Apparatus, system, and method for broad spectrum chemical detection
AssigneeSeer Technology, Inc.
InventorGary Bodily
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for broad spectrum chemical detection. The method includes determining a similarity sequencing scheme. The method includes receiving an ambient air sample and concentrating the ambient air sample. The method further includes providing the concentrated sample to a gas chromatography (GC) column, and detecting chemical elution from the GC column in a series of similarity sequenced samples based on the similarity sequencing scheme. The method includes de-convoluting the elution data to derive arrival peaks, and determining a concentration of a chemical in the ambient air based on the series of constant log-time data samples. In one embodiment, the method utilizes a modified Z-transform to de-convolute the elution data.
Claims23
A method for detecting chemicals with a gas chromatography sensor comprising:
- determining a similarity sequencing scheme for the gas chromatography sensor, wherein the similarity sequencing scheme comprises a time sampling rate profile configured such that an early-eluting chemical and a late-eluting chemical elute over a similar sampling width;
- fitting the time sampling rate profile to a slow elution profile for the early-eluting chemical and a fast elution profile for the late-eluting chemical such that the early-eluting chemical and the late-eluting chemical elute over the similar sampling width;
- receiving an ambient air sample;
- concentrating the ambient air sample;
- providing the concentrated sample to at least one gas chromatography (GC) column;
- and
- detecting chemical elution from the at least one GC column in a series of similarity sequenced samples according to the similarity sequencing scheme;
- and determining a concentration of at least one chemical in the ambient air sample based on the series of similarity sequenced samples.
An apparatus for detecting chemicals with a gas chromatography sensor, the apparatus comprising:
- a similarity definition module configured to determine a similarity sequencing scheme for the gas chromatography sensor, wherein the similarity sequencing scheme comprises fitting a time sampling rate profile to a slow elution profile for an early-eluting chemical and a fast elution profile for a late-eluting chemical such that the early-eluting chemical and the late-eluting chemical elute over a similar sampling width;
- an elution data module configured to interpret elution data signals from at least one gas chromatography (GC) column;
- a similarity sequencing module configured to sort the elution data signals into a series of similarity sequenced samples based on the similarity sequencing scheme;
- and
- a chemical detection module configured to determine a concentration of at least one chemical in the ambient air sample based on the series of similarity sequenced samples.
A system for detecting chemicals with a gas chromatography sensor, the system comprising:
- a gas chromatography (GC) sensor comprising dual GC columns;
- a controller comprising:
- a similarity definition module configured to determine a similarity sequencing scheme for the gas chromatography sensor, wherein the similarity sequencing scheme comprises fitting a time sampling rate profile to a slow elution profile for an early-eluting chemical and a fast elution profile for a late-eluting chemical such that the earl eluting chemical and the late-eluting chemical elute over a similar sampling width;
- an elution data module configured to interpret elution data signals from at least one gas chromatography (GC) column;
- a similarity sequencing module configured to sort the elution data signals into a series of similarity sequenced samples based on the similarity sequencing scheme;
- a chemical detection module configured to determine a concentration of at least one chemical in the ambient air sample based on the series of similarity sequenced samples;
- a signal processing module configured to de-convolute the series of similarity sequenced samples to determine a plurality of arrival peaks;
- and
- a noise-filtering module configured to operate at least one noise wavelet on the plurality of arrival peaks to determine whether each arrival peak comprises one of noise and data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.