive fluorescent compound and the optical emission of the contaminant-insensitive fluorescent compound with a detection means;
- and
- c) comparing the optical emission of the contaminant-sensitive fluorescent compound to the optical emission of the contaminant-insensitive fluorescent compound to determine the amount of trace contaminant present in the target area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.