The system and method for a multi-element, ultra-low SWaP chemical concentrator incorporating Applicant's own open cell foamed adsorbent material which allows high volume sampling (e.g., liters per minute) to achieve low detection limits (ppt) using high-volume, low-pressure air sources (i.e. fans or blowers) rather than pumps. The device delivers the sample directly to an analyzer without the need for a typical intermediate cryogenic trapping step. In one example, a rotary style concentrator comprises four individual foam elements. Each element can be individually heated to desorb analytes.

The invention relates to a system and micro monitor apparatus, a space-, time-, and cost-efficient device to concentrate, identify, and quantify organic compounds in gas environments. The invention further relates to a method centered on gas chromatography for identifying and quantifying organic compounds in gas environments, using air as the carrier gas, without the need for a compressed pre-bottled purified carrier gas.

A method of integrity testing porous materials that is non-destructive to the material being tested. The inlet gas stream includes at least two gases, wherein one of the gases has a different permeability in liquid than the other, such as oxygen and nitrogen in water. The relative permeability of the gases is measured in the retentate stream, thereby avoiding accessing the permeate stream and potentially introducing contaminants to the material being tested. The integrity test is capable of detecting the presence of oversized pores or defects that can compromise the retention capability of the porous material.

A method for detecting a gas sample includes the following steps of: providing a carbon aerogel sleeve; introducing a gas sample to the carbon aerogel sleeve, and then sequentially extracting, concentrating, activating, and re-concentrating the gas sample adsorbed by the carbon aerogel and detecting a concentration of the re-concentrated gas sample by a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS); and extracting the carbon aerogel for several hours with reflux in a dichloromethane solvent and a n-hexane solvent several times per hour to remove the residual gas sample, and then drying the extracted carbon aerogel for reuse, wherein the dichloromethane solvent and the n-hexane solvent are at a volume ratio of 0.001-1000.

Mobile device (110) is disclosed. The present techniques relate to a mobile device or portable electronic device, particularly a device including a breath sampling device. The mobile electronic device (110) comprises a collection device (112) for collecting and storing a gas sample. The collection device (112) is accessible to enable analysis of the gas stored in the collection device (112). The collection device (112) comprises a mouthpiece (118) into which a user exhales. The collection device (112) further comprises a plurality of sorbent tubes (114) to collect and store the breath sample(s). Each tube (114) has a one-way valve (116) to prevent captured breath escaping.

A method for detecting a food allergen, the method may include (a) exposing a sensor to vapors emitted from food, wherein the sensor comprises one or more conductive paths that comprise one or more adsorbing portions that are configured to adsorb one or more volatile indicators that differ from the food allergen and are emitted from a food component that comprises the food allergen; wherein an impedance of the one or more adsorbing portions is responsive to an adsorption of at least one volatile indicator of the one or more volatile indicators; (b) measuring the one or more impedances of the one or more adsorbing portions to provide sensed information; and (c) determining a presence of the food allergen in the food, based on the sensed information.

The present invention generally relates to bimetal-doped, metal oxide-based sensors and platforms and integrated chemical sensors incorporating the same, methods of making the same, and methods of using the same.

Disclosed are substance detection and identification devices, and methods of using them for detection and identification of substances in ambient surroundings, on surfaces of objects, inside closed items or in fluids. A substance detection and identification device may comprise a housing, an opening in the housing for passage of sample material therethrough, a sensing unit located in the housing and an array of sensing elements configured and operable to interact with sample material in the vicinity thereof for detecting one or more specific substances and generating sensing data indicative thereof. A sample path defined in the housing between the opening and the sensing unit is used for facilitating flow of the sample material towards the sensing unit. A gas inlet assembly provided in the housing is configured for providing a predetermined supply of the sample material to the sensing elements in the sensors array, to thereby enable a predetermined time pattern of the sensing data from the array of sensing elements. A heating unit may be provided in the housing for heating the sensing elements.

A method for detecting a gas sample includes the following steps of: providing a carbon aerogel sleeve; introducing a gas sample to the carbon aerogel sleeve, and then sequentially extracting, concentrating, activating, and re-concentrating the gas sample adsorbed by the carbon aerogel and detecting a concentration of the re-concentrated gas sample by a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS); and extracting the carbon aerogel for several hours with reflux in a dichloromethane solvent and a n-hexane solvent several times per hour to remove the residual gas sample, and then drying the extracted carbon aerogel for reuse, wherein the dichloromethane solvent and the n-hexane solvent are at a volume ratio of 0.001-1000.

Disclosed herein is a method of providing a structure having two electrodes connected by nanowires, exposing the structure to an analyte that can adsorb onto the nanowires, and passing an electrical current through the nanowires to heat the nanowires to desorb the analyte. Also disclosed herein is an apparatus having the above structure; a current source electrically connected to the electrodes, and a detector to detect the analyte.