University of California

Los Alamos National Security, LLC

The United States of America As Represented by the Department of Energy

Mississippi State University

Yixiang Duan

Wenqing Cao

Yongxuan Su

Zhe Jin

Quanxi Jia

Christopher Winstead

Chuji Wang

Weenqing Cao

A hydrogen sensor for detecting/quantitating hydrogen and hydrogen isotopes includes a sampling line and a microplasma generator that excites hydrogen from a gas sample and produces light emission from excited hydrogen. A power supply provides power to the microplasma generator, and a spectrometer generates an emission spectrum from the light emission. A programmable computer is adapted for determining whether or not the gas sample includes hydrogen, and for quantitating the amount of hydrogen and/or hydrogen isotopes are present in the gas sample.

Hydrogen sensor

An apparatus and method for monitoring diabetes through breath acetone detection and quantitation employs a microplasma source in combination with a spectrometer. The microplasma source provides sufficient energy to produce excited acetone fragments from the breath gas that emit light. The emitted light is sent to the spectrometer, which generates an emission spectrum that is used to detect and quantify acetone in the breath gas.

Apparatus and method for monitoring breath acetone and diabetic diagnostics

An apparatus and method for the detection of oxygen using optical fiber based evanescent light absorption. Methylene blue was immobilized using a sol-gel process on a portion of the exterior surface of an optical fiber for which the cladding has been removed, thereby forming an optical oxygen sensor. When light is directed through the optical fiber, transmitted light intensity varies as a result of changes in the absorption of evanescent light by the methylene blue in response to the oxygen concentration to which the sensor is exposed. The sensor was found to have a linear response to oxygen concentration on a semi-logarithmic scale within the oxygen concentration range between 0.6% and 20.9%, a response time and a recovery time of about 3 s, ant to exhibit good reversibility and repeatability. An increase in temperature from 21&#xb0; C. to 35&#xb0; C. does not affect the net absorption of the sensor.

Oxygen detection using evanescent fields

Provided is a novel system for conducting elemental measurements using cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS). The present invention provides sensitivity thousands of times improved over conventional devices and does so with the advantages of low power, low plasma flow rate, and the ability being sustained with various gases.

Method and apparatus for elemental and isotope measurements and diagnostics-microwave induced plasma-cavity ring-down spectroscopy

A handheld/portable detector for chemical vapor monitoring includes a housing and a discharge chamber that is established therein. The plasma discharge has a relatively small volume, e.g., in the micro-liter range. A first electrode and a second electrode are disposed within the discharge chamber and a discharge gap is established therebetween. A sample gas tube is in fluid communication with the discharge chamber and provides a sample gas to the discharge chamber. Also, a plasma gas tube is in fluid communication with the discharge chamber and provides a plasma gas thereto. Accordingly, the plasma gas can be used to maintain microplasma discharge between the electrodes and the sample gas can be introduced into the microplasma discharge. A spectrometer optically connected to the handheld/portable detector is used to measure the radiation emitted by the sample gas when subjected to the microplasma discharge.

Capillary-discharge based detector for chemical vapor monitoring

A low-power, plasma source-based, portable molecular light emission generator/detector employing an atmospheric pressure pulsed-plasma for molecular fragmentation and excitation is described. The average power required for the operation of the plasma is between 0.02 W and 5 W. The features of the optical emission spectra obtained with the pulsed plasma source are significantly different from those obtained with direct current (dc) discharge higher power; for example, strong CH emission at 431.2 nm which is only weakly observed with dc plasma sources was observed, and the intense CN emission observed at 383-388 nm using dc plasma sources was weak in most cases. Strong CN emission was only observed using the present apparatus when compounds containing nitrogen, such as aniline were employed as samples. The present apparatus detects dimethylsulfoxide at 200 ppb using helium as the plasma gas by observing the emission band of the CH radical. When coupled with a gas chromatograph for separating components present in a sample to be analyzed, the present invention provides an apparatus for detecting the arrival of a particular component in the sample at the end of the chromatographic column and the identity thereof.

Pulsed, atmospheric pressure plasma source for emission spectrometry

There has been invented a process for analyzing ambient air in a microwave induced plasma without use of an additional carrier gas. There has also been invented an apparatus for analyzing ambient air, other sample gas, or nebulized and desolvated liquids wherein a novel arrangement of plasma gas and sample gas conduits is used to enhance dependability of the plasma. This apparatus embodiment of the invention has a concentric arrangement of plasma gas and sample gas conduits so as to provide a sheath of plasma gas both within and surrounding the flow of analyte into the plasma region. The microwave plasma torch can either be contained within a sealed housing or can be operated in ambient air at ambient pressures. The microwave plasma torch of this invention is portable and can be operated continuously for real-time analysis of air. The apparatuses and methods of the present invention can be used wherever there is a need for monitoring air for the presence of minor amounts of elements, particularly transition metals, rare earth elements, actinides, and alkali and alkaline earth elements. The invention apparatus can also be used to monitor for the presence of halogens, sulfur and silicon. The invention apparatuses and methods are more particularly useful for monitoring air for the presence of beryllium.

Microwave plasma monitoring system for real-time elemental analysis

Electronic absorption spectroscopy of a polyaniline film deposited on a polyethylene surface by chemical oxidation of aniline monomer at room temperature was used to quantitatively detect ammonia gas. The present optical ammonia gas detector was found to have a response time of less than 15 s, a regeneration time of less than 2 min. at room temperature, and a detection limit of 1 ppm (v/v) for ammonia, with a linear dynamic range from 180 ppm to 18,000 ppm.

Growing community of inventors

Los Alamos, NM, United States of America

Yixiang Duan