Spectrometric device for the analysis of environmental and geological samples
AssigneeCharles D. Fator
InventorJohn David Hanby
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for analyzing contaminants such as hydrocarbons in soil and ground water utilizes a reaction device comprising a catalyst encapsulated in a permeable material and processes that device in contact with a contaminant in an analytical device in order to generate a spectrogram indicative of the contaminants in the soil and ground water.
Claims20
A reaction device comprising:
- a first portion of a permeable material;
- and
- a second portion of the permeable material sealed against the first portion to sealably encapsulate an anhydrous Friedel-Crafts catalyst;
- wherein the reaction device is configured for reacting with a sample extract in a Friedel-Crafts reaction such that the sample extract permeates through the permeable material to contact the anhydrous Friedel-Crafts catalyst encapsulated by the first and second portions and thereby cause the Friedel-Crafts reaction.
A method of manufacturing a reaction device comprising positioning an anhydrous catalyst reagent on a first portion of a permeable material;
- overlaying a second portion of a permeable material;
- sealing the second material to the first material to encapsulate the anhydrous catalyst reagent and finish the reaction device;
- and
- exposing the encapsulated reaction device to a sample extract to cause a Friedel-Crafts reaction between the sample extract and the anhydrous catalyst reagent.
A device for analyzing soil and water contaminants comprising:
- a chemical module, wherein the chemical module comprises an extraction vessel having a floor configured to retain a reaction device, walls configured to retain a solvent reservoir and a coupler;
- and
- an analysis module, wherein the analysis module comprises a body with a complementary coupler for releasably coupling with the coupler of the chemical module, a light source, a filter, an optical receptor, and an analysis device;
- wherein, when the coupler of the chemical module is releasably coupled with the coupler of the analysis module, relative movement between the chemical module and the analysis module is restricted.
A method for analyzing soil and water contaminants comprising:
- loading a reaction device having a Friedel-Crafts catalyst encapsulated in a permeable material;
- positioning a solvent reservoir adjacent the reaction device;
- piercing a barrier of the solvent reservoir to leak solvent from the solvent reservoir to mix a sample with solvent from the solvent reservoir to form an extract;
- exposing the extract to the reaction device to form a Friedel-Crafts chromophore in the extract;
- illuminating the extract;
- collecting the refracted or transmitted light therethrough;
- and
- generating a spectrogram indicative of the soil and water contaminants.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.