Ball assisted device for analytical surface sampling
AssigneesUT-Battelle, LLC, DH Technologies Development Pte. Ltd.
InventorsMariam S. ElNaggar, Gary J. Van Berkel, Thomas R. Covey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for sampling a surface includes a sampling probe having a housing and a socket, and a rolling sampling sphere within the socket. The housing has a sampling fluid supply conduit and a sampling fluid exhaust conduit. The sampling fluid supply conduit supplies sampling fluid to the sampling sphere. The sampling fluid exhaust conduit has an inlet opening for receiving sampling fluid carried from the surface by the sampling sphere. A surface sampling probe and a method for sampling a surface are also disclosed.
Claims25
A system for sampling a surface, comprising a sampling probe comprising a housing and a socket, and a rolling sampling sphere engaged in the socket, the housing having a sampling fluid supply conduit and a sampling fluid exhaust conduit, the sampling fluid supply conduit supplying sampling fluid to the sampling sphere, the sampling fluid exhaust conduit having an inlet opening for receiving sampling fluid carried from the surface by the sampling sphere, the inlet opening being spaced from the sampling sphere, the space providing a direct fluid flow path between the supply conduit, the sampling sphere, and the inlet opening, and further comprising at least one pump for continuously moving sampling fluid through the sampling fluid supply conduit to the sampling sphere and through the sampling fluid exhaust conduit, a portion of the fluid moving out of the housing with the sampling sphere to contact the surface and a portion of the fluid flowing through the direct fluid flow path, whereby fluid flowing through the direct fluid flow path will remove sample from the rolling sampling sphere and carry the sample to the exhaust conduit inlet opening.
A system for sampling a surface, comprising a sampling probe comprising a housing and a socket, and a rolling sampling sphere engaged in the socket, the housing having a sampling fluid supply conduit and a sampling fluid exhaust conduit, the sampling fluid supply conduit supplying sampling fluid to the sampling sphere, the sampling fluid exhaust conduit having an inlet opening for receiving sampling fluid carried from the surface by the sampling sphere, and further comprising a supply pump for supplying sampling fluid through the sampling fluid supply conduit to the sampling sphere, and an exhaust pump for withdrawing sampling fluid from the sampling fluid exhaust conduit;
- further comprising a wash fluid supply conduit for supplying a wash fluid to the sampling sphere to remove sample from the sphere, wherein the sampling fluid exhaust conduit is concentric to and within the sampling fluid supply, and the wash fluid supply conduit is concentric to and surrounds both the sampling fluid supply conduit and the sampling fluid exhaust conduit, and wherein the sampling fluid supply conduit and the sampling fluid exhaust conduit are retractable within the wash fluid supply conduit to permit the flow of wash fluid over the sphere.
A surface sampling probe comprising a housing and a socket, and a rolling sampling sphere within the socket, the housing having a sampling fluid supply conduit and a sampling fluid exhaust conduit, the sampling fluid supply conduit supplying sampling fluid to the sampling sphere, the sampling fluid exhaust conduit having an inlet opening for receiving sampling fluid carried from the surface by the sampling sphere, the inlet opening being spaced from the rolling sampling sphere, the space providing a direct fluid flow path between the supply conduit, the sampling sphere, and the inlet opening, wherein sampling fluid moves continuously through the sampling fluid supply conduit to the sampling sphere and through the sampling fluid exhaust conduit, a portion of the fluid moving out of the housing with the sampling sphere to contact the surface and then returning with the sampling sphere into the housing, and a portion of the fluid flowing through the direct fluid flow path, whereby fluid flowing through the direct fluid flow path will remove solvent and sample from the rolling sampling sphere and carry the sample to the exhaust conduit inlet opening.
A method for sampling a surface, comprising the steps of:
- providing a surface sampling probe comprising a housing and a socket, and a rolling sampling sphere within the socket, the housing having a sampling fluid supply conduit and a sampling fluid exhaust conduit, the sampling fluid supply conduit supplying sampling fluid to the sampling sphere, the sampling fluid exhaust conduit having an inlet opening for receiving sampling fluid carried from the surface by the sampling sphere;
- supplying with a sampling fluid to the rolling sphere through the sampling fluid supply conduit, the inlet opening being spaced from the sampling sphere, the space providing a direct fluid flow path between the supply conduit, the rolling sampling sphere, and the inlet opening, wherein sampling fluid moves continuously through the sampling fluid supply conduit to the sampling sphere and through the sampling fluid exhaust conduit, a portion of the fluid moving out of the housing with the rolling sampling sphere to contact the surface and returning with the rolling sampling sphere into the housing, and a portion of the fluid flowing through the direct fluid flow path;
- 5 of 11 rolling the sphere across a sample surface, whereby the rolling sphere will carry sampling fluid to the surface, take up sample in the sampling fluid, and carry the sampling fluid toward the inlet opening of the sampling fluid exhaust conduit, and whereby fluid flowing through the direct fluid flow path will remove sample from the rolling sampling sphere and carry the sample to the exhaust conduit inlet opening;
- and, withdrawing sampling fluid containing the sample through the sampling fluid exhaust conduit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.