Thermo Scientific Portable Analytical Instruments Inc.

Thermo Niton Analyzers LLC

Michael E Dugas

Lee Grodzins

Stephen I Shefsky

Mark A Hamilton

Stanislaw Piorek

Kenneth P Martin

Peidong Wang

Eric A Martin

Yu Shen

Andrew T Leoni

Paul R Estabrooks

Haowen Li

Rong Sun

Pratheev Sreetharan

Brendan Falvey

Nimesh Khadka

Sue Woods

Eden Couillard

Pietro Caria

Gregory M Tully

Paul Estabrooks

A holder is described. The holder is for a sample vial and includes a base and a cap, where the holder and cap include one or more materials that are opaque or optically black. The holder includes an interior space for placement of the vial in a light-tight environment, where the holder cap includes an opening for insertion of a probe therethrough and into the sample vial. The disclosure also includes systems and methods using the holder.

Self centering vial holder for immersion probes

Devices and methods are disclosed for identifying compounds using spectra generated by X-rays at two different voltage levels.

Devices and methods for detecting elements in a sample

An embodiment of a laser induced breakdown system is described that comprises a portable device that includes: a laser configured to produce a beam comprising a plurality of repeating pulses; a processor configured to open a data acquisition window after a delay period, wherein the delay period begins upon production of one of the pulses; one or more optical elements configured to direct the beam at a sample and collect emitted light from a plasma continuum; and an optical detector configured to produce a plurality of signal values from the emitted light from the plasma continuum collected during the data acquisition window, wherein the processor is configured to identify an element from the signal values.

Portable laser induced breakdown spectroscopy systems

Methods and apparatus for adapting the shaping time and/or other pulse processing parameters of an x-ray detector () in accordance with the elemental composition of a sample and/or energy resolving requirements. X-rays () are directed from a source () onto a sample () and the radiation () responsively emitted from the sample (e.g., fluoresced radiation characteristic of the sample's elemental composition) and detected by an x-ray detector () that generates pulses representative of the energy and intensity of the incident radiation. Based upon initial analysis of elemental composition, the shaping time and/or other pulse processing parameter (s) are set to optimize count rate subject to constraints of energy resolution in a spectral region of interest.

Dynamic shaping time modification in X-ray detectors

Techniques disclosed herein include systems and methods for identifying counterfeit gold jewelry and other counterfeit gold items. Techniques include determining&#x2014;using a non-destructive mechanism&#x2014;whether an item of interest (such as an article represented as true gold) is solid gold or a gold-plated object. Techniques include using an X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer to differentiate true gold from gold plating. The XRF analyzer can distinguish between gold plating and bulk gold material by comparing a ratio of L-alpha and L-beta x-ray lines of gold. The analyzer measures a ratio of intensities of characteristic L-lines of gold using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy. When implemented using an XRF analyzer, the system nondestructively determines whether a test object is made of solid gold/gold alloy or has gold plating only.

Metal authenticity testing of an object using radiation

A hand-held, self-contained x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer produces a small x-ray spot on a sample to interrogate the elemental composition of a sample region of millimeter-size characteristic dimension. The analyzer includes a collimator for aiming an x-ray beam toward a desired location on the sample and for determining the size of the spot produced on the sample. The analyzer may include a digital camera oriented toward the portion of the sample that is, or would be, interrogated by the x-ray spot to facilitate aiming the analyzer. The analyzer may generate a reticule in a displayed image to indicate the portion of the sample that is, or would be, illuminated by the x-ray beam. The analyzer may automatically annotate the image of the sample with text or graphics that contain information about the analyzed sample. The image may be stored in the hand -held analyzer or provided for external storage or display.

Small spot X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer

A method for classifying a sample based upon a complete spectral analysis. The sample is illuminated with penetrating radiation and an initial complete spectral analysis is performed based on spectral resolution of resonant fluorescence lines emitted at the surface, or within the volume, of the sample. If the initial complete spectral analysis yields the composition of the sample to within acceptable limits, analysis values are output to the user. Otherwise, further analysis, informed by the results if the initial complete spectral analysis, is performed.

Automated x-ray fluorescence analysis

An analytical instrument may be docked in a stand. The stand provides electrical power, cooling, gas to purge air from an analytical gap within the instrument and/or other supplies or services to the instrument. The stand contains a contactless memory, such as an RF-ID tag, which stores information about the supplies and/or services the stand is capable of providing to the instrument. The instrument reads the stand's contactless memory and automatically sets operational parameters of the instrument in accordance with the supplies and/or services the stand is capable of providing. Thus, the instrument may automatically operate in an enhanced mode, such as at a higher x-ray beam power, as a result of being mounted in the stand.

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Londonderry, NH, United States of America

Michael E Dugas