Apparatus, system and method for the detection of an analyte in air

US6192766A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Biosensor Applications Swedeen AB (publ · SE

Inventors

• Peter Gårdhagen · Hagfors, SE
• Magnus Samuelsson · Uppsala, SE
• Arne Alm · Eskilstuna, SE
• Åke Jansson · Säter, SE
• Johan Arnell · Eskilstuna, SE
• Claes Georg Andersson · Berkeley, US
• Erik Johansson · Karlskoga, SE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 12, 1998
• Grant date: Feb 27, 2001
• Expiry date: Jun 12, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2001/022
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An apparatus, a system and a method for the detection of an analyte in air comprising an air sampling system (1) comprising a mouthpiece (10) and a fan, a first enrichment stage (11) for enrichment of the analyte comprising a thermally regulated adsorption/desorption filter (20) creating a non-laminar gas flow for adsorption of the analyte, a heat source for heating the filter to evaporate the analyte, a second enrichment stage (30) for the further enrichment of the gaseous analyte comprising a cold trap (32) for condensing the analyte, extraction of the condensed material with a solvent, and collecting the solution, and analyzing the collected liquid sample with an analytical detection system, are disclosed. Further, an adsoption/desorption filter creating a non-laminar gas flow comprising a winding (21) of a resistance wire coated with an active material electric heating of the wire, is described. A specific application is detection of a gaseous component of explosives or mines, e.g. TNT, in air.