Contact hazard monitor

Abstract

A surface contaminated with toxic materials to be tested or monitored is pled using a probe which is shown here to have a rectangular opening typically of several square inches in cross section. A pliable gasket of suitable heat-resistant material is used to cushion and seal the probe in contact with the surface, but small holes are provided of sufficient size (and positioned close to the surface to be tested) to allow ambient air to be drawn at a desired volumetric flow rate through a sampling tube which also forms the handle of the probe, and is connected through a flexible tube or hose to a suitable detector and vacuum pump. The detector and pump can be combined in a single unit. The detector can be one of several kinds of providing sensitive monitoring of agent vapors or simulant vapors, e.g., a flame photometer or a gas chromatograph (with suitable sampling techniques). Within the probe is mounted a lamp that provides intense heat (e.g., a quartz tube lamp) and is mounted in such a position that it is close to the surface when the probe gasket is in contact with the surface. A polished reflector can be used to focus the radiation uniformly across the surface. In place of the lamp other heating elements could be used, e.g., wound wire elements of Nichrome or other material, or electrically-conductive rods of semiconductors or carbon or other materials.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.