Thermedics Inc.

The Coca-Cola Company

Thermedics Detection, Inc.

True Technology, Inc.

Instrumentation Laboratory Company

Eugene K Achter

David P Rounbehler

David H Fine

Stephen J MacDonald

Helmut W Klotzsch

Freeman W Fraim

David P Lieb

Gabor Miskolczy

Jonathan E Bosworth

Craig D Thompson

Alf L Carroll

Daniel B Dennison

John S Beaty

David B Gernes

Eugenie Hainsworth

Glenn R Gray

Ain A Sonin

Abdul Tafreshi

Helmut Klotzsch

Gregory J Wendell

David Lieb

Edward J Burke

Fuquan Gao

Gianfranco D Zaccai

Clayton D Wood

Dirk Appel

Michel D Arney

Hartmut Schroeder

George B Jarvis

David B Wheeler

Gregory J Wendel

Stephen S Trotta

Jose A Santos

An analytical instrument for the immobilization of antigens to be detected in an immunoassay using mangetizable beads. The instrument includes a probe containing magnetizable particles and a plurality of magnetic devices for applying a magnetic field gradient to the particles in the probe reservoir. The probe is movable between the plurality of magnetic devices and at least one of the probe positions may be used to immobilize the magnetic particles in the fluid medium and at least another position may be used to resuspend the particles in a fluid medium.

Immunoassay probe

A method and apparatus are directed to non-destructive testing for a leak in a sealed package having an interior chamber formed of a gas-permeable portion and a non-gas-permeable portion. A temporary barrier having an aperture is formed to the gas-permeable portion to temporarily seal the gas-permeable portion of the sealed package except at the aperture. A tracer gas is applied through the aperture at the gas-permeable portion, whereby the tracer gas enters into the interior chamber. The concentration of tracer gas is measured at the exterior of the sealed package, thereby testing for a leak in the sealed package.

Method and apparatus for detecting leaks in packaging

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for sampling and determining the presence of certain substances, such as residues of contaminants in containers. The method includes steps of: injecting compressed air into said containers in order to displace at least a portion of the contents thereof; evacuating a sample of the container contents so displaced by applying suction thereto; and analyzing the sample evacuated to determine the presence or absence of the certain residues therein. The compressed air is injected through a nozzle into an opening in the containers to displace a portion of the container contents and form a sample cloud outside of the container. The sample cloud is then at least partially evacuated by suction and the sample is analyzed for the presence of contaminants such as nitrogen containing compounds or hydrocarbons. The sample cloud may be split into first and second portions. Contaminants in the first portion are detected by a chemiluminescence detector and the second portion by a pulsed fluorescence detector.

Method and system for sampling and determining the presence of compounds

A high speed gas chromatography system includes a heated isothermal region and a gas chromatography column located externally to the isothermal region. The system also includes a detector and a flow path between the column and the detector. At least a portion of the flow path is positioned in the isothermal region.

High speed gas chromatography

To detect an unpressurized moving container, a fluid such as air is directed at the moving container. Thereafter, a level of deflection of the moving container resulting from the directed fluid is detected. An unpressurized container is indicated when the detected level of deflection exceeds a threshold level. Deflection may be detected by directing a pulse of air or a continuous stream of air against the container. The system is particularly useful in detecting unpressurized, thin-walled aluminum cans.

Detection of unpressurized moving containers

A system and method are provided for minimizing the effects of background signals in masking signals indicating the presence of substances to be detected such as contaminants in materials moving rapidly along a conveyor. The contaminants detected may include nitrogen containing compounds and hydrocarbons. The system and method of the present invention minimizes the number of falsely positive indications of the presence of such substances due to background signals and changes in background signals. The substances detected are divided into first and second sample portions and the respective portions are heated. The first heated portion is reacted with ozone to generate radiation by chemiluminescence having characteristic wavelengths related to substances in the first portion. The second portion heated is also reacted with ozone to generate radiation by chemiluminescence having characteristic wavelengths related to substances in the second portion. The radiation of the respective first and second portions is selectively detected. The heating and detecting steps are performed in a manner so as to yield a higher level of detected radiation from one of the portions of the sample then the other for at least some of the selected compounds being detected. Electrical signals from the respective first and second portions are generated and compared in order to determine the presence or absence of selected compounds in the sample. Appropriate reject signals for a bottle sorting system are generated accordingly.

A system and method for minimizing the effects of background signals in masking signals indicating the presence of substances to be detected such as contaminants in materials moving rapidly along a conveyor. The contaminants detected may include nitrogen containing compounds and hydrocarbons. The system and method minimize, during detection of the presence or absence of such substances, the number of falsely positive indications of the presence of such substances due to background signals and changes in background signals. The substances detected are divided into first and second sample portions and the respective portions are heated. The first heated portion is mixed with ozone to cause a chemical action therewith in order to generate radiation by chemiluminescence having characteristic wavelengths related to substances in the first portion. The second portion heated is also mixed with ozone to cause a chemical reaction therewith in order to generate radiation by chemiluminescence having characteristic wavelengths related to substances in the second portion. The radiation of the respective first and second portions is selectively detected. The heating and detecting steps are performed in a manner so as to yield a higher level of detected radiation from one of the portions of the sample than the other for at least some of the selected compounds being detected. Electrical signals from the respective first and second portions are generated and compared in order to determine the presence or absence of selected compounds in the sample. Appropriate reject signals for a bottle sorting system are generated accordingly.

A highly selective, sensitive, fast detection system and method are disclosed for detecting vapors of specific compounds in air. Vapors emanating from compounds such as explosives, or stripped from surfaces using heat and suction from a hand-held sample gun, are collected on surfaces coated with gas chromatograph (GC) material which trap explosives vapors but repel nitric oxide, then are desorbed and concentrated in one or more cold spot concentrators, A high speed gas chromatograph (GC) separates the vapors, after which specific vapors are decomposed in two pyrolyzers arranged in parallel and the resulting nitric oxide is detected, A low temperature pyrolyzer with silver produces NO from nitramines or nitrite esters; a high temperature pyrolyzer decomposes all explosives vapors to permit detection of the remaining explosives, Also disclosed is a series arrangement of pyrolyzers and gas chromatographs and an NO detector to time-shift detection of certain vapors and facilitate very fast GC analyses, The use of hydrogen as a carrier gas, plus unique collectors and concentrators, high speed heaters, NO detectors, and very fast, temperature-programmable GC's enhance selectivity, sensitivity and speed of detection,

Vapor collector/desorber with non-conductive tube bundle

To detect a foaming contaminant in a moving container, an image of the moving container and any contents thereof is produced. Thereafter, image processing techniques are used to determine levels of low and high frequency spatial variations in intensity in the image. The levels of low and high frequency spatial variations in intensity are then compared to determine the presence of a foaming contaminant.

Detection of foaming contaminants in containers using image processing

To spectrally detect a contaminant in a moving container, a set of reference spectral information related to one or more containers having known contents is stored. Thereafter, radiant energy is directed at liquid near the bottom of the container so that the radiant energy is modified by the contents of the container and travels through the contents of the container in multiple paths of varying length. Spectral information from detected portions of the modified radiant energy is obtained, and is compared to the stored set of reference spectral information using correlation techniques. Based on the relationship between this spectral information and the stored set of reference spectral information, the presence or absence of a contaminant is indicated.

Spectral detection of contaminants in containers

To detect a contaminant in a moving container, radiant energy is directed into the moving container. Thereafter, a level of radiant energy scattered by contents of the moving container is detected. The presence of a contaminant is indicated when the detected level of scattered radiant energy differs from a threshold level. Scattered radiant energy detected by the system includes that scattered by turbid materials within the container and that scattered by foam within the container. Detection of turbid materials or foam may be combined with spectral contaminant detection.

Detection of turbid or foaming contaminants in containers

To detect a turbid contaminant in a moving container, radiant energy having a wavelength that is absorbed by contents of the moving container that include the turbid contaminant at a different level than energy having the wavelength is absorbed by contents of the moving container that include a non-contaminant is directed into the container. Thereafter, a level of radiant energy scattered by contents of the container is detected. The presence of a turbid contaminant is indicated when the detected level of scattered radiant energy differs from a threshold level.

Detection of turbid contaminants in containers by detecting scattered

Disclosed is an improved method and system for injecting liquid into containers and for inspecting containers for the presence of certain substances such as potential contaminants such as ammonium salts or amine salts in glass or plastic bottles. A high speed system and method are provided for detecting these contaminants in these bottles. Ammonia and amines can be detected by chemiluminescence of samples of volatiles emitted from the bottles during the high speed inspection process. A solution of Na.sub.2 CO.sub.3 is injected into the bottles in order to enhance the conversion of ammonium or amine salts to free ammonia or amines which are then released as vapors. This enhances the likelihood that a gas-phase detection system such as one using chemiluminescence detection techniques will detect the presence of contaminants containing ammonium salts or amine salts.

Method and system for sampling and determining the presence of salts of

A system and method are provided for minimizing the effects of background signals in masking signals indicating the presence of substances to be detected such as contaminants in materials moving rapidly along a conveyor. The contaminants detected may include nitrogen containing compounds and hydrocarbons. The system and method of the present invention minimize during detection of the presence or absence of such substances, the number of falsely positive indications of the presence of such substances due to background signals and changes in background signals. The substances detected are divided into first and second sample portions and the respective portions are heated. The first heated portion is mixed with ozone to cause a chemical reaction therewith in order to generate radiation by chemiluminescence having characteristic wavelengths related to substances in the first portion. The second portion heated is also mixed with ozone to cause a chemical reaction therewith in order to generate radiation by chemiluminescence having characteristic wavelengths related to substances in the second portion. The radiation of the respective first and second portions is selectively detected. The heating and detecting steps are performed in a manner so as to yield a higher level of detected radiation from one of the portions of the sample then the other for at least some of the selected compounds being detected. Electrical signals from the respective first and second portions are generated and compared in order to determine the presence or absence of selected compounds in the sample. Appropriate reject signals for a bottle sorting system are generated accordingly.

Growing community of inventors

Lexington, MA, United States of America

Eugene K Achter