Methods, devices, and systems are disclosed for releasing a sample from a carrier medium. A method of releasing a sample from a carrier medium comprises treating a sample on a carrier medium with a first organic reagent, wherein when the sample contains at least one inorganic salt, the first organic reagent binds to a cation of the inorganic salt to produce both a first volatile compound and an isolated anion of the inorganic salt; treating the sample on the carrier medium with a second organic reagent, wherein the second organic reagent reacts with the isolated anion to produce a second volatile compound; and releasing the treated sample from the carrier medium, wherein when the first and the second volatile compounds are produced, the releasing step releases at least one of the first and second volatile compounds from the carrier medium.

The present disclosure is directed to methods and systems for detecting a substance in a sample gas. The methods and systems include separating the substance of interest in the sample gas, and introducing the separated sample gas into a detector. The systems and methods further include performing an analysis of the substance of interest.

A device and method for headspace sampling is disclosed herein. The headspace sampling device comprises a sample holding device configured to be sealed in a vial. The sample holding device has a pair of electrodes gap spaced from one another and a basket extending between the electrodes configured to hold a sample. The basket is configured to heat a sample held therewith and volatize at least a portion of the sample upon an electrical current being passed through the electrodes and the basket.

Reagents and methods are disclosed for detection of oxidizers and inorganic salts and other analytes of interest. The reagents can interact with their target analytes, especially oxidizer compositions or oxidizer-based explosives, to selectively enhance their ionization yield, interacting by chemical reaction or by forming an associative adduct which facilitates their detection. For example, the reagents can adduct with the counter-ion of the intended analyte for improved direct detection and/or react chemically via acid-base reactions to produce a new product for detection. In another aspect of the invention, reactive reagents and methods are also disclosed that facilitate indirect detection of the analyte at lower temperatures based on reduction-oxidation (redox) chemistry. These reagents are particularly useful in detecting oxidizer analytes.

A method of treating meibomian gland dysfunction is disclosed. The method includes directing RF energy to an internal portion of a meibomian gland, selectively targeting an obstruction within a duct of the meibomian gland with the applied RF energy to melt, loosen, or soften the obstruction, and expressing the obstruction from the duct of the meibomian gland. An apparatus for treating meibomian gland dysfunction is also disclosed. The apparatus comprises at least one RF electrode configured to direct RF energy to an internal portion of a meibomian gland located in an eyelid of an eye, the at least one RF electrode further configured to selectively target an obstruction within a duct of the meibomian gland with the applied RF energy to melt, loosen, or soften the obstruction. The apparatus also comprises at least one expressor configured to express the obstruction from the duct of the meibomian gland.

A chemical sensing system includes a substrate material, a detector capable of indicating a presence of a target compound, gas, or vapor, and a heater for rapidly releasing compounds, gases and vapors from the substrate material. The substrate material acts to concentrate the compounds, gases, and vapors from a sample area for improved detection by the detector.

In some embodiments, the present disclosure pertains to substance detecting assemblies that include: (1) a sample medium (e.g., filter paper); and (2) a solid test chemical (e.g., zinc) impregnated with the sample medium. In some embodiments, the present disclosure pertains to methods of making an assembly for detecting a substance by: (1) providing a sample medium; (2) providing a solid test chemical; and (3) impregnating the sample medium with the solid test chemical. In further embodiments, the present disclosure pertains to methods for detecting a substance by: (1) collecting the substance on a sample medium that is impregnated with a solid test chemical; and (2) initiating a reaction of the substance with the solid test chemical on the sample medium to generate a color that corresponds to the substance. In some embodiments, the sample medium is then inserted into a chemical detection unit for the detection of the substance.

A detection device for detecting analytes in liquid specimen is provided. The detection device comprises: a specimen chamber for collecting or storing a liquid specimen; a detecting chamber for containing a detecting element; and a through hole for transferring the liquid specimen between the specimen chamber and the detecting chamber. The through hole can be opened or self-sealed. The sealing or opening of the through hole controls whether or not the liquid specimen in the specimen chamber enters the detecting chamber via the through hole. Furthermore, a detection method is provided.

Multi-parameter water analysis system with a water parameter sensing device configured to wirelessly provide detector data and a smart phone displayable indicator of water analysis test results that are calculated by an analysis application that is updateable via a cloud-based data resource to account for a manufacturing change in indicator chemistry and/or an improvement in test result display. The water parameter sensing device includes an optical sensing apparatus configured to detect light from each of a plurality of indicators for different parameters when the indicator and a chemical parameter are exposed to each other, a processor to process information of the detected light, and wireless communication circuitry for communicating detector data based on the information about the detected light to a remote device. Social networking of water quality data allows sharing to other users.

The present invention provides a method for the rapid monitoring of biological analytes in a point-of-care setting by providing a smart phone; providing a sample chamber; providing a sample; providing a dark box with a smartphone holder attached to the dark box top with the camera opening positioned about the aperture, adding a biological specimen suspected of containing a biological analyte in the sample chamber; adding a bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl) oxalate, an imidazole and a fluorophore to the sample chamber to react with the biological analyte; placing the sample chamber into the dark box; generating an emission from the fluorophore in response to the reaction with the biological analyte; and recording a set of time-lapse images of the emission with the smartphone.