A concentration device includes a substrate that has a flow path formed therein extending from an inlet-side opening into which a liquid to be concentrated is introduced to an outlet-side opening, and a desiccant that is disposed in containing spaces in the substrate to face a liquid in the flow path across air layers.

Mass spectrometry cartridge including a base in mechanical communication with a spray substrate holder, an absorbent pad between the base and the spray substrate holder, a translatable sample well holder interposed between the spray substrate holder and a top cover, the top cover configured to house a conductive element, wherein when the translatable sample well holder is in a first position, the translatable well holder is vertically above the absorbent pad, when the translatable sample well holder is in a second position, the translatable well holder is vertically above a spray substrate are disclosed. Methods of analyzing a sample are also disclosed.

A unique fiber core sampler composition, related systems, and techniques for designing, making, and using the same are described. The sampler is used to interface with existing field instrumentation, such as Ion Mobility Spectrometer (IMS) equipment. Desired sampler characteristics include its: stiffness/flexibility; thermal mass and conductivity; specific heat; trace substance collection/release dependability, sensitivity and repeatability; thickness; reusability; durability; stability for thermal cleaning; and the like. In one form the sampler has a glass fiber core with a thickness less than 0.3 millimeter that is coated with a polymer including one or more of: polymeric organofluorine, polyimide, polyamide, PolyBenzlmidazole (PBI), PolyDiMethylSiloxane (PDMS), sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene (PFSA) and Poly(2,6-diphenyl-p-phenylene Oxide) (PPPO). Multiple polymer coatings with the same or different polymer types may be included, core/substrate surface functionalization utilized, and/or the core/substrate may be at partially filled with thermally conductive particles.

Methods of passively sampling PFAS in the environment, PFAS sorbents, apparatus and systems (apparatus plus conditions) for sampling groundwater, porewater, and surface water are described.

A flow regulation device for volatile and semi-volatile sampling onto adsorbent media is provided. The flow regulation device includes a housing having an inlet, an outlet, a secondary inlet that is open to the ambient, a real time flow meter, a controller in electronic communication with the flow meter, and a three-way valve. Gas is drawn through the adsorbent media, into the inlet, and then to the outlet by a vacuum source joined to the outlet. The controller is configured to: (1) actuate the three-way valve to put the vacuum source in-line with the inlet; (2) continuously monitor the flow of gas through the inlet and calculate the time necessary to sample a pre-set volume of gas; and (3) after the pre-set volume of gas passes through the inlet, actuate the three-way valve to put the vacuum source in-line with the secondary inlet.

A duct can be configured to receive a denuding gas flow. A solid denuding surface that is connected to a drive system can be configured to move the solid denuding surface within the duct while the solid denuding surface is continuously concentrating one or more gas-phase species from the denuding gas flow on the denuding surface. Also, a denuding gas flow can be passed along a denuding surface to concentrate one or more gas phase species from the denuding gas flow onto the denuding surface with a diffusion denuding action. The denuding surface can be moved while continuing to concentrate the one or more gas phase species from the denuding gas flow onto the denuding surface.

Disclosed herein is a novel method to fabricate magnetic silica nanomembranes using thin polymer cores based on silica deposition and self-wrinkling induced by thermal shrinkage. These micro- and nano-scale structures have vastly enlarged the specific area of silica, thus the magnetic silica nanomembranes can be used for solid phase extraction of nucleic acids. The magnetic silica nanomembranes are suitable for nucleic acid purification and isolation and demonstrated better performance than commercial particles in terms of nucleic acid recovery yield and integrity. In addition, the magnetic silica nanomembranes may have high nucleic acid capacity due to significantly enlarged specific surface area of silica. Methods of use and devices comprising the magnetic silica nanomembranes are also provided herein.

A method for processing particles contained in a liquid biological sample is presented. The method uses a rotatable vessel for processing particles contained in a liquid biological sample. The rotatable vessel has a longitudinal axis about which the vessel is rotatable, an upper portion comprising a top opening for receiving the liquid comprising the particles, a lower portion for holding the liquid while the rotatable vessel is resting, the lower portion comprising a bottom, and an intermediate portion located between the upper portion and the lower portion, the intermediate portion comprising a lateral collection chamber for holding the liquid while the rotatable vessel is rotating. The method employs dedicated acceleration and deceleration profiles for sedimentation and re-suspension of the particles of interest.

Examples are directed toward systems and methods relating to collecting and analyzing samples. For example, a system includes a cold trap that directly collects a sample. The cold trap operates to serve as a collection filter while the system draws in a flow across the cold trap. A thermal heater, coupled to the cold trap, flash heats the cold trap to produce a released sample from the cold trap at a release concentration. An analyzer entrains the released sample at the release concentration into a sampling flow of the analyzer for analysis.

A porous polymer monolith comprises a polymer body having macroporous through-pores that facilitate fluid flow through the body and an array of mesopores adapted to bind from the fluid flow molecules of a predetermined range of sizes, wherein the surface area of the monolith is predominantly provided by the mesopores. Also disclosed is a method of making a porous polymer monolith. The method includes forming a polymer body by phase separation out of a solution containing at least a monomer, a crosslinker and a primary porogen, whereby the body contains multiple macroporous through-pores, wherein the solution further contains a secondary porogen comprising oligomers inert with respect to the monomer and cross-linker but chemically compatible with the monomer so as to form mesostructures within the polymer body during said phase separation, and washing the mesostructures from the body to provide an array of mesopores such that the surface area of the monolith is predominantly provided by the mesopores.