Methods for determining the hardness and/or ductility of a material by compression of the material are provided as a first aspect of the invention. Typically, compression is performed on multiple sides of a geologic material sample in a contemporaneous manner. Devices and systems for performing such methods also are provided. These methods, devices, and systems can be combined with additional methods, devices, and systems of the invention that provide for the analysis of compounds contained in such samples, which can indicate the presence of valuable materials, such as petroleum-associated hydrocarbons. Alternatively, these additional methods, devices, and systems can also stand independently of the methods, devices, and systems for analyzing ductility and/or hardness of materials.

The present invention relates generally to a means of detecting a target molecule, compound or substance through the attractive forces occurring between said target and a target-specific molecular probe whereby said molecular probe expresses a selective high affinity for target and is capable of fluorescent luminescence at a definitive frequency and in a determinable light wave range. Specifically, said molecular probe offers target-specific binding where a resultant duplex molecule fluoresces upon hybridization to a target's unique molecule nucleotide sequence. Said hybridization allows for optical detection of said duplex via a directed, filtered and focused light source which makes said duplex both quantifiable and quantifiable via luminescence (i.e., light wave excitation) and subsequent photo detection utilizing ellipsoidal reflection to amplify detection and measurement improving both sensitivity and specificity.

Techniques disclosed herein can improve the extraction of chemicals prior to analysis by GC or GCMS. A liquid or solid sample can be placed in a sample container of a closed system under vacuum that further includes a sample extraction device. The assembly can be placed in a 3-zone heater that can separately control the temperature of the bottom of the sample container, the top of the sample container, and the sample extraction device. Vapor flux from the bottom of the sample container into the headspace of the sample container can deliver compounds of interest to the sample extraction device, whereas matrix compounds can re-condense in the headspace of the sample container to avoid delivery to the sample extraction device. Extraction can continue until substantial transfer of compounds of interest to the sorbent occurs, followed by thermal desorption of the extract into a GCMS for analysis.

The disclosed system and method concentrates and enriches a chemical sample while removing water and/or CO2 prior to analysis, improving detection limits and repeatability of quantitative chemical analysis without the need for cryogenic or sub-ambient cooling. The system can include a valve system, a dewpoint control zone, and a multi-capillary column trapping system (MCCTS). During a first time period, the valve system can couple the dewpoint control zone to the MCCTS. During a second time period, the valve system can couple the MCCTS to the chemical separation column such the dewpoint control zone is bypassed. Excess water included in the sample can condense in the dewpoint control zone as the sample transfers to the dewpoint control zone and MCCTS. When the sample is transferred from the MCCTS to the chemical separation column, the condensed water in the dewpoint control zone is not transferred to a chemical separation column.

An automatic tritium extraction device for environmental monitoring comprises a distillation chamber, a temperature control unit, a condensation unit and an auxiliary condensation unit. The distillation chamber is connected to a first pump, a second pump and a third pump. A delivery pipe comprises a first vertical pipe, a second vertical pipe and an oblique pipe which inclines upwards from the distillation chamber to the condensation unit. An automatic tritium extraction method for environmental monitoring comprises the following steps: 1) cleaning of a distillation chamber; 2) distillation rising; 3) distillation; 4) condensation; 5) discharging samples out of the distillation chamber. By the adoption of the automatic tritium extraction device and method for environmental monitoring, fully-automatic distillation and condensation of environmental tritium samples, automatic cleaning of the distillation chamber, and automatic and accurate addition of required agents are realized, and fully-automatic acquisition, preparation, distillation, purification, measurement and analysis of environmental tritium can be completed; and manual intervention is reduced, so that monitoring results are more accurate, and labor costs are saved.

The present invention relates to a steam sample concentrator and conditioning (SSCC) system. The SSCC finds use in concentrating impurities carried in steam (e.g., used in power generation and other industrial processes) and facilitating steam analysis.

A system for real-time detection of airborne pathogens is disclosed. The system includes: an air intake unit defining an inlet and an air inflow channel; a fan configured to cause air in a sampling environment to flow into the air inflow channel via the inlet; a cooling unit for cooling air in the air inflow channel; a collection chamber for collecting liquid water condensed from air in the air inflow channel, the collection chamber including: an active target substrate having a surface that is coated with bioreceptors; and a reference target substrate that is not coated with bioreceptors, and an optical detection unit that is configured to independently illuminate the active target substrate and the reference target substrate with light for detecting presence of an airborne pathogen.

A thermal desorption tube collection system uses a thermoelectric cooler to collect and concentrate gas samples. In some modes, the operation of the cooler is reversed to flow the concentrated sample directly into a separator such as a gas chromatography system. Components resolved in time by a thermal desorption separator accumulate in a sample cell and are analyzed by electromagnetic radiation-based spectroscopic techniques. Also presented are methods for analyzing biogas samples.

A real-time online analysis device for substance pyrolysis, including: a pyrolyzing system (1), a capturing system (2), a testing system (3) and a controlling system (4) is disclosed. The pyrolyzing system (1), the capturing system (2) and the testing system (3) are connected with the controlling system (4). The capturing system (2) has a cooling cavity (22) and a heating cavity (23) inside. The temperature of the cooling cavity (22) ranges from room temperature to −200° C., and the temperature of the heating cavity (23) ranges from room temperature to 1000° C. A method for real-time online analysis of substance pyrolysis using the device is also disclosed. The present device can provide real-time online pyrolysis, capturing, separation and analysis of substances at a plurality of temperature points or ranges.

An analyser for collecting and analysing a breath condensate is disclosed. The analyser comprises a housing and a cartridge device (10). The device comprises a condensation zone (12) to condense exhaled breath from a subject and cooling means operably connected to the condensation zone (12). The device includes further discrete regions (13) for detection of analyte and measurement of analyte. The condensation zone (12) has a fluid exit connecting the condensation zone (12) to the discrete regions (13). The analyser includes a mouthpiece which is provided with a plurality of chambers configured to cause a change of 90° in the direction of the exhaled breath in order to trap saliva aerosols.