Apparatuses and methods are provided for quantifying an analyte in a gas or liquid phase. A light source with an emission spectrum overlapping an absorption of the analyte, and a pair of reflective mirrors located on an optical axis to form an optical cavity can be included. An off-axis photon detector can be configured as a fluorescence detector and located off the cavity axis and arranged to provide a first signal in response to fluorescence within the cavity. An axial photon detector can be located axially, and external, to the cavity and arranged to provide a second signal. The portion of the apparatus including the light source, the cavity, and the axial photon detector can be configured with a cavity-enhanced absorption spectrometer, and the portion of the apparatus including the off-axis photon detector can be configured with a cavity-enhanced laser-induced fluorescence (CELIF) spectrophotometer.

An optical detector for particles is provided, including: a channel configured to receive a fluid including at least one particle and to receive at least one incident light ray; a detection system including a plurality of photodetectors, each photodetector being configured to receive light rays coming from the channel and diffused by the at least one particle; and an angular filtering system including a plurality of angular filtering devices each associated with a photodetector of the plurality of photodetectors, each angular filtering device being configured to angularly filter the light rays coming from the channel before reception thereof by the photodetector with which it is associated.

A sensor system is disclosed that includes a plurality of sensors, a deployment system for deploying the sensors, a control and charging system for receiving sensor data and optionally charging the batteries within the sensors, and one or more algorithms employed by the sensor system for processing, analyzing, and otherwise using data received by the plurality of sensors.

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.

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.

A standoff chemical detection system that includes a source and detector are provided. The source includes: a controller, memory communicatively connected to the controller, optical sources each constructed to operate over different wavelength ranges, and a power supply. The controller controls the plurality of optical sources to emit respective infrared beams towards a target detection area in a sequential order. The detector includes: an image sensor and a controller that is communicatively connected to the image sensor. Memory and the notification device are also communicatively connected to the controller. The image sensor receives attenuated infrared beams emitted by the optical sources sequentially and at least partially attenuated by chemicals in the target detection area. The controller is constructed to calculate stimulus value signals from the recorded image data and determine whether a hazard chemical is located within the target detection area based on the calculated stimulus value signals.

A substance analyzer that includes, to enhance selectivity of substance analysis, the following: a heater that heats a medium for collecting a chemical substance adhering to a surface of an inspection object; a mass spectrometer that performs tandem mass spectrometry of vapor derived from the chemical substance heated and vaporized by the heater from the medium; and a control device that causes the mass spectrometer to perform, based on a temperature of the medium in the heater, tandem mass spectrometry for the chemical substance that is vaporized at the temperature of the medium using the vapor sent from the heater to the mass spectrometer.

Apparatuses and methods for generating trace vapors are provided. The apparatus includes a controller and an oven. The controller includes: a processor, a memory storing at least one control program, a clean solution supply port constructed to output a clean solution, an analyte solution supply port constructed to output an analyte solution, a carrier gas inlet port constructed to receive a carrier gas, and a plurality of carrier gas supply controllers constructed to output the carrier gas. The oven includes a clean manifold, an analyte manifold, a clean solution nebulizer constructed to: receive the clean solution from the clean solution supply port, and the carrier gas from one of the plurality of carrier gas supply controllers, and output a clean solution vapor stream comprising the clean solution and the carrier gas to the clean manifold, an analyte solution nebulizer constructed to: receive the analyte solution from the analyte solution supply port and the carrier gas from another one of the plurality of carrier gas supply controllers, and output an analyte solution vapor stream comprising the analyte solution and the carrier gas to the analyte manifold, a pneumatic valve controllably connected to the processor and communicatively connected to the clean manifold and the analyte manifold, and an output supply port communicatively connected to the pneumatic valve. The controller is configured to operate the pneumatic valve to allow the clean vapor solution or the analyte vapor solution to enter the chamber and be provided to the output supply port.

A gas accumulation and combustion control device combining a sorption system, a ventilation system, a control system, and sensor system, with the sensor system configured to detect gas contaminants, transmit a gas detection signal to the control system, the control system configured to adjust the ventilation system based on the gas detection signal, the ventilation system configured to draw the contaminated air in from the atmosphere and lead it toward the sorption system, which in turn is configured to adsorb or absorb the gas contaminants.

Various techniques are described herein for using smell sensor-based Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices to detect and identify individual users based a unique scent or smell print. Interconnected networks of such devices may be used in collaboration, along with other devices such as IoT devices and home monitoring system devices, to track user movements and activities. Such smell sensor device also may be used to detect weapons, explosives, narcotics, and other prohibited items that may be concealed and/or not detectable using security cameras. The data received from the smell sensors and smell-based IoT devices may be used, alone or in combination with other security sensors and systems, to perform safety and security screening within homes, airports or other secure areas, or within any public indoor or outdoor location.