Air flow systems, devices and methods for monitoring airborne agents include airborne agent collectors. Airborne agent collectors for collecting and detecting the presence and/or identification of an airborne agent(s) include a soluble and hydrophilic polycaprolactone (PCL) that has been treated with a base (e.g., a base having a pH greater than 8 (e.g., NaOH, NaHCO.sub.3, KOH, Na.sub.2CO.sub.3, and CA(OH).sub.2) and in some embodiments, also treated with a neutralizing agent for increasing hydrophilicity. Detection and identification of airborne agents captured by an airborne agent collector can be performed using any suitable analytical protocols. Such protocols are well known in the art, and include nucleic acid assays, protein assays (e.g., mass spectrometry), and bioassays (e.g., in vitro and in vivo assays). The airborne agent collectors can be used for the detection and identification of nucleic acid from cells or organisms of any type (e.g., viruses, bacteria, fungi) in fixed structures (e.g., homes, sports arenas, theaters, buildings such as offices, laboratories, hospitals, schools, airports, train stations, bus stations, etc.) and in mobile, portable devices or machines (e.g., aircraft, automobiles, air-freshener, air-purifier, air re-circulator, vacuum cleaner, etc.).

The present invention relates to a sample collection device for collecting volatile organic compounds from the air, as well as to a method for characterizing the volatile organic compounds and to the use of this device for characterizing the odorant signature of an individual and allowing a dog to identify an individual from his/her odorant signature.

Methods and devices for pretreatment of a conducting sampling substrate which enable an electrostatic charge to be used to transfer analyte molecules onto a sampling substrate, where the analyte molecules are in powder or particulate form. In an embodiment of the present invention, the electrostatic charge can be used to transfer powder samples containing nitrogenous bases, nucleosides, food additives, and prescription drugs such as acetaminophen, oxycodone, and dextromethorphan. In an embodiment of the present invention, a powder sample is transferred to a pre-treated sampling substrate using an electrostatic charge. The spatial distribution of the powder on the original surface is retained on the pre-treated sampling substrate using the electrostatic charge transfer. The electrostatic charge transfer can be used to transfer powder samples present on a surface or in the chambers of 96, 384 and 1536 well plate formats to either pins or mesh and analyzed with ambient desorption ionization.

A sampling robot, a robot system for goods sampling and detection and a detection method are disclosed. The image collection unit takes photos of a sample. The refrigeration unit stores the sample at a preset temperature. The biometric information collection unit collects the biometric information of the operator. The intelligent mobile unit moves according to a planned path. The control unit provides destination information to the intelligent mobile unit and judges whether the current sample is a sample to be detected, and judges the biometric information of the operator.

In order to detach substances stably from an inspection object, an adhering substance collecting device includes: ejection openings configured to eject gas; a housing on which the ejection openings are provided; and supporting portions which are installed on a surface of the housing on which the ejection openings are provided, and have a prescribed height. The supporting portions include protruded portions formed on the housing. The supporting portions each have a cuboid shape, and are installed such that a distance therebetween becomes smaller toward a direction of a recovery opening that is configured to collect substances having been detached from an inspection object, from the gas.

The present disclosure provides for sampling instruments and methods of collecting sample particles. The sampling instrument can include a high-pressure pulsed valve coupled to a gas flow system to displace a sample from a surface. Also included can be a voltage supply coupled to a voltage switch, a suction device, a sample collector, and a collection filter. To collect a sample, extractive particles can be deposited onto a sample present on a substrate. At least a portion of the sample becomes coupled to a portion of the extractive particles to form sample particles. High-pressure gas can be discharged at the sample, thereby aerosolizing a portion of the sample particles to disperse aerosolized sample particles. A portion of the aerosolized sample particles can be collected onto a collection filter to form a collected sample.

An alignment tool has a body with a top cavity. The top cavity is open on a top side and configured to receive the dispenser housing of a dispenser or a sampling medium head of a sampling medium on which to place the dispenser housing. The sampling medium head has a sample collection area. The body has a bottom cavity configured to receive a hammer arm. The body has one or more sampling media cavities disposed between the top cavity and the bottom cavity, each configured to receive another sampling medium having a respective sample collection area. A barrier is disposed between the bottom cavity and other cavities including the top cavity and the one or more sampling media cavities. The top cavity and the one or more sampling media cavities are in communication with each other via a common slot extending from the top cavity to the barrier. The top cavity and the one or more sampling media cavities are configured to receive a plurality of different sampling media and to align the dispenser housing with the sample collection area of each of the different sampling media.

Disclosed herein are embodiments of methods for detecting the presence of and amount of drugs in a sample, particularly a particle sample obtained from a subject. In particular disclosed embodiments, the particle samples are skin particle samples, saliva particle samples, and/or mucous samples isolated from a subject and analyzed using thermal desorption methods combined with a selected detection method.

A sampling apparatus includes a wand extension coupled with a trace detection head and a bulk detection head. The trace detection head collects a maximum amount of a sample for a trace detection analysis. The bulk detection head collects a minimal amount of a substance for use in bulk sample identification.

A purpose is to provide a monitoring system to monitor whether there is a substance to be monitored in the air, and a detecting device used in the monitoring system. The monitoring system includes a detecting device, an analyzing device, and an abnormality notification system. The detecting device determines whether the air is in an abnormal state on the basis of an output signal from an abnormality detection sensor, pours liquid to be inspected, into which the air is sucked and liquefied, into a previously-installed reagent container when determining the abnormal state, generates mixed liquid in which a reactant in the reagent container and the poured liquid to be inspected are mixed, and drops the generated mixed liquid to an electrode of the analyzing device. The analyzing device determines existence/non-existence of a substance to be monitored on the basis of the mixed liquid dropped to the electrode, and gives a predetermined notification to the abnormality notification system when determining that there is the substance to be monitored. The abnormality notification system gives a predetermined notification when receiving the notification from the analyzing device.