Patent US6411208B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6411208B1
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Method and apparatus for detecting a target material in a sample by pre-screening the sample for piezoelectric resonance
Assignee: United States Department of the Navy
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Filing: 1997-06-05
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Granted: 2002-06-25
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Expires: 2017-06-05
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for screening samples to determine which samples include a target material. Generally, the samples are pre-screened to determine which of the samples have a piezoelectric resonance when irradiated with an electric field, to thereby indicate the presence of the target material. The samples that have the piezoelectric resonance are then further screened by a different process to confirm the presence of the target material. For example, samples that have the piezoelectric resonance are further screened for a specific nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR), a specific nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) or a specific visual characteristic, to confirm the presence of the target material in the sample. The apparatus and method can be used, for example, to search luggage at ports of entry for the presence of cocaine hydrochloride or heroin hydrochloride.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael L. Buess
- 👤 Allen N. Garroway
- 👤 Joel B. Miller
- 👤 James P. Yesinowski
- 👤 Roy P. Lindquist
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 10:39
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N29/00; G01N29/02; G01N29/036; G01H; G01H13/00; G01R; G01R33/00; G01R33/20; G01R33/44; G01R33/441; G01V; G01V3/00; G01V3/08; G01V3/088; G01N2291/00; G01N2291/02; G01N2291/025; G01N2291/0256
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
78 words
A method of detecting the presence of a target material in a sample, the target material having a piezoelectric resonance when irradiated with an electric field and having a unit cell structure lacking an inversion center of symmetry, the method comprising the steps of: irradiating the sample with an electric field which induces the piezoelectric resonance in the target material; and detecting the induced piezoelectric resonance, to thereby detect the presence of the target material in the sample.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
78 words
A method of detecting the presence of a target material in a sample, the target material having a piezoelectric resonance when irradiated with an electric field and having a unit cell structure lacking an inversion center of symmetry, the method comprising the steps of: irradiating the sample with an electric field which induces the piezoelectric resonance in the target material; and detecting the induced piezoelectric resonance, to thereby detect the presence of the target material in the sample.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
72 words
A method as in claim 1 , wherein the target material has a nuclear quadrupole resonance when irradiated with an electromagnetic field, the method further comprising the steps of: after the induced piezoelectric resonance is detected, irradiating the sample with an electromagnetic field which induces the nuclear quadrupole resonance in the target material; and detecting the induced nuclear quadrupole resonance, to thereby confirm the presence of the target material in the sample.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as in claim 1 , further comprising the step of: setting off an alarm when the induced piezoelectric resonance is detected.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as in claim 1 , wherein the target material is one of the group consisting of cocaine hydrochloride and heroin hydrochloride.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
116 words
A method of determining which samples of a plurality of samples include a target material, the target material having first and second characteristics, the first characteristic being that the target material has a piezoelectric resonance when irradiated with an electric field, the second being that target material may be specifically identified by a method, the method comprising the steps of: determining which samples indicate the presence of the first characteristic, to thereby determine which samples indicate the presence of the target material; and for each sample determined to indicate the presence of the first characteristic, determining which of the samples indicate the presence of the second characteristic, to thereby confirm which samples include the target material.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
116 words
A method of determining which samples of a plurality of samples include a target material, the target material having first and second characteristics, the first characteristic being that the target material has a piezoelectric resonance when irradiated with an electric field, the second being that target material may be specifically identified by a method, the method comprising the steps of: determining which samples indicate the presence of the first characteristic, to thereby determine which samples indicate the presence of the target material; and for each sample determined to indicate the presence of the first characteristic, determining which of the samples indicate the presence of the second characteristic, to thereby confirm which samples include the target material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
63 words
A method as in claim 5 , wherein the second characteristic is a visually detectable characteristic of the target material, and the step of determining which of the samples indicate the presence of the second characteristic includes: visually inspecting the samples determined to indicate the presence of the first characteristic, to determine which of the samples indicate the presence of the second characteristic.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
79 words
A method as in claim 5 , wherein the second characteristic is that the target material has a nuclear quadrupole resonance when irradiated with an electromagnetic field, and the step of determining which of the samples indicate the presence of the second characteristic includes: irradiating the samples determined to indicate the presence of the first characteristic with an electromagnetic field which induces the nuclear quadrupole resonance in the target material, to thereby confirm which samples include the target material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as in claim 5 , further comprising the step of: when a respective sample indicates the presence of the first characteristic, setting off an alarm.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as in claim 5 , further comprising the step of: when a respective sample indicates the presence of the second characteristic, setting off an alarm.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as in claim 8 , further comprising the step of: when a respective sample indicates the presence of the second characteristic, setting off an alarm.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
130 words
A method of determining which samples of a plurality of samples include a target material, the target material having first and second characteristics, the first characteristic being that the target material has a piezoelectric resonance when irradiated with an electric field, the method comprising the steps of: irradiating each sample with an electric field which causes samples including the target material to indicate the presence of the piezoelectric resonance; determining which samples irradiated with the electric field indicate the presence of the piezoelectric resonance, to thereby determine which samples indicate the presence of the target material; and for each sample determined to indicate the presence of the piezoelectric resonance, determining which of the samples indicate the presence of the second characteristic, to thereby confirm which samples include the target material.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
130 words
A method of determining which samples of a plurality of samples include a target material, the target material having first and second characteristics, the first characteristic being that the target material has a piezoelectric resonance when irradiated with an electric field, the method comprising the steps of: irradiating each sample with an electric field which causes samples including the target material to indicate the presence of the piezoelectric resonance; determining which samples irradiated with the electric field indicate the presence of the piezoelectric resonance, to thereby determine which samples indicate the presence of the target material; and for each sample determined to indicate the presence of the piezoelectric resonance, determining which of the samples indicate the presence of the second characteristic, to thereby confirm which samples include the target material.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
63 words
A method as in claim 11 , wherein the second characteristic is a visually detectable characteristic of the target material, and the step of determining which of the samples indicate the presence of the second characteristic includes: visually inspecting the samples determined to indicate the presence of the first characteristic, to determine which of the samples indicate the presence of the second characteristic.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
81 words
A method as in claim 11 , wherein the second characteristic is that the target material has a nuclear quadrupole resonance when irradiated with an electromagnetic field, and the step of determining which of the samples indicate the presence of the second characteristic includes: irradiating the samples determined to indicate the presence of the first characteristic with an electromagnetic field which induces the nuclear quadrupole resonance in the target material, to thereby confirm which of the samples include the target material.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
116 words
An apparatus for determining which samples of a plurality of samples include a target material, the target material having first and second characteristics, the first characteristic being that the target material has a piezoelectric resonance when irradiated with an electric field, the apparatus comprising: a first characteristic determining unit determining which samples indicate the presence of the first characteristic, to thereby determine which samples indicate the presence of the target material; and a second characteristic determining unit determining, for each sample determined to indicate the presence of the first characteristic by the first characteristic determining unit, which of the samples indicate the presence of the second characteristic, to thereby confirm which samples include the target material.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
116 words
An apparatus for determining which samples of a plurality of samples include a target material, the target material having first and second characteristics, the first characteristic being that the target material has a piezoelectric resonance when irradiated with an electric field, the apparatus comprising: a first characteristic determining unit determining which samples indicate the presence of the first characteristic, to thereby determine which samples indicate the presence of the target material; and a second characteristic determining unit determining, for each sample determined to indicate the presence of the first characteristic by the first characteristic determining unit, which of the samples indicate the presence of the second characteristic, to thereby confirm which samples include the target material.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
79 words
An apparatus as in claim 14 , wherein the second characteristic is that the target material has a nuclear quadrupole resonance when irradiated with an electromagnetic field, and, for each sample determined to indicate the presence of the first characteristic by the first characteristic determining unit, the second characteristic determining unit irradiates the sample with an electromagnetic field which induces the nuclear quadrupole resonance in the target material, to thereby confirm which of the samples include the target material.
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