A portable gas analysis device having a separating column and a detector. The separating column is composed as a multi-capillary unit from parallel individual capillaries and, depending on the length, is bent into a compact shape, preferably even wound into multiple turns. A thermally conductive casing and a thermal stabilizing device are provided for the multi-capillary unit. The thermal stabilizing device comprises a temperature sensor, a heating element and control electronics. The casing protects the sensitive multi-capillary unit from mechanical actions; it acts as a protective space. The temperature-controlled casing also forms a space in which uniform and controlled conditions prevail and which in particular is isolated from the temperature and humidity of the environment, allowing reliable measurements outside a laboratory environment, in the field. This double effect of the casing for the capillaries in conjunction with the compact dimensions forms the true essence of the invention.

A portable gas analysis device having a separating column and a detector. The separating column is composed as a multi-capillary unit from parallel individual capillaries and, depending on the length, is bent into a compact shape, preferably even wound into multiple turns. A thermally conductive casing and a thermal stabilizing device are provided for the multi-capillary unit. The thermal stabilizing device comprises a temperature sensor, a heating element and control electronics. The casing protects the sensitive multi-capillary unit from mechanical actions; it acts as a protective space. The temperature-controlled casing also forms a space in which uniform and controlled conditions prevail and which in particular is isolated from the temperature and humidity of the environment, allowing reliable measurements outside a laboratory environment, in the field. This double effect of the casing for the capillaries in conjunction with the compact dimensions forms the true essence of the invention.

A method of monitoring catalytic performance of a catalyst used in a reforming process, comprising a) collecting gaseous component data from the reforming process; b) calculating a gaseous component ratio from the gaseous component data; and c) utilizing the gaseous component ratio to estimate an amount of catalytic activity remaining in the catalyst used in the reforming process, a number of days on stream remaining for the catalyst used in the reforming process, or both.

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, a terpene-rich sample is prepared for terpene analysis using liquid chromatography via an extraction method that takes little time, uses minimal external equipment, and permits direct injection of extracted terpenes into a liquid chromatography instrument for analysis. An embodiment of the invention involves preparing a terpene-containing sample for analysis by liquid chromatography by liquid extraction; heating the liquid extract in a vial that contains a filter medium or solvent; collecting the terpenes in the medium by the vapor pressure forced through the filter from heating; and eluting the collected terpenes into a vial or directly into a chromatography injector.

A method for a multistep analysis of a measuring program of a portable gas measuring device includes performing a factory setting of the portable gas measuring device, connecting a container having a known gas standard and performing a reference measurement, wherein a multidimensional reference measurement is recorded, selecting a measuring program for target materials from a list on the device, performing a measurement on a sample in dependence on the selected measuring program, wherein a multidimensional measured variable is recorded, automatically performing an analysis to identify at least one of the one or more target materials in the sample and the respective concentrations thereof, wherein the analysis is based on the multidimensional measured variable from the measurement on the sample, the multidimensional reference measurement for the gas standard, the values for the plurality of target materials or measuring programs, and the factory setting for the portable gas measuring device.

A gas analysis device suited for e.g. medical analysis of exhaled breath from a subject. A gas inlet receives a gas sample to a flow path for guiding the gas sample to two or more gas separators, e.g. gas chromatography columns, with respective molecule selectivity properties which are different. One or more detectors, each with a sensor, are arranged to generate respective responses to outputs from the two or more gas separators. A communication module generate output data in response to the respective responses from the one or more detectors, e.g. data indicative of selected molecules in the gas sample, e.g. data indicative of one or more diseases identified as a result of identified biomarkers in the gas sample. The device is suitable as a compact device, e.g. a handheld breath analysis device, since the use of a plurality of gas separators allows use of very molecule specific gas separators which can be implemented with a small size. E.g. a flow path with several parallel paths each comprising one or more gas separator may be used.

A method of monitoring catalytic performance of a catalyst used in a reforming process, comprising a) collecting gaseous component data from the reforming process; b) calculating a gaseous component ratio from the gaseous component data; and c) utilizing the gaseous component ratio to estimate an amount of catalytic activity remaining in the catalyst used in the reforming process, a number of days on stream remaining for the catalyst used in the reforming process, or both.

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.

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, a terpene-rich sample is prepared for terpene analysis using liquid chromatography via an extraction method that takes little time, uses minimal external equipment, and permits direct injection of extracted terpenes into a liquid chromatography instrument for analysis. An embodiment of the invention involves preparing a terpene-containing sample for analysis by liquid chromatography by liquid extraction; heating the liquid extract in a vial that contains a filter medium or solvent; collecting the terpenes in the medium by the vapor pressure forced through the filter from heating; and eluting the collected terpenes into a vial or directly into a chromatography injector.

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.