USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Kenneth J Ewing

Jasbinder Singh Sanghera

Ishwar Dayal Aggarwal

Gregory Nau

Kevin J Major

Frank Bucholtz

Paul George Kahl, Jr

Fred Whiton, Jr

Thomas Bilodeau

Daniel Joseph Gibson

L Brandon Shaw

Lynda E Busse

Irwin Schneider

Barry B Harbison

Robert E Miklos

Christopher M Stellman

Michael R Bracken

John Paul Santori

Robert Lamontagne

Angela Ervin

Danielle N Dickinson

John W Foerster

Robert Milloy

A standoff chemical detection system that includes a source and detector are provided. The source includes: a controller, memory communicatively connected to the controller, optical sources each constructed to operate over different wavelength ranges, and a power supply. The controller controls the plurality of optical sources to emit respective infrared beams towards a target detection area in a sequential order. The detector includes: an image sensor and a controller that is communicatively connected to the image sensor. Memory and the notification device are also communicatively connected to the controller. The image sensor receives attenuated infrared beams emitted by the optical sources sequentially and at least partially attenuated by chemicals in the target detection area. The controller is constructed to calculate stimulus value signals from the recorded image data and determine whether a hazard chemical is located within the target detection area based on the calculated stimulus value signals.

Methods and apparatuses for biomimetic standoff detection of hazardous chemicals

The apparatus includes a standard computer processor in operation receiving a plurality of stimulus-value signals. The apparatus includes a standard computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out a method for identifying at least one chemical of interest. The method includes the following. A chromaticity chart including a plurality of chemical groupings is generated. The at least one chemical of interest is classified as belonging to a respective chemical grouping of the plurality of chemical groupings based on the chromaticity chart and the plurality of stimulus-value signals. Optionally, the chromaticity chart includes a molecular vibrational chart.

Infrared CIE methodology for chemical group classification

A method for detecting chemical aerosols and particulates on a surface by contacting a sample with a Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) substrate where the sample is an aerosol or a particulate on a surface, encapsulating the SERS substrate with the sample, heating the encapsulated sample so it vaporizes inside the encapsulation, cooling the vaporized sample so it deposits onto the SERS substrate, and irradiating the SERS substrate to collect a SERS spectrum of the sample. Also disclosed is the related system for detecting chemical aerosols and particulates on a surface.

SERS detection system for chemical particulates and low vapor pressure chemicals

An apparatus having: one or more infrared imagers capable of detecting light having wavelengths of 8-10 microns and 20-22 microns and a window transparent to light having wavelengths of 8-10 microns and 20-22 microns.

Extended infrared imaging system

Sampling of a broad range of chemicals using a handheld sampler body, having a sample screen in a sampling cassette; where a sample screen housing further consists of a locking arm arrestor body, where, the locking arm arrestor body including a draw tube, and where the sampling screen can be positioned in either a retracted or extended positioned regarding a sample access face. When activated, the system executes collecting and sampling operations of chemicals, by exposing the extended sampling screen to a sampling environment, drawing through the draw tube, air from the sampling environment, further collecting, onto the surface of the sample screen solid particles and/or pressing the sample screen against the surface(s) of object in the sampling environment. Then, removing the sampling screen from the sampling environment and isolating the plurality of airborne chemical contaminants, by retracting a sample screen into the sample screen housing.

System apparatus and method of sampling a broad range of chemicals (SBRC) by collection and analysis of chemical vapors aerosols particulates and liquid droplets on surfaces

One embodiment of the invention includes an automated system for collecting analyte. The system comprises a screen supply cartridge for holding a stack of clean tabs including sorbent coated screens (SCS) residing in SCS channels. The stack of tabs are arranged such that SCS tabs directly above and/or below a given SCS tab include SCS channels offset from the SCS channel of the given tab to isolate the SCS channels from one another and the environment. The system includes an air source that provides an analyte to be adsorbed by an SCS channel of a respective tab at a sampling region and a linear actuator that moves a given clean tab into the sampling region for exposing the SCS channel of the given clean tab to the analyte and providing a given exposed tab.

Systems and methods for automated collection of analytes

A system for remote detection of a chemical is disclosed. The system includes a sample collection module that collects a sample and produces a sample vapor at a first location; a sample delivery module that delivers the sample vapor from the first location to a second location; a sample storage and concentration module that collects the sample vapor at the second location; and a sample analysis module that analyzes the sample collected in the sample storage and concentration module.

Chemical sample collection and detection system

A container screening system that uses multiple orthogonal sensors for detecting hazardous materials, such as liquid explosives and precursors of liquid explosives, in sealed containers. The container screening system comprises a first sensor that detects materials inside the container using a first detection technology, a second sensor that detects materials insider the container using a second detection technology, and a data processing unit that processes data from the first and second sensors and generates a screen result. The system reduces false positives and increases probability of detection by matching the relative strengths and weaknesses of each technology.

Devices and methods for detecting hazardous materials

A method for determining copper (I) concentrations in water or seawater samples. In the method a probe is dipped into the sample for a time sufficient to produce a color change, removed and compared to a color standard to determine the concentration. The probe includes a substrate and an impregnate, bathocuproine, which complexes to copper (I) to produce a colored complex that is not toxic or less toxic to marine organisms than copper (I). The substrate is an ionomeric polymer having hydrophobic chains with hydrophilic cation exchange cites. In a preferred embodiment the substrate is a sulfonated perfluoropolymer.

Situ copper (I)

The fiber-optic pipette (FOP) couples a glass capillary, common syringe and a single optical fiber together to provide for a facile means of achieving long-pathlength capillary spectroscopy. The FOP acquires rapid spectroscopic measurements of small-volume liquid samples, while simultaneously achieving signal enhancements of the collected spectroscopic signal.

Fiber-optic pipette (FOP) for rapid long pathlength capillary

A system for the in-situ detection of chemicals, including water, in soil comprises: a penetrometer for penetrating the soil, the penetrometer including interior and exterior surfaces, and a window for allowing infrared radiation to be transmitted between the interior and exterier surfaces of the penetrometer; a driver for driving the penetrometer into the soil to a plurality of different depths; a source for providing infrared radiation which passes through the window to irradiate the soil adjacent to the window; an infrared transmitting chalcogenide optical fiber; an optical system disposed within the penetrometer adjacent to the window for transmitting infrared radiation from the source through the window into the soil and for collecting infrared radiation reflected from the soil back through the window into a first end of the chalcogenide fiber; and a spectrometer coupled to a second end of the infrared transmitting chalcogenide optical fiber for receiving and analyzing the reflected infrared radiation passing through the chalcogenide optical fiber to obtain information on chemicals present at various depths of the soil through which the penetrometer passes.

Fiber optic infrared cone penetrometer system

The present invention is a chemical sensor including a polymer substrate capable of reversible adsorption of an analyte organic compound, a source of Raman excitation radiation, positioned for directing this Raman excitation radiation onto the substrate, thus generating a Raman signal, and a Raman signal detector, positioned for detecting this Raman signal. Another aspect of this invention is the sensing tip of such a sensor, including a polymer substrate capable of reversible adsorption of an analyte organic compound, focusing means for directing excitation radiation onto the polymer substrate to generate a Raman signal from the organic compound, and collection means, for transmitting this Raman signal to a detector. Another aspect of this invention is an array of sensing tips, each using a different polymer substrate selected for selective adsorption of an analyte species, coupled to an excitation radiation source and a detector.

Fiber optic probe for determination of trace levels of organic

A refractive index-based sensor uses a light source and an optical fiber to direct an optical beam towards a sensor/environment face at a specific angle. The sensor has a predetermined shape selected such that the light directed into the sensor will have a specific angle of incidence designed to detect a plurality of liquids. A second optical fiber carries the light reflected off the sensor/environment face to a photodetector. The optical beam will either be transmitted through or reflected off the sensor/environment face based upon the refractive indices of the sensor and the environment and upon the angle of incidence of the optical beam. The amount of light reflected is indicative of the refractive index of the material in a given area of the sensor/environment face and, thus, the type of material. By adjusting the angle at which the light is directed to the sensor/environment face, the photodetector response can be calibrated to identify the type of liquid present at the sensor/environment face.

Refractive index-based sensor for the discrimination of chlorinated

A method for producing internally coated glass tube preforms for drawing er optic conductors. The internally coated glass tubes are halogen coated, preferably coated with metal fluorides, so that an optical fiber formed will have a halogen core which conveys light having a wavelength of about 2 to 4 microns, which is in the infrared region, with low attenuation. With one aspect of the method, a carrier gas and a halogenated alkoxide are introduced into a glass tube which has an inner wall and which is surrounded by a resonator for producing a plasma from the halogenated alkoxide in the tube. With another aspect of the method, a blend of a carrier gas, an organometallic compound, and a halogen-containing gas are introduced into a glass tube which has an inner wall and which is surrounded by a resonator for producing a plasma. In both cases, the tube is moved relative to the resonator to form a plasma zone within the tube such that a halide coating is formed on the inner wall of the tube. The plasma generation and inner glass wall coating take place at a relatively low pressure and at a relatively low temperature.

Growing community of inventors

Edgewood, MD, United States of America

Kenneth J Ewing