Collection, release, and detection of analytes with polymer composite sampling materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10254248-B2
Application number	US-201514692460-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2015
Priority date	Apr 21, 2015
Publication date	Apr 9, 2019
Grant date	Apr 9, 2019

Abstract

A unique fiber core sampler composition, related systems, and techniques for designing, making, and using the same are described. The sampler is used to interface with existing field instrumentation, such as Ion Mobility Spectrometer (IMS) equipment. Desired sampler characteristics include its: stiffness/flexibility; thermal mass and conductivity; specific heat; trace substance collection/release dependability, sensitivity and repeatability; thickness; reusability; durability; stability for thermal cleaning; and the like. In one form the sampler has a glass fiber core with a thickness less than 0.3 millimeter that is coated with a polymer including one or more of: polymeric organofluorine, polyimide, polyamide, PolyBenzlmidazole (PBI), PolyDiMethylSiloxane (PDMS), sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene (PFSA) and Poly(2,6-diphenyl-p-phenylene Oxide) (PPPO). Multiple polymer coatings with the same or different polymer types may be included, core/substrate surface functionalization utilized, and/or the core/substrate may be at partially filled with thermally conductive particles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An instrumental analysis sampling method, the method comprising:
collecting a substance within external openings of a three-dimensional collection framework above a support structure comprising at least partially polymer coated glass, wherein the framework corresponds to a number of interconnected coincident polyhedra to form a three-dimensional tessellation; and
transferring the substance from the external openings to an analytical instrument.

2. The method of claim 1 , in which length, width, and height of the framework differ from each other by a factor of no more than about 1.25.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a height of the framework is greater than or equal to about ¾ of the width of the framework.

4. The method of claim 1 , in which the collection framework includes links joined at nodes corresponding, respectively, to edges and vertices of the polyhedra with at least six external faces, each of the faces defining an external aperture intersecting a passage through the collection framework.

5. The method of claim 1 , in which the collection framework is shaped to correspond to a bitruncated cubic honeycomb form of the polyhedra, the collection framework defining a number of coincidentally interconnected, adjacent truncated octahedral shapes of the honeycomb.

6. The method of claim 1 , in which the collecting of the substance includes swiping the sampler along a surface of interest to accumulate the substance in the form of a contraband or undesired substance in the passages through the external openings, and the transferring of the substance includes performing liquid extraction.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein:
the polymer comprises one or more of: PTFE, FEP, ETFE, and/or PFA;
the framework length, width, and height are no more than 1.5 greater than another; and
the framework defines a lattice.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the polymer comprises PTFE; and the contraband or undesired substance includes at least one of: uranium, plutonium, and a heavy metal.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the framework defines a cage having a network of intersecting passages therethrough.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the three-dimensional collection framework is defined by a swab configured to swipe a surface to be sampled.

Assignees

• Battelle Memorial Institute

Inventors

• Addleman Raymond S
• Li Xiaohong Shari
• Chouyyok Wilaiwan
• Atkinson David A

Classifications

• G01N1/405

  by adsorption or absorption · CPC title

• G01N2001/024

  passengers or luggage · CPC title

• G01N2001/027

  field kits / quick test kits · CPC title

• G01N2001/028

  Sampling from a surface, swabbing, vaporising · CPC title

• G01N1/02

  Devices for withdrawing samples {(sampling of foundation soil E02D1/04; collecting or conveying radioactive samples G01T7/00, e.g. G01T7/02, G01T7/08)} · CPC title