The apparatus comprises a collector assembly having a passage filled with a solid adsorbant which is capable of adsorbing the specific vapour together with other vapours in the atmospheric sample and which is also capable of being readily heated to desorb the adsorbed vapours. The outlet of the passage of the collector assembly is connectable to a partition column, which separates the desorbed vapours. The partition column is connected to a detector, which detects the specific vapour among the vapours separated by the partition column. The collector assembly is movable between a sampling position where the passage is communicated with the atmosphere and unconnected to the partition column, and an analyzing position where the passage is connected to the partition column and unconnected to the atmosphere. The apparatus also includes means to draw the atmospheric sample over the adsorbant when the collector assembly is in the sampling position, heating means for heating the adsorbant when the collector assembly is moved to the analyzing position and a carrier gas source connectable to the inlet of the collector assembly to provide a flow of a carrier gas so that the carrier gas carries the vapours desorbed from the adsorbant to the partition column for separation and the separated vapours to the detector for detection of the specific vapour. The apparatus is useful for detection of hazardous or toxic materials or substances being used for illegal purposes, such as explosives and narcotics, which emit their vapours.
A method and apparatus for calibrating contraband vapor/particle detection devices is described. The invention includes a desorb site onto which may be deposited solutions containing known concentrations of one or more of the specific compounds to be detected. The desorb site, which may be rapidly heated to vaporize the particles contained in the solution deposited on its surface, is housed in a sealable chamber. The vapor and/or particles become entrained in an air stream forced across the surface of the desorb site, and the airstream is then delivered through a snout to the contraband vapor particle detector.
An explosive detection screening system used for the detection of explosives and other controlled substances such as drugs or narcotics. The screening system detects the relatively volatile and non-volatile vapors and/or particulate matter emissions from the aforementioned substances and reports that they are present on an individual or object and the concentration of each substance detected. The screening system comprises a sampling chamber for the collection of the vapor and/or particulate emissions, a concentration and analyzing system for the purification of the collected vapor and/or particulate emissions and subsequent detailed chemical analysis of the emissions, and a control and data processing system for the control of the overall system.
An apparatus module for volatile collection, such as may be utilized in solution photolysis of a test sample, includes a vessel member that is sealingly connected to a vapor collection adapter. The vapor collection adapter includes an inlet for the delivery of gas into the vessel and an outlet for directing gas and volatiles emitted by the test sample from the vessel. The vessel member is elongated and mounted in a generally upright position by means of a peg that extends from a closed end of the vessel. This peg is received within an aperture in an underlying support rail. The apparatus is also specially adapted for mounting in series. More specifically, the support rail includes a series of equally spaced apertures for holding a number of modules at evenly spaced intervals. In addition, cooperating ball and socket connectors are provided at the distal ends of the inlet and outlet so as to allow sealed connection of adjacent modules together.
A disposable plastic cartridge contains three fine lightweight wire mesh collectors, each of phosphor bronze. One collector has an oxidized surface for collecting drug particulates. The other two have surfaces electroplated with zinc to form a rough multi-fissured surface for trapping low volatility vapors. In use, a portion of a warm sample air stream is chilled and passed through the collectors in parallel for sample collection. Simultaneously part of the sample air stream by-passes the chiller and is fed directly into a mass analyzer for real time analysis. Next, both collection and real time analysis are terminated, and each collector is desorbed in sequence with a pulse of hot air which flows into the mass analyzer for sequential analysis.
An method of, and an apparatus for, collecting a sample of a substance of interest, utilizes an apparatus having a device for collecting a vapor sample and a device for retaining a substrate. A substrate, having a working portion and a mounting portion, is mounted by the mounting portion of the substrate, whereby the working portion of the substrate is exposed for use. The apparatus so that the working portion of the substrate traverses surfaces of interest, to collect a particulate sample. A device for sampling vapor is operated to obtain a vapor sample. The vapor and particulate samples collected are analyzed.
