Trace Detector Continuous Pre-concentration for Explosives
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ion mobility spectrometers for detecting explosives and narcotics face challenges in maintaining continuous sample feeding during gas pre-concentration, leading to reduced detection sensitivity and increased chances of missing substances, especially when analytes are present in low concentrations.
Innovation Solution
The trace detector integrates a desorption chamber with a movable portion that allows continuous sample feeding and gas discharge, utilizing a trapping carrier with high absorbability and controlled temperature and flow rate to enhance desorption efficiency, ensuring uninterrupted gas pre-concentration and improved detection sensitivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If gas pre-concentration is performed using conventional methods, then the concentration of trapped substances is improved, but the sample feeding process is interrupted leading to reduced detection sensitivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sample feeding process with the gas pre-concentration process by integrating the desorption chamber into the continuous gas flow path. The controller coordinates these processes so that sample feeding continues uninterrupted during pre-concentration, eliminating the need to stop sampling for concentration accumulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous sample feeding throughout the pre-concentration process. The desorption chamber receives continuous gas flow containing sample substances while simultaneously performing pre-concentration, ensuring that the useful action of sample detection never stops.
2Productivity
If gas pre-concentration is performed independently from sample feeding, then the pre-concentration efficiency is improved, but the detection coverage and cumulative detection capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the pre-concentration chamber with the continuous gas flow path, allowing pre-concentration to occur within the flowing gas stream rather than in a separate batch process. This integration maintains high pre-concentration efficiency while ensuring continuous detection coverage.
3Quantity of substance
If the sample feeding process is stopped during pre-concentration, then the concentration ratio of trapped substances is improved, but the probability of missing substances increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains continuous sample feeding during pre-concentration by designing the desorption chamber to operate within the continuous gas flow. The controller manages the pre-concentration process without interrupting the sample intake, ensuring both high concentration ratios and continuous detection capability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances the ratio of trapped to entrained substances, decreases missed detections, and maintains high sensitivity regardless of analyte concentration, enabling continuous sampling over extended periods.
Implementation Method 1
a pre-concentrator for pre-concentrating the gas; a desorption chamber for desorbing, by heating, the analyte substance contained in the pre-concentrator
Implementation Method 2
a desorption chamber for desorbing, by heating, the analyte substance contained in the pre-concentrator
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A trace detector is disclosed. The trace detector comprises: a desorption chamber defining a desorption region, and the desorption chamber has a housing. The housing has a sample feeding port for introducing a substance to be detected into the desorption chamber and a gas discharge port for discharging gas entraining the sample from the desorption chamber. A controller is used for controlling the trace detector in such a manner that the sample feeding port and the gas discharge port are in fluid communication with the desorption chamber during pre-concentration process of the trace detector, thereby continuously feeding and collecting the sample. With the above manner, data collecting, processing and analyzing processes may be performed by the trace detector throughout the sample feeding process and the gas pre-concentrating process. The trace detector has an excellent detecting period of time whether the substance to be detected in the gas is in a high concentration state or a low concentration state, and the trace detector can perform continuous sampling for a long time, thereby improving a ratio of the amount of trapped substance to the amount of the substance entrained in the gas to be detected and the amount of the cumulated trapped substance, decreasing the probability of failing to detect the substance, and increasing detection sensitivity. In addition, the detection efficiency of the detector is increased during the gas pre-concentration process.