Advanced Sample Collection System

The objective of this effort is to design, construct, and demonstrate a highly efficient trace particulate and vapor sample collection system. Used in conjunction with any of the commercial trace explosive detection technologies, this will create a viable real-time non-contact screening technology for explosive materials of unprecedented performance. We have already internally developed a proprietary and demonstrated trace explosive detection technology, and while doing so we learned a tremendous amount about the key components necessary for a responsive and efficient sample collection system. In this proposal we address two critical areas of a superior collection system design: 1) a non-contact surface excitation technology that dislodges particles and vapors from any surface to make them available for collection, and 2) a superior collection/concentration system that rapidly separates both generic debris and bulk atmospheric gases from those samples of highest relevance, and quickly consolidates these collected samples for real-time analysis by any commercial trace explosive detection technology. Since this Advanced Sample Collection System is to be designed as a universal front-end to the different trace detection technologies, it has broad commercial opportunity. Depending on the detection technology used, this would be applicable to inspections for explosives, narcotics, biohazards, accelerants, and industrial toxins.