Smiths Detection Montreal, Inc.

Rapiscan Systems, Inc.

Vladimir Romanov

Jan Hendrikse

William Rogers

Hanh Lai

Bradley Douglas Shaw

Udo H Verkerk

Hartwig Schmidt

Stefan R Lukow

Karl Goedecke

Stephen L Crook

Dung Lu

Alison Jennings

Alan C Hopkinson

Alan Hopkinson

Adam Justin Maines

Udo Verkerk

A method for providing in situ chemical transformation and ionization of a portion (e.g., inorganic oxidizer) of a sample via an analyte detection system is disclosed herein. The method includes introducing a gas into an ionization some of the analyte detection system via an inlet. The method further includes generating ions within the ionization source and directing the gas and generated ions through and out of the ionization source and to the sample. The sample is located proximal to the ionization source in an ambient environment. The ions chemically react with the sample and desorb and ionize an analytic from the sample, the analyte being generated from the inorganic oxidizer, the desorbed analyte having a lower melting point and/or better desorption kinetics than the inorganic oxidizer. The method further includes receiving the desorbed analyte via an analyzer of the analyte detection system.

In situ chemical transformation and ionization of inorganic perchlorates on surfaces

Embodiments of the present specification provide methods and systems for maintaining accuracy and precision of calibration for a detector. The methods and systems include reducing the humidity of an internal calibration assembly by directing flow path of dry air periodically through the internal calibration assembly.

Systems and methods for improving detection accuracy in electronic trace detectors

A surface ionizer for a trace detection system includes an extreme ultraviolet light source and an ion transfer line. Activation of the extreme ultraviolet light disrupts a surface of a sample along with residue and ionizes the resulting vapor. The ionized vapor is collected in the ion transfer line and passed into an analysis device for detection of components in the vapor.

Surface layer disruption and ionization utilizing an extreme ultraviolet radiation source

A method for providing in situ chemical transformation and ionization of a portion (e.g., inorganic oxidizer) of a sample via an analyte detection system is disclosed herein. The method includes introducing a gas into an ionization source of the analyte detection system via an inlet. The method further includes generating ions within the ionization source and directing the gas and generated ions through and out of the ionization source and to the sample. The sample is located proximal to the ionization source in an ambient environment. The ions chemically react with the sample and desorb and ionize an analyte from the sample, the analyte being generated from the inorganic oxidizer, the desorbed analyte having a lower melting point and/or better desorption kinetics than the inorganic oxidizer. The method further includes receiving the desorbed analyte via an analyzer of the analyte detection system.

A desorber for a trace detection system. The desorber includes an inlet configured to receive a sample, a heating element configured to generate a vapor from the sample, and an active cooling element configured to cool the desorber.

Rapid desorber heating and cooling for trace detection

The present disclosure is directed to methods and systems for detecting a chemical substance. The methods and systems include using gas-solid phase chemistry to chemically and/or physically modify a substance of interest so that the substance can be vaporized and detected through an analysis of the substance.

Detection of substances of interest using gas-solid phase chemistry

The present disclosure relates to an ion exchange process, as well as a process and system for detecting nitrates, which employ a class of dopants comprising at least two functional groups capable of simultaneous convergent hydrogen bonding with a nitrate ion. In an aspect, the present disclosure provides an ion exchange process for forming a negatively charged nitrate-dopant ion analyte for analysis by a spectrometry analysis instrument, comprising: providing a gas comprising a dopant in both neutral and ionized forms; contacting a nitrate-containing sample with the gas comprising the dopant and thereby desorbing a nitrate ion from the sample to form a negatively charged nitrate-dopant ion analyte and replacing the desorbed nitrate ion with a negatively charged ionized dopant molecule; wherein the dopant is an organic compound comprising two or more carbon atoms and two or more functional groups capable of simultaneous convergent hydrogen bonding with a nitrate ion; or the dopant is an organic compound comprising at least two carbon atoms and only a single functional group capable of hydrogen bonding with a nitrate ion, which group is a &#x2014;COOH functional group, and where the carbon atom of the &#x2014;COOH functional group is bonded directly to another carbonyl group; and with the proviso that the dopant is not lactic acid, a lactic acid salt or a compound that forms lactate ions upon ionization.

Dopants for the detection of nitrates

A concentric APCI surface ionization probe, supersonic sampling tube, and method for use of the concentric APCI surface ionization probe and supersonic sampling tube are described. In an embodiment, the concentric APCI surface ionization probe includes an outer tube, an inner capillary, and a voltage source coupled to the outer tube and the inner capillary. The inner capillary is housed within and concentric with the outer tube such that ionized gas (e.g., air) travels out of the outer tube, reacts with a sample, and the resulting analyte ions are sucked into the inner capillary. A supersonic sampling tube can include a tube coupled to a mass spectrometer and/or concentric APCI surface ionization probe, where the tube includes at least one de Laval nozzle.

Concentric APCI surface ionization ion source, ion guide, and method of use

A sample introduction system configured for introducing analytes of a solid phase micro extraction (SPME) sample into an analytical instrument system (e.g., mass spectrometer) is described. The sample introduction system includes a pressure vessel configured with an inlet port via which a probe portion (e.g., SPME fiber) of a SPME assembly is received into a sealed volume of the pressure vessel. The probe portion of the SPME assembly is coated with an extracting phase material, the analytes being absorbed into and/or adsorbed onto the extracting phase material. The pressure vessel is configured for providing an environment in which desorption of the analytes from the extracting phase material occurs at a gaseous pressure which is substantially less than atmospheric pressure (e.g., less than 100 mTorr). The desorbed analytes are then directed to the vacuum chamber of the analytical instrument system via an outlet port of the pressure vessel.

Growing community of inventors

Vaughan, Canada

Vladimir Romanov