Detector System For Unidentified Substances

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a detection system for identifying an unidentified substance in a sample, comprising a light emitting source; a circuit board; a trigger, that activates a pulse of electrons from the circuit board to the light emitting source such that the light emitting source emits light; a detector for collecting light from the unidentified substance; and a central processing unit for analyzing the collected light to identify the unidentified substance.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method of identifying an unidentified substance, comprising:
 directing light from a light emitting source to a stationary unidentified substance;   collecting light from the unidentified substance in a detector;   analyzing the collected light; and   identifying the unidentified substance.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the collected light comprises light reflected by the unidentified substance. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the light emitting source heats the unidentified substance prior to collecting the light. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the unidentified substance is not in the form of a stream of particles. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the detector is a photodetector, a photoconductor, a photodiode, a photomultiplier tube, an avalanche photodiode, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising pulsing the light from the light emitting source. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising gating the detector to receive the light in pulsed form. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein heating is performed to heat the unidentified substance to a temperature above an ambient temperature of the sample. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein heating is performed to heat the unidentified substance to a temperature of at least 5° C. above a temperature of the sample. 
     
     
         30 . A detection system for identifying an unidentified substance in a sample comprising:
 a light emitting source, wherein the light emitting source emits light in response to electrons;   a circuit board;   a trigger, wherein the trigger is operative to trigger electrons to move from the circuit board to the light emitting source;   a detector for collecting light from the sample; and   a central processing unit for analyzing the light collected by the detector to identify the unidentified substance in the sample.   
     
     
         31 . The detection system of  claim 30 , wherein the trigger is further operative to provide a pulse of electrons from a battery to the circuit board. 
     
     
         32 . The detection system of  claim 30 , wherein the light emitting source is an infrared light emitting diode that is used to heat the unidentified substance. 
     
     
         33 . The detection system of  claim 30 , wherein the unidentified substance is not in the form of a stream of particles. 
     
     
         34 . The detection system of  claim 30 , wherein the central processing unit uses a univariate analysis system, a multivariate analysis system, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing systems. 
     
     
         35 . The detection system of  claim 30 , wherein the light emitting source is an array of light emitting sources and wherein a first light emitting source excites fluorescence from the sample and a second light emitting source heats the sample. 
     
     
         36 . The detection system of  claim 30 , wherein a light from the light emitting source is pulsed and a photodetector is locked to a frequency of the pulse and operates to detect light with a selected time gate width. 
     
     
         37 . The detection system of  claim 30 , wherein the collected light is generated by and reflected by the unidentified substance. 
     
     
         38 . A method of identifying an unidentified substance, comprising:
 directing light from a light emitting source to a stationary unidentified substance, wherein the light comprises an infrared light for heating the unidentified substance;   collecting light generated by the unidentified substance in a detector;   analyzing the collected light; and   identifying the unidentified substance based on said analyzing.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the collected light comprises fluorescence generated by the unidentified substance in response to the light from the light emitting source. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the light emitting source heats the unidentified substance prior to collecting the generated light. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the unidentified substance is not in the form of a stream of particles. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the detector is a photodetector, a photoconductor, a photodiode, a photomultiplier tube, an avalanche photodiode, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising pulsing the light from the light emitting source and gating the detector to receive the generated light in pulsed form. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein heating is performed to heat the unidentified substance to a temperature above an ambient temperature of the sample. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein heating is performed to heat the unidentified substance to a temperature of at least 5° C. above a temperature of the sample. 
     
     
         46 . A method of identifying an unidentified substance, comprising:
 pulsing light from a light emitting source;   directing the pulsed light from the light emitting source to a stationary unidentified substance;   collecting light from the unidentified substance in a detector, wherein said detector is gated, and wherein said gate is locked to the light emitting source pulse;   analyzing the collected light; and   identifying the unidentified substance.   
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the collected light comprises light generated by and reflected by the unidentified substance. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the light emitting source heats the unidentified substance prior to collecting the light. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the unidentified substance is not in the form of a stream of particles. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the light from the light emitting source further impinges on a reflector prior to being focused on the unidentified substance. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein heating is performed to heat the unidentified substance to a temperature above an ambient temperature of the sample. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein heating is performed to heat the unidentified substance to a temperature of at least 5° C. above a temperature of the sample. 
     
     
         53 . A detection system for identifying an unidentified substance in a sample comprising:
 a light emitting source, wherein the light emitting source emits light in response to a pulse of electrons;   a circuit board;   a trigger, wherein the trigger is operative to trigger at least one pulse of electrons from the circuit board to the light emitting source;   a detector for collecting light from the sample, wherein said detector is gated, said gate being locked to the at least one pulse of electrons triggered by the trigger; and   a central processing unit for analyzing the light collected by the detector to identify the unidentified substance in the sample.   
     
     
         54 . The detection system of  claim 53 , wherein the trigger is further operative to provide a pulse of electrons from a battery to the circuit board. 
     
     
         55 . The detection system of  claim 53 , wherein the light emitting source is an infrared light emitting diode that is used to heat the unidentified substance. 
     
     
         56 . The detection system of  claim 53 , wherein the unidentified substance is not in the form of a stream of particles. 
     
     
         57 . The detection system of  claim 53 , wherein the central processing unit uses a univariate analysis system, a multivariate analysis system, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing systems. 
     
     
         58 . The detection system of  claim 53 , wherein the light emitting source is an array of light emitting sources and wherein a first light emitting source excites light from the sample and a second light emitting source heats the sample. 
     
     
         59 . The detection system of  claim 53 , wherein is locked to a frequency of the at least one pulse and operates to detect light with a selected time gate width. 
     
     
         60 . The detection system of  claim 53 , wherein the collected light is generated by and reflected by the unidentified substance.