Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for detecting and locating explosives, biological, and chemical substances in ducts and structures using tracers

US7331248B2 · kind B2 · utility

21Cited by
18References
5Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 6, 2004
Grant dateFeb 19, 2008
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 6, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T436/13
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for detecting, locating, and quantifying explosive materials and devices, and naturally occurring and man-made dangerous or hazardous biological and chemical materials and devices in ducts or piping systems, or other fluid flow systems in buildings such as residential, office, industrial, and power plants, transportation systems such as ships, airplanes, subways, and trains, and various types of infrastructure such as dams, tunnels, or bridges, and in the rooms, compartments, enclosures, containers, or difficult to access areas in these buildings, transportation systems, and structures. The preferred embodiment of this detection and location method uses a conservative tracer and one or more interactive tracers that are injected into the duct or area to be searched at one location and then monitored at the same or another location in the duct or area. Alternative embodiments, which are quicker and just as accurate for detection and location, require only the use of interactive tracers. Detection, location, and quantification are accomplished by analysis of the characteristic features of measured curves of tracer concentration. Various types of interactive t…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.