3-D glass printable hand-held gas chromatograph for biomedical and environmental applications
11243192 · 2022-02-08
Assignee
Inventors
- Henry Steen (Bowling Green, KY, US)
- Vladimir Dobrokhotov (Bowling Green, KY, US)
- Quentin Lineberry (Bowling Green, KY, US)
- Jon Paschal (Bowling Green, KY, US)
Cpc classification
A61B5/082
HUMAN NECESSITIES
International classification
Abstract
A sensor structure is disclosed comprising at least four planar layers subsuming at least one cavity housed but not contained by overlapping apertures through at least two of the planar layers, wherein the at least one cavity comprises a plurality of chambers, and wherein at least one chamber of the plurality of chambers is configured to be in fluid coupling with at least one other chamber. The plurality of chambers may be defined by overlapping apertures through a plurality of the planar layers. The plurality of chambers may include a Gas Chromatograph (GC) column. The planar layers may be flexible flat glass. The planar layers may be fused together. The layers may be made with apertures through the layers disposed in a desired pattern to define complex structures by the apertures overlapping between abutting layers when the layers are stacked. The planar layers may be configured to admit ultraviolet light.
Claims
1. An apparatus comprising: at least four abutting planar layers of flexible flat glass comprising at least one cavity formed by individual overlapping apertures through the thickness of and having an opening central axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of at least two of the planar layers, wherein the at least one cavity comprises a plurality of chambers, wherein the central axis follows a path that alternates between a linear path and a curvilinear path, and wherein at least one chamber of the plurality of chambers is configured to be in fluid coupling with at least one other chamber.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one cavity having the opening central axis following the curvilinear path that alternates between a linear path and a curvilinear path further comprises a Gas Chromatograph (GC) column.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the GC column further comprises the at least one chamber extending substantially across the length of at least one planar layer.
4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the GC column further comprises the at least one chamber forming a spiral disposed substantially parallel to the plane of at least one planar layer, and wherein the path followed by the opening central axis alternates from a first linear path substantially parallel to the plane of at least one planar layer, to a curvilinear path defined by the spiral, and to a second linear path substantially parallel with the plane of at least one planar layer.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a valve configured to govern the fluid coupling interchangeably between a coupled and an uncoupled state.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a sensor that is on top of or in plane with at least one of the flat glass layers.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a heater that is on top of or in plane with at least one of the flat glass layers.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of chambers is at least four chambers.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one cavity further comprises at least one bend.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one bend is defined by apertures disposed in at least two planar layers.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one cavity further comprises at least one bend defined by apertures disposed in more than two planar layers.
12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one planar layer includes a plurality of apertures having different sizes.
13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one planar layer includes a plurality of apertures having different shapes.
14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of chambers further comprises at least four chambers, and wherein at least one chamber is configured to be in fluid communication with at least one other chamber, and wherein the fluid communication is governed by a valve configured to be in fluid coupling with at least one chamber of the plurality of chambers.
15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one cavity further comprises a Gas Chromatograph (GC) column defined by overlapping apertures through a plurality of the flexible flat glass layers, and wherein the GC column further comprises at least one bend defined by apertures disposed in more than two flexible flat glass layers.
16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one cavity further comprises an injector defined by overlapping apertures through a plurality of the flexible flat glass layers.
17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one cavity further comprises a pre-concentrator tube defined by overlapping apertures through a plurality of the flexible flat glass layers, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a mouthpiece configured to be fluidly coupled with the pre-concentrator tube.
18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a pump configured to be in fluid coupling with at least one chamber of the plurality of chambers.
19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one 3D printed sensor that is on top of or in plane with at least one of the flat glass layers.
20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a mouthpiece configured to be in fluid coupling with at least one chamber of the plurality of chambers.
21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one of the abutting planar layers of flexible flat glass is configured to admit ultraviolet (UV) light into at least one chamber of the plurality of chambers.
22. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the apparatus further comprises a scrubber configured to be in fluid communication with the GC column.
23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one 3D printed structure disposed on at least one of the at least four abutting planar layers of flexible flat glass.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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(44) Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(45) To aid understanding, this document is organized as follows. First, detecting and identifying a pathogen of interest based on an electronic chemical signature determined as a function of sensor measurement response characteristic differences resulting from catalytic reactivity diversity among a plurality of sensors is briefly introduced with reference to
(46) It is to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings and described in the following specification are exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.
(47) Comprehensive analysis of complex gas mixtures can be accomplished through implementation of analytical gas chromatography. A gas chromatographic column separates complex sample mixtures into individual components. As a result, the individual components of the mixture are delivered to the detector separated in time. Retention times on the GC column are indicative of the component identity. Analytical gas chromatograph can be combined with a pre-concentrator to deliver higher concentrations of components to the detector than are in the original sample.
(48) Gas delivery and separation system for analytical gas chromatographs can be 3-D printed from metal or glass. Contrary to traditional manufacturing processes such as drilling, milling, sawing, molding, and joining, 3D printing offers freedom of design, complex geometry with high precision, elimination of tooling, rapid prototyping, and cost-effective customization. A 3D-printed glass or metal column can be developed towards micro-GC applications. The 3-D printed portion of the device includes the chromatography column, the injector module, and a pre-concentrator.
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(51) Glass: Glass refers to a substance typically formed by melting sand, sodium carbonate (soda), and calcium oxide (lime)(silicate glass). The glass can also be formed with B203 and/or A1203 to form borosilicate, aluminosilicate, or alumino-borosilicate glass. Additional additives can also be included during the formation of the glass or afterwards (e.g., polymer or metal oxide coatings). The glass can be transparent, translucent, or opaque. For translucent or opaque, the glass can be formed with this property. Alternatively, the glass can be modified to be translucent or opaque. Examples of modification include the addition of a translucent or opaque layer (e.g., a coating on one or both sides of one or more glass layers). The glass can be made or modified such that it reflects (in or out) and/or filters (in or out) certain wavelengths of light. In another aspect, a modified glass layer can further comprise another glass layer (e.g., to sandwich a coating to protect and/or enhance the modification).
(52) Flat: Flat refers to both the geometry and the roughness of the glass. The flat glass used in the present invention is both planar (geometry) and smooth (roughness). Planar means that the top and bottom of each layer is in the same geometric plane. The flat glass has length, width, and thickness (height), with the thickness being very small (see examples of thickness below). Roughness is defined via a roughness average (Ra) and peak-to-valley roughness (Rpv). Examples of the roughness average (Ra) of the flat glass include less than 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.9, 0.8, 0.7, 0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.2, and 0.1 nm. Examples of peak-to-valley roughness (Rpv) include less than 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, and 5 nm.
(53) Fluid: Throughout this disclosure, the term “fluid” is used interchangeably with the term “gas.” For example, an element that is “fluidly coupled” or “fluidly connected” or in “fluid communication” is capable to or would be capable to be in a coupled, connected, or communication mode with respect to gas, fluid, gas and fluid, gas or fluid, or any combination or mixture of gas or fluid.
(54) When the structure is cylindrical, the flat glass is a plane curve (e.g., the flexible glass has wound around a spool).
(55) Examples of the thickness of the flat glass include 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100, 105, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 150, 155, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185, 190, 195, 200, 205, 210, 215, 220, to 225 pm, or greater.
(56) As an example, the presently claimed invention uses glass that is stable to at least 600° C. Other examples of the temperature at which the glass remains stable includes 625, 650, 675, 700, 725, 750, 775, and 800° C.
(57) Typically, the glass used in the present invention is flexible. For example, the glass is bendable or capable of forming a curved structure without shattering (e.g., a non-brittle substance). This allows for the glass to be formed into rolls, which can be unwound and cut during the present manufacturing process.
(58) Examples of commercially available flat glass useful in the present invention include ultra-thin glass from Schott (e.g., AF 32® eco and AF 32® eco) as well as Corning® Willow® glass.
(59) An advantage of the present unitary structures is that they form what is essentially a solid block (or cylinder) of hermetically sealed glass. The solid block (or cylinder) is sturdy and is resistant to numerous environmental challenges (freezing temperatures, high temperatures, precipitation, submersion in water, etc.).
(60) In an aspect, the present invention provides a novel multi-layer, flat glass structure comprises a. a top flat glass layer; b. a bottom flat glass layer; and, c. at least four (4) internal flat glass layers, wherein the internal flat glass layers are each, individually, in contact with two other flat glass layers and the top and bottom flat glass layers are each, independently, in contact with one internal flat glass layer; the structure has a top, bottom, and four sides; and, at least one portion of glass (cut-out) is missing from a plurality of the layers.
(61) In another aspect, a plurality of portions of glass (cut-outs) are missing from a plurality of the layers. In another aspect, a plurality of the missing glass portions in the plurality of layers are aligned to form a channel(s) (e.g., via) and/or a chamber(s). In another aspect, the structure, comprises at least 10 layers. In another aspect, the structure, comprises at least 50 layers. In another aspect, the structure, comprises at least 100 layers.
(62) The number of flat glass layers (the total of top, bottom, and internal) is only limited by the design of the structures, specifically their thickness (height). Examples include 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200, 220, 240, 260, 280, 300, 320, 340, 360, 380, 400, 420, 440, 460, 480, 500, 550, 600, 650, 700, 750, 800, 850, 900, 950, 1000, 1050, 1100, 1150, 1200, 1250, 1300, 1350, 1400, 1450, 1500, 1550, 1600, 1650, 1700, 1750, 1800, 1850, 1900, 1950, and 2000. Examples also include: (a) 10-2000, (b) 10-1000, (c) 100-2000, (d) 100-1000, and (e) 100-500.
(63) The geometry of the structures can vary depending on the function of the structure and/or the function of the components housed by the structure. In another aspect, the structure is a quadrilateral. Examples of quadrilaterals include square, rectangular, rhombus, parallelogram, trapezoid, and kite (adjacent pairs of equal length sides). In another aspect, the structure is round. Examples of round structures include circular, oblong, and egg-shaped. In another aspect, the unitary structure is a combination of part quadrilateral and par round. An example of the combination geometry is a structure that is round on one end and square or rectangular on the other.
(64) In another aspect, the structure, further comprises: a plurality of fluid ports. The ports allow for gases and/or liquids to be introduced into and flow through the structure. Examples of the number of ports include 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. The ports are connected to an internal structure (e.g., glass channel) for the gas or liquid to flow into and through. This is useful when the structure houses a sensor (e.g., a gas sensor or plurality of gas sensors) or functions as a gas chromatograph (GC) column. In another aspect, the ports allow for external tubing or connectors to be inserted into and/or connected with the structure. For internal connection, external tubing is plugged into the completed structure. The ports can be the glass of the structure itself or can be a non-flat glass connecter that is affixed to the inside of the completed structure. For glass ports, they can be formed in the structure during manufacture. Alternatively, ports can be formed (e.g., drilled) after the unitary structure has been made. For external connection, a connector can affix (e.g., glued, fused, or mechanically attached) to the structure thereby allowing a connection that is external to the structure. Attachment of the external connector can occur during the stacking of the layers or after the structure has been made.
(65) In another aspect, the structure, further comprises electrical connectors. Examples of the number of electrical connectors include 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10-100. As an example, the connectors are electrical ports than can allow an electrical device (e.g., cable or wire) to be plugged into the structure. Another example of electrical connectors is external conducting pins (e.g., gold- or gold-plated pins) that extend from the inside of the structure to the outside of the structure, thereby allowing for clipping, crimping, plugging, or other ways of electrical connection.
(66) Electrical connectors as well as electrical components housed (partially or fully) in the completed structure are typically electronically connected to one another via internal electronic connections. Examples of these connections include wires, traces, solder, and combinations thereof. Internal electronic connections are cut during the manufacturing process. The internal (and external, if present) electrical connections are inserted/laid/deposited during the manufacturing process or after the structure has been made. As an example, an electrical port can also be a glass inlet housing an electrical connector a wire, trace, or solder located inside or close enough to electronically communicate with a plug inserted therein.
(67) In another aspect, the structure, further comprises: a plurality of mechanical pins 1220. In one embodiment these mechanical pins pass through the top and bottom of a single layer flat glass structure. In another embodiment, they also pass through the internal layers of the glass-sensor and at least into the top and bottom layers of a multi-layer structure. In one embodiment, one or more of the mechanical pins 1220 pass through at least one of the top or bottom of a single flat glass layer structure. In one embodiment, the mechanical pins pass through at least one of the top or bottom layers and extend beyond the structure of a multi-layer flat glass structure. The mechanical pins can be used to mount the structure (e.g., attach the structure to a vehicle or a computer case). The mechanical pins 1220 can also be screws or bolts or other types of fasteners. The mechanical pins 1220 can also be electrically conductive.
(68) In another aspect, the mechanical pins 1220 are electrically conductive and are in electrical connection with at least one component housed in the structure. In another aspect, the plurality of mechanical pins extends beyond the bottom and/or top of the structure, are electrically conductive, and are in electrical connection with at least one of component housed in the structure. A glass structure that is a GC column is illustrated in
(69) In
(70) Typical column lengths for GC columns are 30 m and 60 m. Due to the ease of manufacturing the present GC columns, the column length is easily adjusted. Examples include 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95 and 100 m.
(71) The internal diameter (I.D.) of the column is also variable as it is set by the laser cut. Examples of the column I.D. include 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09, 0.10, 0.11, 0.12, 0.13, 0.14, 0.15, 0.16, 0.17, 0.18, 0.19, 0.20, 0.21, 0.22, 0.23, 0.24, 0.25, 0.26, 0.27, 0.28, 0.29, 0.30, 0.31, 0.32, 0.33, 0.34, 0.35, 0.36, 0.37, 0.38, 0.39, 0.40, 0.41, 0.42, 0.43, 0.44, 0.45, 0.46, 0.47, 0.48, 0.49, 0.50, 0.51, 0.52, 0.53, 0.54, 0.55, 0.56, 0.57, 0.58, 0.59, 0.60, 0.61, 0.62, 0.63, 0.64, 0.65, 0.66, 0.67, 0.68, 0.69, 0.70, 0.71, 0.72, 0.73, 0.74, 0.75, 0.76, 0.77, 0.78, 0.79, and 0.80 mm.
(72) One of the advantages of the present invention is the ability to rapidly and precisely manufacture small, unitary, functional, single and multi-layer, flat glass structures. These structures avoid the need for tubing, connectors, and other parts that the glass can function as or for which the need is removed. For example, the GC structure in
(73) In another aspect, the GC column structure, further comprises: a detector. The structure can comprise a detector that is or contains a sensor 8100 or can be connected to a detector that is or contains a sensor 8100 via the outlet port 1210.
(74) The GC detector can be a sensor such as those described in WO 2017/165567, WO 2018/160650, U.S. Pat. No. 10,132,769, US Patent Publication No. 2018/0086664, and US Patent Publication No. 2018/0215611, the contents of which are incorporated by reference, in their entirety. Alternatively, the GC detector can be selected from: (a) flame ionization detector (FID), thermal conductive detector (TCD), akali flame detector (AFD), alkali flame ionization detector (AFID), catalytic combustion detector (CCD), flame photometric detector (FPD), electron capture detector (ECD), and combinations thereof (e.g., TCD in sequence with an FID). The detector can also be a spectrometer such as a mass spectrometer (MS) or NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer), or a combination (e.g. GC-MS, GC-NMR or GC-MS-NMR).
(75) In another aspect, the present invention provides a novel method of manufacturing a multi-layer, flat glass structure, the method, comprising: a. unrolling a spool of flat glass to provide a first length of flat glass; b. cutting the first length of glass away from the spool to form a bottom layer of flat glass, wherein the cutting optionally includes cutting a desired pattern into the first length of glass; c. placing the bottom layer of flat glass into an alignment frame; d. unrolling the spool to provide a second length of flat glass; e. cutting the second length of glass away from the spool to form an internal layer of flat glass, wherein the cutting optionally includes cutting a desired pattern into the second length of glass; f placing the internal layer of flat glass into the alignment frame and in contact with the bottom layer; g. repeating steps (d)-(f) for each internal layer of flat glass, wherein each additional internal layer is placed in contact with another internal layer; h. unrolling the spool to provide a last length of flat glass; i. cutting the last length of glass away from the spool to form a top layer of flat glass, wherein the cutting optionally includes cutting a desired pattern into the last length of glass; j. placing the top layer of flat glass into the alignment frame and in contact with an internal layer; and k. fusing the stacked glass layers to form a multi-layer, flat glass structure.
(76) Cutting of the flat glass layers is typically done via laser. Using a laser allows for precision, accuracy, and speed. The pieces cut out drop away as the glass layer is moved. Optionally, mechanical force (e.g., agitation, twisting, or forced air) is applied to the cut layer to ensure all unwanted glass pieces drop away.
(77) In another aspect, at least one alignment hole is cut into each layer. Examples of the number of alignment holes include 1, 2, 3, and 4. The alignment hole(s) allows for a light to shine through each layer to ensure precise alignment. Alternatively, an alignment post (or posts) can be used and each layer can be stacked onto the alignment post (or posts) via the alignment hole(s). In this aspect, the alignment frame, comprises at least one alignment post.
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(79) One of the advantages of the present manufacturing process is that each layer can be patterned the same or differently from other layers. The process can be automated by pre-programming the pattern into a computer-controlled laser. The unrolling, cutting, stacking, etc. can all be automated, thereby allowing for high-speed, precision manufacturing of the present flat-glass structures.
(80) In another aspect, fusing is performed using ultrasound and/or applying pressure. In another aspect, the fusing step is performed by pressing the layers of the structure together with enough pressure that the layers fuse (adhere) to one another. In another aspect, the integrity of the stack is maintained by the alignment frame while pressure is applied. This is to ensure that the layers remain aligned, which can be important if channels or other structures are formed by the stacking.
(81) In another aspect, pressure is applied to the partially completed structure to limit the amount of pressure required to fuse the entire structure. For example, pressure can be applied after every 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, or 100 layers have been stacked.
(82) In another aspect, the top layer is cut and stacked first and the bottom layer is cut and stacked last. This would be building the structure from the top up as opposed to the bottom-up process described above. In another aspect, the optional pattern cutting and cutting a length of flat glass away from the spool can be done simultaneously, sequentially (e.g., from one side to another), or in parts or segments.
(83) As described above, the present multi-layer glass structures can comprise various components (e.g., sensors, batteries, and wiring). One way to include components in the structure is to add them as the layers of glass are stacked. The patterns created in the glass layers can result in cavities/openings as layers are stacked. The cavities/openings allow for components to be installed during stacking.
(84) In another aspect, the method, further comprises 1. installing one or more components into a cavity formed by at one or more internal layers. This installing step can occur at any time during the stacking of internal layers (or before or after if the top and/or bottom layer has a cut-out in it). It can also occur multiple times in order to assemble a multi-component system. Cavity includes individual or multiple small holes (e.g., channel(s) and via(s)) and individual or multiple larger cut-outs (e.g., circular, square, and rectangular openings), which can form a chamber(s). For example, the battery of a cellular phone could be located near the bottom of the structure and an LED screen could be located at the top of the structure. The battery would be installed before the LED in a bottom up build (and vice versa). Electrical contacts, wiring, etc. could be installed throughout the stacking process (multiple installing steps). Fusing of the glass structure could occur before each component is installed (multiple fusing steps), after each component is installed (multiple fusing steps), or after the stacking is complete (one fusing step).
(85) In another aspect, the method, further comprises m. placing a first modified layer onto the stack. In this aspect, a flat glass layer is modified before or during the manufacturing process and placed onto the stack as the structure is made. This allows one to maintain a high-speed process without stopping to modify a layer (e.g., deposit metal traces). The layer to be modified can come from the same flat glass roll being used to form the structure, from a different roll, or a different source (e.g., a large sheet onto which a plurality of modifications is made). Examples of the modifications include building an integrated circuit or sensor on a glass layer and forming metal traces onto the layer (e.g., metal deposition or via an etching method). By having a supply of modified layers on hand, structures can be rapidly made with the modified layer (or layers) being placed on the stack at the appropriate time (first (top/bottom), last (top/bottom), or somewhere in the middle). In another aspect, the method, further comprises n. placing a plurality of modified layers onto the stack. Examples of the number of modified layers in this aspect include 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20.
(86) By forming the glass structure as two or more modified layers, at least one component can be encased in the structure by placing the component(s) into (onto) one layer and then bringing the other layer into contact and fusing them together. As an example, a radiation sensitive beacon (e.g., sensor, battery, and transmitter) could be enclosed in a multi-layer glass structure by first forming a top half and bottom half, placing the beacon between the halves, and then fusing the halves together. As noted above, if it is necessary to be able to open the structure to repair or replace components (e.g., faulty battery), the plurality of structures can be mechanically connected (e.g., corner clips, screws, bolts, mechanical snaps, etc.). To prevent fusion of two structures, a spacer (e.g., rubber gasket) can be used between the two structures.
(87) In another embodiment, the single or multi-layer, flat glass structure is a patterned, multilayer roll of flat glass that is formed from a first roll of flat glass that is unrolled from a first spool, optionally cut (patterned), and then rolled onto a second spool to form a unitary cylindrical structure that is patterned, multi-layer of flat glass as shown in
(88) In another aspect, the present invention provides a novel patterned, multi-layer, roll of flat glass: comprising a multi-layer roll of flat glass, comprising, at least a plurality of layers that are missing at least one portion of glass, wherein the layers of flat glass are fused together; and the roll is cylindrical. A layer is one turn or circumference of the cylinder. In addition, the cylindrical roll has a hollow (open) center (see
(89) In another aspect, a plurality of portions of glass (cut-outs) are missing from a plurality of the layers (not shown). In another aspect, a plurality of the missing glass portions in the plurality of layers are aligned to form a channel(s) (e.g., via) and/or a chamber(s). In another aspect, the roll, comprises at least 10 layers. In another aspect, the roll, comprises at least 50 layers. In another aspect, the roll, comprises at least 100 layers.
(90) An advantage of the cylindrical roll is that a “reel to reel” process can be shown in
(91) In another aspect, the present invention provides a novel method of manufacturing a cylindrical, multi-layer, flat glass structure, the method illustrated in
(92) In the cylindrical structure, the flat glass has a plane curve shape (e.g., has been wound around a spool). In another aspect, the process of rolling the glass onto the second spool causes it to fuse to the adjacent layers A, B, C, D of the roll. In another aspect, the cylinder is formed from one, continuous piece of flat glass. In another aspect, the cylinder comprises flat glass having a plurality of thickness (e.g., 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 different thickness). For a cylinder with a plurality of thicknesses, the first thickness comes from the first roll used to make the cylinder, the second thickness comes from a second roll, the third thickness, if present, comes from a third roll. This is accomplished by using a first roll, then continuing the rolling with the next roll. The ends of the first roll and beginning of the next roll can be touching or a space can be left. This is repeated for each subsequent roll. The remainder of the description of non-cylindrical multi-layer, flat glass structures applies to the cylindrical structures (except where incompatible with a cylindrical structure).
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(94) In one embodiment shown in
(95) In one embodiment, Layer B 1020 is a flat glass layer located on top of and at least partially in contact with Layer A 1010. Layer C 1030 is a flat glass layer located on top of and at least partially in contact with Layer B 1020, if present, or Layer A 1010. Layer D 1040 is a flat glass layer located on the bottom of and at least partially in contact with Layer A 1010. Layer E 1050 is a flat glass layer located on the bottom of and at least partially in contact with Layer D 1040. In one embodiment shown in
(96) In another aspect, the present invention provides a novel glass-sensor structure, wherein Layer A 1010 comprises a plurality of sensors. Examples of plurality include 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, etc. The number of sensors on Layer A 1010 is only limited by the starting size of Layer A 1010 and the size of each individual sensor. A single layer glass sensor 1010 comprising a plurality of sensors, can be cut into multiple sensor glass layers and or unitary devices. For example, if there are 64 sensory elements on Layer A 1010 then this structure can be cut into 16 glass sensor layers, each with 4 sensors thereon. In another example, the 64-sensor structure can be cut into 4 glass sensor structures each with 16 sensory elements. In another example, the 64-sensor structure can be cut into 64 sensor glass layers, each with 1 sensor. In another aspect, parts of a sensor can be present on the top, bottom or in plane with the flat glass layer 7100 in a single layer glass sensor structure 1010 or a multi-layer glass sensor structure 8185.
(97) In one embodiment, the present invention provides a novel glass-sensor structure, wherein the sensory element is in contact with at least a portion of the top of Layer A 1010 and has a smaller surface area than Layer A 1010. In another aspect, the sensory element is built directly onto the top of Layer A 1010. In another aspect, the sensory element is attached (e.g., glued) to the top of Layer A 1010. In another aspect, a middle portion of Layer A 1010 located under the sensory element is absent.
(98) In one embodiment, the present invention provides a novel glass-sensor structure, wherein Layers B 1020 and C 1030 are present. As shown in
(99) In another aspect, the present invention provides a novel glass-sensor structure, wherein a middle portion of Layer C 1030 is absent. A middle portion of Layer C 1030 being absent connects the sensor 8100 to the environment when the absent portions of Layers and B 1020 and C 1030 at least partially overlap. In another aspect, the reflective surface is present on Layer C 1030. In another aspect, the reflective surface is on top of Layer C 1030. In another aspect, the reflective surface is on bottom of Layer C 1030. One of ordinary skill in the art can configure the multiple layers with sensor location, cutouts, ports and or channels as required for a specific device and or system.
(100) In one embodiment, the present invention provides a novel glass-sensor structure, wherein the sensor is in the same plane as Layer A 1010 and is housed in an opening in the middle of Layer A 1010 that is at least the size of the sensor. In this aspect, Layer A 1010 “houses” the sensor by having an opening in it that is large enough to fit the sensor. This opening can be just large enough to fit the membrane (e.g., at least the size of the sensor sub-areas 8120) or large enough that the sensor 8100 contacts the flat glass 7100 only through the glass connectors 1060.
(101) In another embodiment, the membrane contacts the flat glass 7100 via the heater 9100. That is the heater 9100 is in direct contact with the flat glass 7100 and the membrane is in contact with the flat glass 7100 directly through the glass connectors 1060 and indirectly via the heater 9100. In one embodiment, the heater 9100 is in direct contact with the flat glass 7100 but not directly contact with the sensor 8100. The sensor 8100 can be indirectly heated via the flat glass 7100.
(102)
(103) One of the problems encountered when sensors are placed in the real world is damage caused to the sensor by the environment. The damage can be caused by weather (e.g., rain or humidity), dust, light, etc. A way to prevent, slow, or limit sensory element damage is to limit its exposure to the environment. Exposure of the sensor to its surrounding environment can be limited by one of Layers B, C, D, and/or E acting as a “cover” for (or “covering”) the sensory element. Covering can be achieved by one of Layers A, B, C, D, and/or E being movable. Thus, in another aspect, at least one of Layers A, B, C, D, and E and/or any combination of these Layers is movable.
(104) Movement may be by rotation, side-to-side motion (e.g., a layer slides in one direction to expose the sensory element to the environment and back to close) and/or up and down motion (e.g., a layer (or an edge thereof) lifts are raises far enough to allow environmental exposure and then settles back down to close). There are numerous ways to drive movement. For example, the movement can be driven by a lever, piezoelectric, magnetics, etc. In addition, the glass-sensor structure itself can be moved (e.g., tilting or shaking or inverting) to expose the sensor.
(105) In another aspect, the present invention provides a novel glass-sensor structure as described above, further comprising: a plurality of mechanical pins 1070. In one embodiment, these mechanical pins 1070 pass through the middle layers of the glass-sensor structure and at least into the top and bottom glass layers. In another embodiment, one or more of the mechanical pins 1070 pass through at least one of the top or bottom glass layer and extend beyond the glass-sensor structure. A benefit of at least one or more pins 1070 extending beyond the structure (e.g., extending beyond the bottom glass layer) is that it allows for external electrical connection with the sensor 8100.
(106) In another aspect, the mechanical pins 1070 are electrically conductive and are in electrical connection either directly or indirectly with the sensor 8100. In another aspect, the plurality of mechanical pins 1070 extend beyond the bottom glass layer 7100 of the glass-sensor structure, are electrically conductive, and are in electrical connection with the sensor 8100.
(107)
(108) The present disclosure describes the design and operation of a hand-held analytical Gas Chromatograph (GC). Some GC implementations may use scrubbed ambient air as carrier gas and 3-D printing or flat glass technology disclosed herein for components of the GC. In one embodiment, the 3-D printed portion of the device includes the chromatography column, the injector module, and a pre-concentrator (
(109)
(110) In the example depicted by
(111) For trapping heavy hydrocarbons in oil and natural gas products, graphitized carbon material CARBOPACK B can be used as sorbent in pre-concentrators. For smaller molecules, such as ethylene, TENAX TA can be used as a pre-concentrator sorbent. TENAX TA is a porous polymer that has been used historically in many trap and purge applications.
(112) In the chromatography column, the mobile phase (or carrier gas) carries the sample mixture through a stationary phase. The stationary phase is a chemical that can selectively attract components in a sample mixture. The mixture of compounds in the mobile phase interacts with the stationary phase. Each compound in the mixture interacts at a different rate. Those that interact the fastest will exit (or elute from) the column first. Those that interact slowest will exit the column last. By changing characteristics of the mobile phase and the stationary phase, different mixtures of chemicals can be separated. Typically, the light compounds propagate through the columns faster and have shorter retention times than compounds with high molecular weight.
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(123) A sampling system of the analyzer is needed for quantitative determination of key target chemicals that are part of a complex gas mixture. A sample is collected and injected into a carrier gas stream, which is flowing through a chromatographic column. The column is either filled with a liquid coated support or a liquid coated on the walls of the tubing. The column has key physical properties that retard the movement of the sample though the column.
(124) Chemical properties such as molecular weight and polarity slow the chemicals after interaction with the column support or liquid phase in comparison to the injection front. This results in the separation of the chemicals relative to the injection front and allows the individual analysis of the chemicals as they elute from the column into the detector assembly.
(125) The MXT-WAX column is exemplary of an effective choice for this task as it is capable of separating the analytes of interest at a lower temperature than the other columns tested, 55° C., and it is stable over time with heating and the use of air as a carrier gas. The unit is designed to sample from a sampling port on the side of the instrument.
(126) An exemplary schematic of the analyzer depicted by
(127)
(128) In
(129) In
(130) In
(131) In
(132) In
(133) In one embodiment, the flat glass technology described above can be used to create each of the micro-GC component parts illustrated at least by
(134) Cleaning Glass 3D-GC with UV Light
(135) One of the common problems of operating analytical gas chromatographs in the field is permanent contamination of gas delivery system (pre-concentrator, GC column and tubing) with analytes. Out of all the GC parts, the pre-concentrator suffers from contamination most of all. Several purging cycles for pre-concentrators may be required, which dramatically increases the time of scan. Permanent contamination becomes the major issue for detection of highly electronegative molecules, such as high explosives (TNT, PETN, RDX, HMX, TATP, HMDT). High adhesion energy of such molecules can make cleaning by thermal desorption especially challenging. The problem is not limited to the explosives only and concerns a wide variety of background VOCs generally present in the environment. Currently, there is no efficient solution to permanent contamination in the field conditions leading to malfunction and waste of analytical equipment in harsh environments for almost any application.
(136) Internal surfaces of an exemplary GC gas delivery system implemented in accordance with the present disclosure may be cleaned by UV light. The oxidation reaction to decompose the molecules of contaminants is proceeded first by cutting molecular bonding of contaminants and then adding oxygen atoms to them. In the case of organic materials, chain scission of molecules happens and organic residue contaminants are gently removed from the substrates as volatile byproduct molecules such as CO.sub.2, H.sub.2O and O.sub.2. A cleaning mechanism like that can only be utilized in a glass-printed GC, since the UV light can transmit through the entire gas delivery system enhancing the purging cycle by breaking and oxidizing the remaining contaminants. As a result, the GC gas delivery system made of 3D printed glass resets itself faster between the scans compared to non-glass GC.
(137)
(138) In the exemplary VOC analysis cycle 2100 phase 2105 depicted by
(139) In the exemplary VOC analysis cycle 2100 phase 2110 depicted by
(140) In the exemplary VOC analysis cycle 2100 phase 2115 depicted by
(141) In the exemplary VOC analysis cycle 2100 phase 2120 depicted by
(142) In the exemplary VOC analysis cycle 2100 phase 2125 depicted by
(143) In the exemplary VOC analysis cycle 2100 phase 2130 depicted by
(144)
(145) In one embodiment, the detector consists of an integrated multi-sensory platform, with an array of four sensory elements and a modified transistor outline (TO) package. The integrated multi-sensory platform (2.5×2.5×0.3 mm) was designed to control operation of 4 sensory elements at high temperatures, between 150 and 600° C., providing synchronized multi-sensor analysis of gas samples. The temperature insulation of the multi-sensory platform from the TO package is accomplished by suspending the platform on thin metal legs at the corners of the platform.
(146) Table 1 summarizes four different types of sensors developed for comprehensive analysis of target analytes. The sensor S1 was left unmodified. The surface of sensor S2 was functionalized with 10 nm+/−0.2 nm of copper oxide (CuO 99.99%) deposited over the SnO.sub.2 layer at 150 W RF power. The surface of sensor S3 was modified with a thin bimetal Au(90%)/Pd(10%) alloy layer by simultaneous sputtering from both Au and Pd targets. The sensor S4 is a continuous ultra-thin platinum resistance pattern used as a thermal conductivity detector.
(147) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Sensor structure and composition as deposited. Sensor # Sensor's bulk material Sensor's surface modification S1 SnO.sub.2 (30 nm ± 2 nm) S2 SnO.sub.2 (30 nm ± 2 nm) CuO (20 nm ± 2 nm) S3 SnO.sub.2 (30 nm ± 2 nm) Au/Pd (1.1 nm ± 0.2 nm) S4 Pt
(148) A key advantage of implementations in accordance with the present disclosure is the utilization of novel solid-state detectors for portable real-time gas chromatography (
(149) The contacts and the heater were fabricated on the Si/SiO.sub.2 (300/0.5 μm) substrate simultaneously, by using photolithographic (Suss Mask Aligner MA6/MA8) and magnetron sputtering technique (KJL PVD 75 Sputtering System) followed by a liftoff process. The total thickness of 300 nm+/−10 nm of Pt contacts and the heater was verified by using a surface profilometer KLA-Tencor Alpha-Step IQ.
(150) The membrane structure was fabricated by using reactive ion etching (RIE) and deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) techniques by utilizing MARCH RIE CS-1701 and Oxford PlasmaLab System 100 ICP 300 Deep RIE instruments, respectively. The membrane is connected to the main platform's base via small Si/SiO.sub.2 connectors. The temperature insulation of the multi-sensory platform from the TO package was accomplished by suspending the platform on thin metal legs at the corners of the platform. The electrical connection between the multi-sensory platform and the TO package was formed by using a wire-bonding technique (
(151) Four different types of sensors (Table 1) were developed for comprehensive analysis of target analytes. All the depositions were conducted under 5 mTorr of argon pressure. A thin layer of SnO.sub.2(30 nm+/−2 nm) was first deposited over three out of four sensors S1-S3. During the SnO.sub.2 sputtering, the deposition rate was kept constant at 0.6 A/s by applying 200 W RF power to a 4-inch tin oxide (SnO.sub.2 99.99%) target under 12 mTorr of Argon pressure. The sensor S1 was left unmodified. The surface of sensor S2 was functionalized with 10 nm+/−0.2 nm of copper oxide (CuO 99.99%) deposited over the SnO.sub.2 layer at 150 W RF power. The surface of sensor S3 was modified with a thin bimetal Au(90%)/Pd(10%) alloy layer by simultaneous sputtering from both Au and Pd targets. The DC power for the Pd target was 15 W to keep the deposition rate of Pd 0.1 A/s and the power for the gold target was 50 W, keeping the deposition rate 1 A/s. A 10 s deposition produced a layer of Au/Pd alloy 1.1 nm thick. The thicknesses of all the layers were monitored during the deposition process by using quartz crystal sensor (Inficon, Gold, 6 Mhz) and verified by surface profile-meter (Alpha Step 500). The sensor S4 is a continuous ultra-thin platinum resistance pattern used as a thermal conductivity detector.
(152) The choice of detector materials was guided by experiments. In an implementation, the detector may be configured with an ultra-sensitive TCD detector for target analytes at concentrations of 10 ppm or higher.
(153) Thermal conductivity detector (TCD). Ultra-sensitive TCD detector is ideal for monitoring VOCs at relatively high concentrations. Thanks to the extremely high surface-to-volume ratio and efficient thermal isolation of the resistance pattern, the limit of detection (LOD) for most of the compounds was found to be 10 ppm, which is substantially lower than that of the conventional TCD detectors with the suspended platinum wire.
(154) Dual oxide SnO.sub.2/CuO sensor. Most of the metal oxide sensors require the presence of atmospheric oxygen to maintain high catalytic activity. An exception from this rule is a dual oxide SnO.sub.2/CuO sensor. Its unique selectivity to hydrogen sulfide and mercaptans is based on a reversible metal-semiconductor transition upon exposure to H.sub.2S:
H.sub.2S(g)+CuO(s).fwdarw.CuS(s)+H.sub.2O(g) Formula 1
(155) CuS is a highly conductive low band-gap semiconductor. The gas-sensitive material becomes highly conductive upon exposure to hydrogen sulfide and returns to its original state when the vapor pressure of H.sub.2S drops. These types of sensors perform with high efficiency in the air or in the inert carrier gas. Among other advantages of utilization of multilayer oxides in chemiresistors are low activation temperature, short activation time, short time of response time and short time of recovery.
(156) Au/Pd bimetal nanoparticle sensor Metal Oxide Sensor. Semiconductor sensor functionalized with bimetal Au/Pd nanoparticles is excellent for detection and quantification of combustibles. Its detection principle is based on rapid catalytic reaction with ionized surface oxygen. Bimetal nanoparticles activate and ionize atmospheric oxygen promoting catalytic reactions with reducers, especially with combustibles.
(157) Unmodified SnO.sub.2 sensor. One of the sensors on the platform is a broadly tuned nonspecific metal oxide sensor.
(158) For analysis of VOCs in the field conditions, a low weight and small size of the instrument together with the short time of scan are essential. At the same time, real-life samples of VOCs are complex blends of sometimes unpredictable nature, which requires the field analysis to be as comprehensive as the laboratory analysis. A detailed chemical analysis of a complex blend using a single compact GC column requires more advanced analytical technique, than conventional separation via retention time only. The disclosed Multisensory Gas Chromatography (MGC) approach is a hybrid approach combining gas chromatography and electronic nose principles. By having an integrated sensor platform as a detector, the chemicals within a single peak can also be separated by catalytic reactivity, adding an extra dimension to conventional analytical GC. Our MGC approach disclosed herein can be demonstrated on a gaseous blend of nine common environmental pollutants. The following mixture was used for demonstration: carbon monoxide (10 ppm), hydrogen sulfide (100 ppb), ethyl-mercaptan (50 ppb), acetone (50 ppb), ethanol (50 ppb), benzene (10 ppb), toluene (10 ppb), ethylbenzene (10 ppb), and o-xylene (10 ppb). The mixture was introduced into the MGC and the output of 4 sensors from the integrated array is shown in
(159)
(160) The exemplary MGC analyzing the gaseous blend test mix was configured with an exemplary detector implemented in accordance with the present disclosure. The detector output is shown in
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(166) Various implementations in accordance with the present disclosure may be configured with processor executable program instructions implementing automatic pattern recognition and decision-making algorithms providing diagnosis instantly in a field environment. In various processor-implemented configurations, the chromatograms combining retention time separation data and catalytic separation data are input data to one or more pattern recognition algorithm. Some implementations may determine the best pathogen recognition strategy based on decision-making algorithm performance evaluated as a function of the algorithm's ability to perform differentiation between patterns, characterized by the Receiver-Operating-Characteristic (ROC) curve. In an illustrative example, input data to the decision-making algorithm may be the digitized voltage signal patterns produced by all integrated detector sensor elements upon the exposure to VOCs. Thus, every exposure will be represented as a point in a multi-parameter hyperspace. Due to the complex nature of analytes in real field testing, in various processor-implemented configurations each pathogen may be represented not with one point in the hyperspace, but rather “a cloud” of points when data from many different VOC exposure patterns will be available. These cloud patterns can overlap or be separable. Therefore, the decision-making algorithm is configured to separate these rather complicated patterns with minimal misidentification rate, using techniques that would be known to one of ordinary skill.
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(169) The sample injection uses a pump to load a pre-set amount of sample onto a pre-concentrator, which contains an adsorbent media for gas collection. This media is selected specifically for the application of interest and designed to collect the gas of interest and minimize the non-target chemicals. The pre-concentrator is thermally desorbed and transferred to the column assembly for chromatographic separation and elution into the detector.
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(178) The processor-executable program instructions executing on the processor 3605 may implement the method 3700 based on operating at least one valve in combination with activating at least one pump and activating at least one heater as described herein, to separate a test mixture sample in the GC column while capturing a sensor signal. The processor 3605 may be configured to activate one or more sensor. In some implementations, one or more heater may not be connected to the processor 3605, and instead of the heater being configured to be activated by the processor, the heater may be configured that the heater is activated when one or more sensor is activated, wherein when the sensor is on, the heater is also on. In some implementations, the activity of one or more heater may be modulated by the processor 3605.
(179) The depicted method 3700 begins at step 3705 with the processor 3605 sampling a mixture comprising at least one chemical component analyte.
(180) Then, the method continues at step 3710 with the processor 3605 preparing the mixture sample and GC column for time separation based on component analyte retention time on the GC column.
(181) Then, the method continues at step 3715 with the processor 3605 configuring a multi-sensor array having catalytic reactivity diversity among a plurality of sensors to measure each chemical component analyte's time separation and catalytic separation on the GC column.
(182) Then, the method continues at step 3720 with the processor 3605 injecting the prepared mixture sample into the GC column.
(183) Then, the method continues at step 3725 with the processor 3605 capturing multi-sensor data to determine chemical component analyte catalytic separation.
(184) Then, the method continues at step 3730 with the processor 3605 performing a test to determine if the time separation is complete. The processor 3605 may determine if the time separation is complete based on the retention time of the heaviest analyte in the mixture sample.
(185) Upon a determination by the processor 3605 at step 3730 that time separation is not complete, the method continues at step 3725 with the processor 3605 capturing multi-sensor data. Upon a determination by the processor 3605 at step 3730 that time separation is complete, the method continues at step 3735.
(186) At step 3735, the processor 3605 fuses component analyte time separation and catalytic separation determined from multi-sensor data to create a combined chromatogram.
(187) Then, the method continues at step 3740 with the processor 3605 creating a unique digital signature for each component analyte, determined as a function of the combined chromatogram.
(188) Then, the method continues at step 3745 with the processor 3605 determining a diagnosis or identifying a pathogen of interest, based on associating each analyte's unique digital signature with a predetermined reference signature.
(189) In some implementations, the method may repeat. In various implementations, the method may end.
(190) Although various features have been described with reference to the Figures, other implementations of the various features are possible. For example, GC operations may be governed by a Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) algorithm. The PID algorithm may be implemented, for example, by the MGC 130 or handheld GC 135 processor.
(191) In an illustrative example, the MGC 130 or handheld GC 135 processor may perform several functions, including but not limited to examples such as: Head Pressure Routine; Column PID update; Critical Error Detection; Update Control state machine; Check for commands from the Control Program; and, Data collection Routine; each of which are briefly described below.
(192) Head Pressure Routine
(193) Hysteresis control routine: In an illustrative example, flow rate is calculated as a function of the inner volume of the column, pressure, and viscosity of the carrier gas. Flow rate is adjusted by the pressure generated by the pump. Readings from the pressure sensor are compared to upper and lower limits of the pressure setting +/−0.5 KPa. A pump run timer is updated based on the pressure reading. A minimum time of 2 ms is needed for the pump to begin to generate pressure, longer times may be necessary depending on the pressure difference.
(194) Column PID Update
(195) In an illustrative example, a PID algorithm may be used to regulate the temperature of the column. The voltage of a thermistor is measured and converted to Celsius. The PID output is recalculated to adjust the duty cycle of the power applied to the heater.
(196) Critical Error Detection
(197) In an illustrative example, checks for errors that could cause harm to the GC if operation continues. Checks for failures of the temperature or pressure sensors. Checks for failures of the heater or pressure pumps (over/under maximum and minimum values). If any critical errors occur, then all outputs are immediately disabled and an error message detailing the failure is sent the control program.
(198) Update Control State Machine
(199) In an illustrative example, the Control State Machine controls the stages of GC operation. The state machine update executes every time the main loop cycles. States control IO status for various and provides status to the control program. Criteria for each stage must be met before proceeding to the next stage. (Ex. Temperature must stabilize before the system can reach Idle or the data collection time must be reached before the system advances to the purge cycle). Stages of operation include: Initialization—Initial setup of setting all outputs into their default state (only runs once when powered up); Pressurization—A checkpoint to ensure the pressure setpoint is reached. This is important to check for leaks or failed pumps; Column Warmup—The column must reach its operating temperature and remain stable at the temperature for a minimum about of time before the system is considered ready; Idle—No special functions. The GC is now ready to perform samples; The GC returns to Idle after completing a sample run and purging the pre-concentrator; Sample Collection—A sample is pulled by the Sample Pump through the Pre-concentrator or Sample Loop for a specified time; Sample Preheat—The pre-concentrator's fan is turned off and its heater is turned on to thermally desorb the sample; Sample Inject—Valves are switched to change the flow path and push the sample into the GC for a specified time; Data Collection—Valves are turned and the pre-concentrator heater are turned off. The pre-concentrator fan is turned back on to cool the system. Data from the chemical sensor is collected for a specified time; Purge—Valve 2 is turned on, the pre-concentrator heater is turned on and the pre-concentrator fan are turned off. These changes force carrier gas backwards through the pre-concentrator or sample loop to purge the system of any potentially remaining sample. At the end of this cycle the GC returns to the Idle state to prepare for the next sample.
(200) Check for Commands from the Control Program
(201) In an illustrative example, if the GC receives commands from the control program they are processed to determine if they are in a valid format. If valid commands are received, they are then processed to perform the specified action. Commands can range from adjusting variables in the GC (Temperature, Pressure, Timing) to recalling data (retrieving previous setpoints) or Starting/aborting a sample cycle.
(202) Data Collection Routine
(203) In an illustrative example, data from the chemical sensor is collected for a specified time.
(204) In an illustrative example, various implementations in accordance with the present disclosure may be based on principles of analytical gas chromatography (GC) and utilize a novel highly integrated multisensory detector, also known as electronic nose or Enose. Via implementation of a multisensory detector, the device collects multiple chromatograms in a single run. The sensors in the integrated MEMS platform are near-orthogonal and possess very distinct catalytic properties. Hence, the time separation by chromatographic column is complemented by catalytic separation by a multisensory detector. The outcome of this GC/Enose hybrid technology is the ability to monitor a very broad range of analytes from light to heavy on a relatively short and compact GC column in a short period of time of 12.5 min. Also, the device can perform the analysis in a broad range of concentrations from sub-ppb to 100% for most of the analytes of interest.
(205) Various sensor structure designs may include holes or apertures located in the layers so that holes overlap to form a curved or bent edge as abutting layers are stacked. In an illustrative example, an artisan of ordinary skill should appreciate that structures herein disclosed at least with reference to
(206) For example, the present disclosure with reference at least to
(207) In an illustrative example, a portable GC lab implementation is the most general case, discussing a device for identifying various pathogens by their volatile traces. In this disclosure we are mainly discussing bacterial pathogens, sniffing infectious wounds and bacterial colonies. However, we do mention the possibility of diagnostics of diseases by breath and possible diagnostics of COVID-19 as well. The device is compact. Some implementations may be hand-held. The time of scan is about 30 min, which is reasonable for this application. A sampling pump is included for the active sample intake.
(208) In an illustrative example, a handheld GC implementation has no sampling pump—the lungs work as a pump injecting the sample into the device. The time of scan for the target COVID biomarkers may be under 3 minutes.
(209) In an illustrative example, SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus that has recently been identified as the causative agent of COVID-19, a respiratory disease that exhibits a wide range of clinical outcomes from asymptomatic and mild disease to severe viral pneumonia, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), acute kidney injury, thrombotic disorders, and serious cardiac, cerebrovascular, and vascular complications.
(210) As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, early identification of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals is pivotal in interrupting infection chains. With the tentative opening of many states came an increase in COVID-19 cases, thus, there is a critical need for nontraditional testing technologies that are non-invasive, not reagent intensive, and that do not take a long time to gather results. It is highly desirable for an accurate and sensitive system that can provide results in real time and is mobile/portable and deployable in any clinical, community and everyday setting. Current testing technologies are not practical for field use, requiring expensive reagents and enzymes and laboratories certified for potentially virulent samples. These tests are cumbersome to perform as they use aqueous solutions, require multiple steps and hours, if not days, to get results.
(211) Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced during respiratory infections can cause specific signatures, which can be detected by analytical instrumentation with a high rate of precision. The oral cavity is excellent for noninvasive VOC detection because it is readily accessible. For example, exhaled breath could be captured and analyzed for direct detection of the respiratory tract infection from unique volatile organic metabolite byproducts of SARS-CoV2 infection. VOCs from the oral cavity offer opportunities for continuous or periodic monitoring of viral infection and disease presentation.
(212) There are two interesting approaches for analysis of VOCs in the breath. The first approach utilizes analytical instrumentation, such as gas chromatography (GC) and mass spectrometry (MS). Conventional laboratory GC/MS systems are capable of providing a comprehensive analysis of complex VOC samples, but are not suitable for monitoring of VOCs in the field due to their bulky size, heavy weight, high cost, long time of scan, special carrier gases requirement and high maintenance.
(213) The second approach is based on utilization of integrated multisensory systems, also known as electronic noses (Enoses). An electronic nose is a biologically inspired device, which consists of a mechanism for chemical detection, such as an array of electronic sensors, and a mechanism for pattern recognition, such as a neural network. A VOC stimulus generates a characteristic fingerprint (or electronic signature) from the sensor array. Patterns or fingerprints from known VOCs are used to construct a database and train a pattern recognition system to classify and identify unknown VOCs.
(214) Enoses are significantly more compact than analytical instrumentation and can be deployed in a hand-held form. However, after almost 30 years of research and development by numerous scientists and engineers, the electronic noses are still not fully commercialized. The reason for that is the difficulties with analysis on multicomponent mixtures. Since the human breath may contain hundreds of chemical compounds with variations in concentration, training and calibration of electronic noses becomes a time-consuming process, which requires testing in almost any possible background. This complicates scaling and commercialization of such technologies.
(215) Signature metabolites released in the body from viral pathogen infections and bacteria of various infectious diseases during their lifecycle produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can be used as unique chemical signatures of the disease for diagnostics. Chemical signatures of various diseases were successfully detected by a portable gas chromatograph (GC) equipped with novel multisensory solid-state detector, also known as electronic nose or Enose. Thanks to the ultra-high sensitivity and quick response of the detector, the unique identifiers of diseases can be obtained.
(216) In an illustrative example, an exemplary Portable Lab implementation may be primarily configured to sniff bacterial metabolites. For example, an exemplary portable lab can sniff and identify bacteria. In contrast, an exemplary Breathalyzer implementation may be primarily configured to sniff the chemical response to viruses in the breath of an infected person, that is, sniffing the response of a human body to viruses, without actually sniffing the virus itself. However, a Portable Lab implementation may also be configured to detect COVID-19 using this technology. In an illustrative example, while a Breathalyzer implementation may use GC principles and components, the Breathalyzer implemented in accordance with the present disclosure may not be useful as a classical GC for general chemical analysis applications, and instead may find most effective applications limited to breath analysis. In contrast, a Portable Lab implementation in accordance with the present disclosure may be useful in a broad range of chemical analysis applications. In an illustrative example, the glass 3D-GC disclosure is an ideal design for both Portable Lab and the Breathalyzer technologies. Both Portable Lab and the Breathalyzer devices implemented in accordance with the present disclosure may be glass-printed. The technology can be used for on-site chemical analysis at the civilian & defense government facilities, specialized in: oil & gas production and distribution, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, water & wastewater, thermal power, food & beverages, pulp & paper, metal & mining, cement & glass, and other utilizing chemically active substances. The technology performs successfully in humid and contaminated environments.
(217) COVID-19 is a respiratory disease that appears to have among other effects irreversible damage to the lungs. It is therefore likely that in response to the primary pathogen there are signature imprints in the lungs and likely elsewhere in the body such as in the breath, saliva, blood, urine, and fecal material that produce metabolites that are detectable by the proposed technology. In addition to signature metabolites in the human body in response to the primary pathogen, there may also be resulting secondary disease and/or pathogens that also produce signature metabolites in the human body to as a result of the primary COVID-19 pathogen.
(218) The current demand for advanced COVID-19 breathalyzers requires a paradigm shift in sensor design. The use of bulky analytical instrumentation is not applicable in the field. At the same time, the idea of utilizing a multisensory array alone, without a proper designed sampling system for breath analysis, is not very practical either.
(219) The most efficient approach for advanced COVID-19 breathalyzer is to use a hybrid technology utilizing the features of analytical instruments and Enoses in a single product, so that they would be enhancing and reinforcing each other. A breathalyzer implementation in accordance with the present disclosure is small and inexpensive, but at the same time is sensitive, selective, robust, and suitable for quick scans. The measurements are repeatable and reproducible regardless of the background complexity. Based on several recent studies, the target VOCs for viral diseases include aldehydes, ketones, and spirits. In particular, the target compounds for COVID-19 supported by recent research on human subjects are Butyraldehyde, Isopropanol and Ethyl Butyrate. Preliminary testing of COVID-19 biomarkers was conducted a compact setup equipped with the advanced multisensory detector (described with reference to at least
(220) In an illustrative example, a breathalyzer in accordance with the present disclosure is envisioned to be used in a hospital, clinic setting, community or even home and workplace. For example, instead of taking temperatures at entrances to establishments, the disclosed device may be used for more informative and accurate data. The danger of contamination is minimal thanks to the self-cleaning pre-concentrator and a disposable mouthpiece. Additionally, the disclosed analyzer may be able to differentiate between COVID-negative and COVID-positive-asymptomatic subjects.
(221) In an illustrative example, in the current COVID-19 epidemic, this quick screening device would enable doctors to detect and diagnose COVID-19 symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals leading to appropriate treatment and/or quarantine procedures. In the long run, the disclosed analyzer is not limited to COVID-19 diagnosis, and can be readily adapted to other pandemics, as well as for the detection of other diseases and conditions.
(222) Identification of at least the following pathogens have been successfully tested by portable GC technology implemented in accordance with the present disclosure: 1) empty plate for background measurements, 2) MSSA, 3) MRSA, 4) Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 5) Proteus mirabilis, 6) Streptococcus pneumoniae, 7) Enterococcus faecalis, 8) Klebsiella pneumoniae, 9) E.coli, 10) Enterobacter cloacae, and 11) Acinetobacter baumanii. In an illustrative example, the identification and susceptibility antibiogram report was printed, and all patient-identifying information was blacked out and collected separately for further analysis. All the tested bacteria demonstrated distinct and stable VOC patterns. Circled peaks belong to the electronic signatures of the pathogens. The experiment was repeated over the course of 10 weeks and the characteristic features were verified. For each of the studied pathogens, the pattern of VOCs was found to be the same in all the 10 experiments.
(223) In the Summary above and in this Detailed Description, and the Claims below, and in the accompanying drawings, reference is made to particular features of various implementations. It is to be understood that the disclosure of particular features of various implementations in this specification is to be interpreted to include all possible combinations of such particular features. For example, where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of a particular aspect or implementation, or a particular claim, that feature can also be used—to the extent possible—in combination with and/or in the context of other particular aspects and implementations, and in an implementation generally.
(224) While multiple implementations are disclosed, still other implementations will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. Disclosed implementations may be capable of myriad modifications in various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed implementations. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.
(225) It should be noted that the features illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and features of one implementation may be employed with other implementations as the skilled artisan would recognize, even if not explicitly stated herein. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques may be omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the implementation features.
(226) In the present disclosure, various features may be described as being optional, for example, through the use of the verb “may;” or, through the use of any of the phrases: “in some implementations,” “in some designs,” “in various implementations,” “in various designs,” “in an illustrative example,” or, “for example.” For the sake of brevity and legibility, the present disclosure does not explicitly recite each and every permutation that may be obtained by choosing from the set of optional features. However, the present disclosure is to be interpreted as explicitly disclosing all such permutations. For example, a system described as having three optional features may be implemented in seven different ways, namely with just one of the three possible features, with any two of the three possible features or with all three of the three possible features.
(227) In various implementations, elements described herein as coupled or connected may have an effectual relationship realizable by a direct connection or indirectly with one or more other intervening elements.
(228) In the present disclosure, the term “any” may be understood as designating any number of the respective elements, i.e. as designating one, at least one, at least two, each or all of the respective elements. Similarly, the term “any” may be understood as designating any collection(s) of the respective elements, i.e. as designating one or more collections of the respective elements, a collection comprising one, at least one, at least two, each or all of the respective elements. The respective collections need not comprise the same number of elements.
(229) While various implementations have been disclosed and described in detail herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made to the disclosed configuration, operation, and form without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. In particular, it is noted that the respective implementation features, even those disclosed solely in combination with other implementation features, may be combined in any configuration excepting those readily apparent to the person skilled in the art as nonsensical. Likewise, use of the singular and plural is solely for the sake of illustration and is not to be interpreted as limiting.
(230) The Abstract is provided to comply with 37 C. F. R. § 1.72(b), to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure and is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
(231) In the present disclosure, all descriptions where “comprising” is used may have as alternatives “consisting essentially of,” or “consisting of.” In the present disclosure, any method or apparatus implementation may be devoid of one or more process steps or components. In the present disclosure, implementations employing negative limitations are expressly disclosed and considered a part of this disclosure.
(232) Certain terminology and derivations thereof may be used in the present disclosure for convenience in reference only and will not be limiting. For example, words such as “upward,” “downward,” “left,” and “right” would refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made unless otherwise stated. Similarly, words such as “inward” and “outward” would refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of a device or area and designated parts thereof. References in the singular tense include the plural, and vice versa, unless otherwise noted.
(233) The term “comprises” and grammatical equivalents thereof are used herein to mean that other components, ingredients, steps, among others, are optionally present. For example, an implementation “comprising” (or “which comprises”) components A, B and C can consist of (i.e., contain only) components A, B and C, or can contain not only components A, B, and C but also contain one or more other components.
(234) Where reference is made herein to a method comprising two or more defined steps, the defined steps can be carried out in any order or simultaneously (except where the context excludes that possibility), and the method can include one or more other steps which are carried out before any of the defined steps, between two of the defined steps, or after all the defined steps (except where the context excludes that possibility).
(235) The term “at least” followed by a number is used herein to denote the start of a range beginning with that number (which may be a range having an upper limit or no upper limit, depending on the variable being defined). For example, “at least 1” means 1 or more than 1. The term “at most” followed by a number (which may be a range having 1 or 0 as its lower limit, or a range having no lower limit, depending upon the variable being defined). For example, “at most 4” means 4 or less than 4, and “at most 40%” means 40% or less than 40%. When, in this specification, a range is given as “(a first number) to (a second number)” or “(a first number)-(a second number),” this means a range whose limit is the second number. For example, 25 to 100 mm means a range whose lower limit is 25 mm and upper limit is 100 mm.
(236) Many suitable methods and corresponding materials to make each of the individual parts of implementation apparatus are known in the art. One or more implementation part may be formed by machining, 3D printing (also known as “additive” manufacturing), CNC machined parts (also known as “subtractive” manufacturing), and injection molding, as will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Metals, wood, thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers, resins, and elastomers as may be described herein-above may be used. Many suitable materials are known and available and can be selected and mixed depending on desired strength and flexibility, preferred manufacturing method and particular use, as will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art.
(237) Any element in a claim herein that does not explicitly state “means for” performing a specified function, or “step for” performing a specific function, is not to be interpreted as a “means” or “step” clause as specified in 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f). Specifically, any use of “step of” in the claims herein is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f). Elements recited in means-plus-function format are intended to be construed in accordance with 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f).
(238) Recitation in a claim of the term “first” with respect to a feature or element does not necessarily imply the existence of a second or additional such feature or element.
(239) The phrases “connected to,” “coupled to” and “in communication with” refer to any form of interaction between two or more entities, including mechanical, electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic, fluid, and thermal interaction. Two components may be functionally coupled to each other even though they are not in direct contact with each other. The terms “abutting” or “in mechanical union” refer to items that are in direct physical contact with each other, although the items may not necessarily be attached together.
(240) The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred over other implementations. While various aspects of the disclosure are presented with reference to drawings, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale unless specifically indicated.
(241) Reference throughout this specification to “an implementation” or “the implementation” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that implementation is included in at least one implementation. Thus, the quoted phrases, or variations thereof, as recited throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same implementation.
(242) Similarly, it should be appreciated that in the above description, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single implementation, Figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that any claim in this or any application claiming priority to this application require more features than those expressly recited in that claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects may lie in a combination of fewer than all features of any single foregoing disclosed implementation. Thus, the claims following this Detailed Description are hereby expressly incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate implementation. This disclosure is intended to be interpreted as including all permutations of the independent claims with their dependent claims.
(243) A system or method implementation in accordance with the present disclosure may be accomplished through the use of one or more computing devices. For example, as depicted by and described with reference to at least
(244) In various implementations, communications means, data store(s), processor(s), or memory may interact with other components on the computing device, in order to effect the provisioning and display of various functionalities associated with the system and method detailed herein. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that there are numerous configurations that could be utilized with implementations of the present disclosure, and implementations of the present disclosure are contemplated for use with any appropriate configuration.
(245) According to an implementation of the present disclosure, the communications means of the system may be, for instance, any means for communicating data over one or more networks or to one or more peripheral devices attached to the system. Appropriate communications means may include, but are not limited to, circuitry and control systems for providing wireless connections, wired connections, cellular connections, data port connections, Bluetooth® connections, or any combination thereof. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that there are numerous communications means that may be utilized with implementations of the present disclosure, and implementations of the present disclosure are contemplated for use with any communications means.
(246) Throughout this disclosure and elsewhere, block diagrams and flowchart illustrations depict methods, apparatuses (i.e., systems), and computer program products. Each element of the block diagrams and flowchart illustrations, as well as each respective combination of elements in the block diagrams and flowchart illustrations, illustrates a function of the methods, apparatuses, and computer program products. Any and all such functions (“depicted functions”) can be implemented by computer program instructions; by special-purpose, hardware-based computer systems; by combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions; by combinations of general purpose hardware and computer instructions; and so on—any and all of which may be generally referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module,” or “system.”
(247) While the foregoing drawings and description may set forth functional aspects of the disclosed systems, no particular arrangement of software for implementing these functional aspects should be inferred from these descriptions unless explicitly stated or otherwise clear from the context.
(248) Each element in flowchart illustrations may depict a step, or group of steps, of a computer-implemented method. Further, each step may contain one or more sub-steps. For the purpose of illustration, these steps (as well as any and all other steps identified and described above) are presented in order. It will be understood that an implementation may include an alternate order of the steps adapted to a particular application of a technique disclosed herein. All such variations and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of this disclosure. The depiction and description of steps in any particular order is not intended to exclude implementations having the steps in a different order, unless required by a particular application, explicitly stated, or otherwise clear from the context.
(249) Traditionally, a computer program consists of a sequence of computational instructions or program instructions. It will be appreciated that a programmable apparatus (that is, computing device) can receive such a computer program and, by processing the computational instructions thereof, produce a further technical effect.
(250) A programmable apparatus may include one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, embedded microcontrollers, programmable digital signal processors, programmable devices, programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic, memory devices, application specific integrated circuits, or the like, which can be suitably employed or configured to process computer program instructions, execute computer logic, store computer data, and so on. Throughout this disclosure and elsewhere a computer can include any and all suitable combinations of at least one general purpose computer, special-purpose computer, programmable data processing apparatus, processor, processor architecture, and so on.
(251) It will be understood that a computer can include a computer-readable storage medium and that this medium may be internal or external, removable, and replaceable, or fixed. It will also be understood that a computer can include a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), firmware, an operating system, a database, or the like that can include, interface with, or support the software and hardware described herein.
(252) Implementations of the system as described herein are not limited to applications involving conventional computer programs or programmable apparatuses that run them. It is contemplated, for example, that implementations of the disclosure as claimed herein could include an optical computer, quantum computer, analog computer, or the like.
(253) Regardless of the type of computer program or computer involved, a computer program can be loaded onto a computer to produce a particular machine that can perform any and all of the depicted functions. This particular machine provides a means for carrying out any and all of the depicted functions.
(254) Any combination of one or more computer readable medium(s) may be utilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readable storage medium would include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
(255) Computer program instructions can be stored in a computer-readable memory capable of directing a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner. The instructions stored in the computer-readable memory constitute an article of manufacture including computer-readable instructions for implementing any and all of the depicted functions.
(256) A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal with computer readable program code encoded therein, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to, electromagnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
(257) Program code encoded by a computer readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.
(258) The elements depicted in flowchart illustrations and block diagrams throughout the figures imply logical boundaries between the elements. However, according to software or hardware engineering practices, the depicted elements and the functions thereof may be implemented as parts of a monolithic software structure, as standalone software modules, or as modules that employ external routines, code, services, and so forth, or any combination of these. All such implementations are within the scope of the present disclosure.
(259) Unless explicitly stated or otherwise clear from the context, the verbs “execute” and “process” are used interchangeably to indicate execute, process, interpret, compile, assemble, link, load, any and all combinations of the foregoing, or the like. Therefore, implementations that execute or process computer program instructions, computer-executable code, or the like can suitably act upon the instructions or code in any and all of the ways just described.
(260) The functions and operations presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other apparatus. Various general-purpose systems may also be used with programs in accordance with the teachings herein, or it may prove convenient to construct more specialized apparatus to perform the required method steps. The required structure for a variety of these systems will be apparent to those of skill in the art, along with equivalent variations. In addition, implementations of the disclosure are not described with reference to any particular programming language. It is appreciated that a variety of programming languages may be used to implement the present teachings as described herein, and any references to specific languages are provided for disclosure of enablement and best mode of implementations of the disclosure. Implementations of the disclosure are well suited to a wide variety of computer network systems over numerous topologies. Within this field, the configuration and management of large networks include storage devices and computers that are communicatively coupled to dissimilar computers and storage devices over a network, such as the Internet.
(261) In the foregoing description, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the concepts disclosed herein. Such modifications are to be considered as included in the following claims, unless the claims by their language expressly state otherwise. Variations described for exemplary embodiments of the present invention can be realized in any combination desirable for each particular application. Thus, particular limitations, and/or embodiment enhancements described herein, which may have particular limitations, need be implemented in methods, systems, and/or apparatuses including one or more concepts describe with relation to exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
(262) Terms and phrases used in this document, and variations thereof, unless otherwise expressly stated, should be construed as open ended as opposed to limiting. As examples of the foregoing: the term “including” should be read as meaning “including, without limitation” or the like; the term “example” is used to provide exemplary instances of the item in discussion, not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof; the terms “a” or “an” should be read as meaning “at least one,” “one or more” or the like; and adjectives such as “conventional,” “traditional,” “normal,” “standard,” “known” and terms of similar meaning should not be construed as limiting the item described to a given time period or to an item available as of a given time, but instead should be read to encompass conventional, traditional, normal, or standard technologies that may be available or known now or at any time in the future.
(263) Although the disclosure is described above in terms of various exemplary embodiments and implementations, it should be understood that the various features, aspects and functionality described in one or more of the individual embodiments are not limited in their applicability to the particular embodiment with which they are described, but instead can be applied, alone or in various combinations, to one or more of the other embodiments of the disclosure, whether or not such embodiments are described and whether or not such features are presented as being a part of a described embodiment. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments.
(264) A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made. For example, the steps of the disclosed techniques may be performed in a different sequence, components of the disclosed systems may be combined in a different manner, or the components may be supplemented with other components. Accordingly, other implementations are contemplated, within the scope of the following claims.