A hand-held microfluidic testing device is provided that includes a housing having a cartridge receiving port, a cartridge for input to the cartridge receiving port having a sample input and a channel, where the channel includes a mixture of Raman-scattering nanoparticles and a calibration solution, where the calibration solution includes chemical compounds capable of interacting with a sample under test input to the cartridge and the Raman-scattering nanoparticles, and an optical detection system in the housing, where the optical detection system is capable of providing an illuminated electric field, where the illuminating electric field is capable of being used for Raman spectroscopy with the Raman-scattering nanoparticles and the calibration solution to analyze the sample under test input to the cartridge.

This invention relates to a micro-device for detecting volatile compounds comprising: an input (E) and an output (S); collection means (2) for taking a gas sample containing at least one compound to be detected; sampling means enabling a gas volume of 100 mL or less to be sampled, arranged after the collection means; injection means (3) of said gas sample; separation means (5) of the compound to be detected in the gas sample; compound detection means (6); and a gas circulation circuit (1) located downstream of the collection means and passing through the sampling means, injection means (3), separation means (5) and detection means (6);
characterized in that the gas circulation circuit (1) has a volume of between 0.2 cm.sup.3 and 2.0 cm.sup.3.

A method for reducing the variability, as measured by relative standard deviation (RSD), of an analytical testing technique is provided. This improvement in RSD improves the confidence in the values obtained during field testing. The method includes incorporating a focusing agent into the sampling media, which permits providing sampling media such as thermal desorption tubes preloaded with the focusing agent.

Certain configurations of a gas chromatography system comprising an internal gas generator are described. In some instances, the gas chromatography system may comprise an internal hydrogen generator to provide hydrogen gas to a chromatography column for separation of analyte species. In certain examples, the gas chromatography system can be operated without any external gas inputs.

A mobile laboratory and method to expedite regulatory test results for agricultural food and/or beverage products. The mobile laboratory can include test equipment mounted on shock absorbing and leveling stands that are disposed in a truck or in a trailer. The mobile laboratory can be taken directly to a customer's location and tests performed on samples at that location, thus avoiding the time and expense of the customer packaging and shipping samples to a non-mobile lab, thus providing the ability to deliver test results directly to the customer much more quickly. The mobile laboratory can include one or more gas chromatography, mass spectroscopy, and/or liquid chromatography systems.

A microscale collector and injector device comprises a microscale passive pre-concentrator (PP) and a microscale progressively-heated injector (PHI). The PP devices comprises first and second substrate portions, a first collection material, a PP heater, and an outlet. The first substrate portion defines an array of microscale diffusion channels. The first and second substrate portions cooperate to define a first compartment in fluid communication with the diffusion channels. The first collection material is disposed within the first compartment, at least partially surrounding the outlet. The PP heater is disposed in thermal communication with the second substrate portion. The PHI device comprises third and fourth substrate portions, a second collection material, and a plurality of PHI heaters. The third and fourth substrate portions cooperate to define a second compartment. The second collection material is disposed within the second compartment. The PHI heaters are disposed in thermal communication with the second compartment.

A hand-held microfluidic testing device is provided that includes a housing having a cartridge receiving port, a cartridge for input to the cartridge receiving port having a sample input and a channel, where the channel includes a mixture of Raman-scattering nanoparticles and a calibration solution, where the calibration solution includes chemical compounds capable of interacting with a sample under test input to the cartridge and the Raman-scattering nanoparticles, and an optical detection system in the housing, where the optical detection system is capable of providing an illuminated electric field, where the illuminating electric field is capable of being used for Raman spectroscopy with the Raman-scattering nanoparticles and the calibration solution to analyze the sample under test input to the cartridge.

A system includes a container to enclose vehicles within a chamber, an enclosed structure to house a canine to perform odor detection, and an air duct positioned therebetween. The container includes a first door, a second door, and a raised floor. The raised floor includes a first ramp leading to the first door, a second ramp leading to the second door, and sets of vent ducts defined between an outer wall and a top wall of the raised floor, the sets of vent ducts to direct air flow upwardly into the chamber of the container. The air duct includes a proximal end located proximate to an opening within the top wall of the container, a distal end fed through the enclosed structure to a canine-sniffing location, and one or more fan to pull air out of the chamber and deliver the air to the canine-sniffing location within the enclosed structure.

A wearable device for sensing airborne narcotics. In embodiments, the wearable device may comprise an air intake; an ionization apparatus for ionization of molecules of airborne narcotics, wherein the apparatus may comprise a heated surface in fluid communication with the intake for heating molecules of airborne narcotics to ionize said molecules; at least one collector for receiving ions resulting from said ionization, and generating a signal; an apparatus for creating electrical potential to draw said ions to said at least one collector; and an alarm generator for generating an alarm if a time gap between said creation of ions and said signal indicates a presence of an airborne narcotic.

The devices, systems, and methods described herein generally relate to chemical profiling of an occupant in a vehicle. The devices, systems and methods described herein can detect enclosure-related chemicals, the enclosure-related chemicals including biochemicals expelled by one or more occupants. The enclosure-related chemicals can then be associated to an associated occupant of the one or more occupants. A biological profile can then be created for the associated occupant, the biological profile comprising medical information and historical information related to the enclosure-related chemicals.