Portable micro-preconcentrator to facilitate chemical sampling and subsequent analysis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12048893-B2
Application number	US-202217885458-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 10, 2022
Priority date	Mar 25, 2016
Publication date	Jul 30, 2024
Grant date	Jul 30, 2024

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments relate to the design of a preconcentrator system for preconcentrating air samples. This preconcentrator system includes a plurality of preconcentrators that preconcentrate the air samples prior to chemical analysis, and a delivery structure comprising a manifold that selectively routes a sample airflow to the plurality of concentrators so that the plurality of preconcentrators receive a sample airflow concurrently or individually.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for automatically controlling environmental parameters in a closed environment, the system comprising:
a sensor periodically gathering gaseous samples of compounds emitted by one or more products occupying the closed environment, wherein the sensor contains a substrate comprising consecutive cavities containing sorbent materials, and wherein:
the consecutive cavities are separated by microstructures; and
during the gathering of a sample, the sample flows through the consecutive cavities;

one or more environment modifiers for modifying the environmental parameters of the closed environment; and
a controller that:
measures concentrations of one or more volatile compounds in the samples; and
controls the one or more environmental modifiers based on the measured concentrations.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the environmental parameters include one or more of:
temperature,
humidity,
light,
air ventilation rate, and
air composition; and

the system further comprises an environment sensor for each of the one or more environmental parameters.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller terminates power to the one or more environment modifiers when the measured concentrations indicate that the one or more products have spoiled.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more products include at least one biological product.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the one or more products include at least one food product.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor further includes:
a chemical detector that detects the one or more volatile compounds in the sample.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the microstructures prevent escape of a sorbent material from a cavity without impeding the flow of the sample.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein two or more of the consecutive cavities contain different types of sorbent material.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the sensor further includes one or more of:
an integrated heater that triggers a release of absorbed compounds from the sorbent material; and
an ionization source.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the sensor further includes a pump to facilitate moving the sample through the consecutive cavities.

11. The system of claim 6 , wherein the chemical detector includes one or more of:
a gas chromatograph (GC);
a differential mobility spectrometer (DMS);
a high asymmetric longitudinal field ion mobility spectrometer (HALF-IMS);
a high field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometer (FAIMS);
an electronic nose (E-nose) and
an ethylene detector.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the closed environment is a shipping container.

13. A method of automatically controlling environmental parameters in a closed environment, the method comprising:
gathering samples of compounds off-gassed from one or more products occupying the closed environment with a sensor containing a substrate that comprises consecutive cavities comprising sorbent materials, wherein:
the consecutive cavities are separated by microstructures; and
during the gathering of a sample, the sample flows through the consecutive cavities;

measuring concentrations of one or more volatile compounds in the samples; and
controlling at least one environmental parameter in the closed environment based on the measured concentrations.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
determining from the measured concentrations whether the one or more products have spoiled; and
when it is determined that the one or more products have spoiled, discontinuing control of the at least one environmental parameter.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one environmental parameter includes one or more of:
temperature;
humidity;
light;
air ventilation rate; and
air composition.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
detecting contamination among the one or more products based on the measured concentrations.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
maintaining a log of measured concentrations within the closed environment.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the closed environment is a shipping container.

19. A system for automatically controlling environmental parameters in a closed environment, the system comprising:
a sensor periodically gathering gaseous samples of compounds emitted by one or more products occupying the closed environment, wherein the sensor contains a substrate comprising consecutive cavities containing sorbent materials;
one or more environment modifiers for modifying the environmental parameters of the closed environment; and
a controller that:
measures concentrations of one or more volatile compounds in the samples;
controls the one or more environmental modifiers based on the measured concentrations; and
automatically terminates power to the one or more environment modifiers when the measured concentrations indicate that the one or more products have spoiled.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein:
the environmental parameters include one or more of:
temperature,
humidity,
light,
air ventilation rate, and
air composition; and

the system further comprises an environment sensor for each of the one or more environmental parameters.

21. The system of claim 19 , wherein the one or more products include at least one biological product.

22. The system of claim 19 , wherein:
the consecutive cavities are separated by microstructures; and
during the gathering of a sample, the sample flows through the consecutive cavities.

23. The system of claim 22 , wherein the microstructures prevent escape of a sorbent material from a cavity without impeding the flow of the sample.

24. The system of claim 19 , wherein two or more of the consecutive cavities contain different types of sorbent material.

25. The system of claim 19 , wherein the sensor further includes one or more of:
an integrated heater that triggers a release of absorbed compounds from the sorbent material; and
an ionization source.

26. The system of claim 19 , wherein the closed environment comprises a shipping container.

Assignees

• Univ California

Inventors

• Davis Cristina E
• Levasseur Michael K
• Cumeras Raquel
• Zrodnikov Yuriy
• Mccartney Mitchell M
• Fung Alexander G
• Peirano Daniel J

Classifications

• G05D23/00

  Control of temperature · CPC title

• G05D22/00

  Control of humidity · CPC title

• G05D27/00

  Simultaneous control of variables covered by two or more of main groups G05D1/00 - G05D25/00 · CPC title

• B01D53/30

  Controlling by gas-analysis apparatus (regulating non electrical variables in general G05D) · CPC title

• A61B5/082

  Evaluation by breath analysis, e.g. determination of the chemical composition of exhaled breath (A61B5/083, A61B5/091 take precedence) · CPC title