Attached matter testing device and testing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9696288-B2
Application number	US-201214349672-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2012
Priority date	Oct 6, 2011
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

Provided is a technique to identify a sample substance attached to an inspection target easily and precisely, while improving the rate of operation and reducing the number of persons required for inspection. A trace detecting system includes detection means to detect the size (vertical and horizontal dimensions) of an inspection target, and selects an air nozzle capable of spraying air jet at 15 m/s or more to the surface of the inspection target for air jet spraying.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A trace detecting system comprising:
a removal section including a plurality of air nozzles fixed to an inner wall thereof to spray air jet from the air nozzles to an inspection target that is conveyed inside thereof and remove a sample substance attached to the inspection target;
a detection section to detect the removed sample substance;
conveyance means to convey the inspection target;
a size detection section to detect a size of the inspection target that is conveyed by the conveyance means; and
an air nozzle control section to control operations of the plurality of air nozzles, wherein the air nozzle control section selects an air nozzle capable of spraying air jet at 15 m/s or more to the surface of the inspection target from the plurality of air nozzles based on an output signal, received from the size detection section, comprising information about the size of the inspection target and makes the selected air nozzle spray air jet, wherein the air nozzle control section is configured to:
store first information on an air nozzle to be operated corresponding to an output signal from the size detection section and second information on pressure of compressed air to be supplied to the air nozzle to be operated, and
select, from a plurality of air nozzles, an air nozzle and adjust pressure therefor in accordance with the stored first and second information and information indicating pressure ranges at which each of the plurality of air nozzles is configured to spray air jet.

2. The trace detecting system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a separator section to separate sample microparticles from air including the sample substance; and
a conical shaped collector section to guide air including a sample substance from the removal section to the separator section, wherein the collector section includes a plurality of air nozzles at an inner face thereof to blow air jet.

3. The trace detecting system according to claim 2 , wherein the separation section utilizes a cyclone phenomenon, the collector section and the separation section are jointed by a L-shaped pipe, and the L-shaped pipe includes a nozzle at an inner face thereof to blow air jet.

4. The trace detecting system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of air nozzles of the removal section are disposed at a top face and both side faces of the inner wall of the removal section, and the air nozzle control section controls the plurality of air nozzles so that the air nozzles operate in the order from an upper part to a lower part.

5. The trace detecting system according to claim 1 , wherein the conveyance means is provided with a mark on an upstream side thereof, the mark functioning as a criterion for an introduction position of the inspection target into the removal section in accordance with a size of the inspection target.

6. A method for trace detecting, comprising the steps of:
acquiring an outer-shape signal indicating an outer shape of an inspection target;
store first information on an air nozzle to be operated corresponding to an output signal from the size detection section and second information on pressure of compressed air to be supplied to the air nozzle to be operated;
referring to stored information related to the outer shape of the inspection target from the outer shape signal and selecting, based on the stored information related to the outer shape of the inspection target, the first information, the second information, and information indicating pressure ranges at which each of the plurality of air nozzles is configured to spray air jet, an air nozzle to be operated among a plurality of nozzles provided at a removal section and adjusting pressure therefor in accordance with the stored first and second information;
spraying air jet with controlled pressure from the selected air nozzle to an inspection target that is conveyed inside of the removal section;
collecting a sample substance and air removed from the inspection target by a conical shaped collector section and sending the same to a separator section;
separating the sample substance and air removed from the inspection target at the separator section;
vaporizing the separated sample substance to generate sample gas; and
inspecting the sample gas to identify the sample substance.

7. The method for trace detecting according to claim 6 , further comprising the step of:
following the step of spraying air jet to the inspection target that is conveyed inside of the removal section, spraying air jet to an inner wall of the removal section and an inner wall of the collector section.

8. The method for trace detecting according to claim 6 , further comprising the step of:
when the inspection shows that the sample substance is identified as a dangerous substance, spraying air jet to an inner wall of the removal section and an inner wall of the collector section for self-cleaning.

9. The method for trace detecting according to claim 8 , further comprising the steps of:
after the self-cleaning, spraying air jet to the inner wall of the removal section and the inner wall of the collector section to separate sample microparticles from generated air flow;
vaporizing the separated sample substance to generate sample gas; inspecting the sample gas to identify the sample substance; and
when the inspection detects the dangerous substance, spraying air jet to the inner wall of the removal section and the inner wall of the collector section again for self-cleaning.

10. A trace detecting system comprising:
a removal section including a plurality of air nozzles fixed to an inner wall thereof to spray air jet from the air nozzles to an inspection target that is conveyed inside thereof and remove a sample substance attached to the inspection target;
a detection section to detect the removed sample substance; conveyance means to convey the inspection target;
a size detection section to detect a size of the inspection target that is conveyed by the conveyance means;
an air nozzle control section to control operations of the plurality of air nozzles, wherein the air nozzle control section selects an air nozzle capable of spraying air jet at 15 m/s or more to the surface of the inspection target based on an output signal from the size detection section, and makes the selected air nozzle spray air jet
a separator section to separate sample microparticles from air including the sample substance; and
a conical shaped collector section to guide air including a sample substance from the removal section to the separator section, wherein the collector section includes a plurality of air nozzles at an inner face thereof to blow air jet.

11. The trace detecting system according to claim 10 , wherein the separation section utilizes a cyclone phenomenon, the collector section and the separation section are jointed by a L-shaped pipe, and the L-shaped pipe includes a nozzle at an inner face thereof to blow air jet.

Assignees

• Hitachi Ltd

Inventors

• Kashima Hideo
• Sugaya Masakazu
• Terada Koichi
• Doi Yasunori
• Suzuki Yasutaka
• Nagano Hisashi
• Hashimoto Yuichiro
• Takada Yasuaki

Classifications

• G01N33/0011 Primary

  Sample conditioning (preparing specimens for investigation G01N1/28) · CPC title

• G01N1/2202

  involving separation of sample components during sampling · CPC title

• G01N2001/028

  Sampling from a surface, swabbing, vaporising · CPC title

• G01N2001/024

  passengers or luggage · CPC title