Apparatus and method for sampling of confined spaces

摘要

In various embodiments of the invention, a cargo container can be monitored at appropriate time intervals to determine that no controlled substances have been shipped with the cargo in the container. The monitoring utilizes reactive species produced from an atmospheric analyzer to ionize analyte molecules present in the container which are then analyzed by an appropriate spectroscopy system. In an embodiment of the invention, a sorbent surface can be used to absorb, adsorb or condense analyte molecules within the container whereafter the sorbent surface can be interrogated with the reactive species to generate analyte species characteristic of the contents of the container.

主权项

1. A system for analyzing a cargo comprising:
a container, where the container can be substantially confined on all sides, where the container includes at least a distal end and a proximal end; an atmospheric ionization sorbent module (AISM) including a sorbent surface, where the AISM is located one or both of inside the container and outside the container, where the AISM is adapted to be connected to one or both one or more sites inside the container and one or more sites outside the container; a condenser located to cool the AISM sorbent surface to assist in absorption, adsorption and condensation on the sorbent surface; an atmospheric ionizer generating and directing ionizing species at a region in front of the AISM sorbent surface, where the atmospheric ionizer generates ions from the AISM sorbent surface; and a spectroscopy system which analyzes the ions formed by the atmospheric ionizer directed at the AISM sorbent surface.