Patents Assigned to Smiths Detection-Watford Limited
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Publication number: 20140141419Abstract: Provided herein are systems and methods for quantitatively monitoring target amplicons produced by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In particular, quantitative monitoring of target amplicon(s) in a single-tube PCR reaction without separate calibration reactions are provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2012Publication date: May 22, 2014Applicants: SMITHS DETECTION - WATFORD LIMITED, BRANDEIS UNIVERSITYInventors: Jay Lewington, Rohit Mistry, J. Aquilez Sanchez
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Patent number: 8728397Abstract: A substance detection device, including a chemical substance analyzer, including an ion mobility spectrometer (IMS), a desorber, a conduit, and a membrane. The membrane extends across a cross-section of the conduit, and the membrane is positioned to have a desorber side in gas communication with the desorber and an analysis side opposite the desorber side. The substance detection device can be configured to direct a portion of a chemical substance to the desorber through the conduit so that at least a portion of the entrained chemical substance is transferred to the membrane by interacting with the desorber side of the membrane. The membrane is adapted to diffuse at least a portion of the chemical substance transferred to the membrane through the membrane to the analysis side. The device also includes a particle separator including a protuberance extending into a collection chamber of the particle separator.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2008Date of Patent: May 20, 2014Assignee: Smith Detection-Watford LimitedInventor: Stephen Richardson
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Publication number: 20140087477Abstract: IMS apparatus has an inlet with a preconcentrator opening into a reaction region where analyte molecules are ionized and passed via a shutter to a drift region for collection and analysis. A pump and filter arrangement supplies a flushing flow of clean gas to the housing in opposition to ion flow. A pressure pulser connects with the housing and is momentarily switched to cause a short drop in pressure, in the housing to draw in a bolus of analyte sample from the preconcentrator. Just prior to admitting a bolus of sample, the pump is turned off so that the flushing flow drops substantially to zero, thereby prolonging the time the analyte molecules spend in the reaction region.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 18, 2013Publication date: March 27, 2014Applicant: Smiths Detection-Watford LimitedInventor: Stephen John Taylor
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Patent number: 8668870Abstract: IMS apparatus has an inlet with a preconcentrator opening into a reaction region where analyte molecules are ionized and passed via a shutter to a drift region for collection and analysis. A pump and filter arrangement supplies a flushing flow of clean gas to the housing in opposition to ion flow. A pressure pulser connects with the housing and is momentarily switched to cause a short drop in pressure, in the housing to draw in a bolus of analyte sample from the preconcentrator. Just prior to admitting a bolus of sample, the pump is turned off so that the flushing flow drops substantially to zero, thereby prolonging the time the analyte molecules spend in the reaction region.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2007Date of Patent: March 11, 2014Assignee: Smiths Detection-Watford LimitedInventor: Stephen John Taylor
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Patent number: 8648296Abstract: An ion mobility spectrometer has several electrodes spaced along its ion source region. Voltages are applied to the electrodes to produce a voltage gradient along the length of the ion source region. By varying the voltage gradient, the residence time of ions in the ion source region can be selectively varied. Typically, the spectrometer is arranged to reduce the residence time in response to a decrease in the amplitude of an ion peak detected at the far end of the drift region.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2013Date of Patent: February 11, 2014Assignee: Smiths Detection-Watford LimitedInventor: William Angus Munro
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Publication number: 20140008527Abstract: An ion mobility spectrometer has a pair of electrodes and midway along the drill chamber. A high field is applied between the electrodes and sufficient to modify ions in the region of the electrodes such that they move at a different rate towards the collector plate. This is used to modify the time of flight of selected ions or ion clusters and enable identification of ambiguous peaks on the IMS spectrum.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2013Publication date: January 9, 2014Applicant: Smiths Detection-Watford LimitedInventor: Smiths Detection-Watford Limited
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Patent number: 8610057Abstract: An ion mobility spectrometer or other ion apparatus has two or three grid electrodes 51 and 52; 151 to 153; 106 and 107; 106? and 107? extending laterally of the ion flowpath. An asymmetric waveform with a dc compensating voltage is applied between the electrodes to produce a field parallel to the ion flow path that affects ions differently according to their field-dependent mobility. This filters or delays different ions selectively in their passage to an ion detector 11, 111, 111? to facilitate discrimination between ions that would otherwise produce a similar output.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2011Date of Patent: December 17, 2013Assignee: Smith Detection-Watford LimitedInventors: Jonathan Richard Atkinson, Alastair Clark, Bruce Alec Colin Grant, Robert Brian Turner
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Publication number: 20130299712Abstract: A detection device including an ionization region, an ion gate comprising two electrodes, an ion modifier comprising two electrodes, a drift chamber and a collector. The ion gate and ion modifier are combined so the ion gate is one of the ion modifier electrodes.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 20, 2012Publication date: November 14, 2013Applicant: Smiths Detection-Watford LimitedInventor: Jonathan Richard Atkinson
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Patent number: 8555732Abstract: A substance detection device including a chemical substance analyzer, including, a conduit, and a membrane, wherein the membrane extends across a cross-section of the conduit, wherein the membrane is positioned to have one side and an analysis side opposite the one side, wherein the substance detection device is adapted to direct a portion of a chemical substance to the one side through the conduit, the substance detection device further including a particle separation apparatus, including a particle collection device having a collection chamber containing a first fluid and including an outlet, wherein the outlet is in fluid communication with the conduit such that particles directed through the outlet travel through the conduit and chemical substances which may be on those particles directed through the outlet are transferred to the membrane by interacting with the one side of the membrane.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2008Date of Patent: October 15, 2013Assignee: Smiths Detection-Watford LimitedInventor: Stephen Richardson
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Publication number: 20130248703Abstract: An ion mobility spectrometer has several electrodes spaced along its ion source region. Voltages are applied to the electrodes to produce a voltage gradient along the length of the ion source region. By varying the voltage gradient, the residence time of ions in the ion source region can be selectively varied. Typically, the spectrometer is arranged to reduce the residence time in response to a decrease in the amplitude of an ion peak detected at the far end of the drift region.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2013Publication date: September 26, 2013Applicant: Smiths Detection-Watford LimitedInventor: William Angus Munro
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Patent number: 8466414Abstract: An ion mobility spectrometer has a reaction region separated from a drift region by an electrostatic gate. A doping circuit supplies a dopant to the reaction region but the drift region is undoped. Two high field ion modifiers are located one after the other in the drift region. One ion modifier can be turned on to remove dopant adducts from the admitted ions, or both ion modifiers can be turned on so that the ions are also fragmented. In this way, several different responses can be produced to provide additional information about the nature of the analyte substance and distinguish it from interferents.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2011Date of Patent: June 18, 2013Assignee: Smiths Detection-Watford LimitedInventor: Jonathan Richard Atkinson
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Patent number: 8455816Abstract: A detection system comprises a housing having a sample inlet and a gas outlet, and a preconcentrator. The preconcentrator can include a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) configured to accumulate or release a dopant at selected times, and can be located inside or outside the housing. The detection system can include an ion mobility spectrometer, a mass spectrometer, or a combination thereof. A method of analyzing a substance comprises supplying a sample gas or vapor comprising the substance, accumulating a dopant in a first preconcentrator, releasing the dopant at selected times from the preconcentrator to an area containing the sample, ionizing the substance to generate detectable species, separating the detectable species, and determining the detectable species by a detection unit. The system and method allow the rapid introduction and removal of dopant to facilitate fast and accurate identification of the sample.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2008Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignee: Smiths Detection-Watford LimitedInventors: Stephen John Taylor, Richard Turner
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Patent number: 8405023Abstract: An ion mobility spectrometer has several electrodes spaced along its ion source region. Voltages are applied to the electrodes to produce a voltage gradient along the length of the ion source region. By varying the voltage gradient, the residence time of ions in the ion source region can be selectively varied. Typically, the spectrometer is arranged to reduce the residence time in response to a decrease in the amplitude, of an ion peak detected at the far end of the drift region.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2012Date of Patent: March 26, 2013Assignee: Smiths Detection-Watford LimitedInventor: William Angus Munro
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Patent number: 8327724Abstract: Apparatus for preparing a biological sample for PCR analysis has an inlet (4) for receiving the sample (15) and a sieve (13) through which the sample is forced by screwing down an inlet cap (16). A lysis solution between two rupturable seals (11 and 12) is effective to disrupt the cells of the sample and release nucleic acid. The apparatus is mounted releasably on a PCR machine (2) having a motor (2?) releasably coupled with a drive mechanism (3, 36,40) in the apparatus to effect a rotary and a vertical up and down movement of its components (30, 31, 32, 42). The apparatus has a transparent cuvette (5) and a needle (71) extending to the lower end of the cuvette, by which the prepared sample is dispensed to the cuvette for PCR analysis.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2008Date of Patent: December 11, 2012Assignee: Smiths Detection-Watford LimitedInventors: Michael Roy Fairs, Thomas David Ford, Piers Sebastian Harding, Gary Stephen Howard, Barry Boyes, John Walter Czajka, Douglas Jason Green, Jay Lewington, Carmelo Volpe, Colin Fewster, Jason Betley, Catherine Mills, William Richard Mawer
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Patent number: 8299428Abstract: A field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometer (FAIMS) has an analyte ion source assembly by which an analyte substance is ionized and supplied to the inlet of the spectrometer. The ion source assembly has an upstream source of clean, dry air and two ion sources of opposite polarity arranged at the same distance along the flow path. The ion sources are arranged so that the overall charge of the plasma produced is substantially neutral. The analyte substance is admitted via an inlet downstream of the ion sources and flows into a reaction region of enlarged cross section to slow the flow and increase the time for which the analyte molecules are exposed to the plasma.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2008Date of Patent: October 30, 2012Assignee: Smiths Detection-Watford LimitedInventors: Alastair Clark, Stephen John Taylor, Robert Brian Turner, Richard Turner, legal representative, William Angus Munro
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Patent number: 8299423Abstract: An ion mobility spectrometer has an inlet for an analyte substance opening into an ionization region that produces ions of the substance. Parallel grid electrodes extend laterally across the ion flow path and apply an electric field to the ions that is switchable between a relatively low magnitude alternating field that varies in magnitude over multiple periods and an asymmetric alternating field of sufficiently high magnitude to cause differential mobility effects. A collector collects the passed ions, and an indication of the nature of the analyte substance is produced from the collected ions passed during both the low and high field intervals. Also disclosed is the application of a substantially alternating field between the electrodes, which field varies between a low value and a higher value over a time exceeding that of the alternating period.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2008Date of Patent: October 30, 2012Assignee: Smiths Detection-Watford LimitedInventors: Robert Brian Turner, Richard Turner, legal representative
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Patent number: 8222595Abstract: An ion mobility spectrometer has several electrodes spaced along its ion source region. Voltages are applied to the electrodes to produce a voltage gradient along the length of the ion source region. By varying the voltage gradient, the residence time of ions in the ion source region can be selectively varied. Typically, the spectrometer is arranged to reduce the residence time in response to a decrease in the amplitude, of an ion peak detected at the far end of the drift region.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2007Date of Patent: July 17, 2012Assignee: Smiths Detection-Watford LimitedInventor: William Angus Munro
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Patent number: 8158933Abstract: An IMS detector has a pin-hole or capillary inlet having a coating of an adsorbent material, such as polydimethylsiloxane, which is adsorbent to an analyte substance of interest. The analyte is adsorbed into the material until a heater is energized to heat the adsorbent material and release the adsorbed analyte substance for detection in a detector.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2007Date of Patent: April 17, 2012Assignee: Smiths Detection-Watford LimitedInventor: Stephen John Taylor
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Patent number: 8022360Abstract: IMS apparatus has a preconcentrator in an inlet passage. A pressure pulser connected to the interior of a housing applies small alternating negative and positive pressure pulses to the housing so that air is drawn in and out of the inlet passage in a “panting” fashion. This causes analyte to be adsorbed by the preconcentrator but does not allow analyte to enter sufficiently to be ionized and detected. After a time sufficient to accumulate a detectable amount of analyte on the preconcentrator the apparatus switches to a desorb phase. The preconcentrator is heated to desorb the analyte, and the pressure pulser produces a larger negative pulse sufficient to draw the liberated analyte far enough into the reaction region for ionization and detection.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2007Date of Patent: September 20, 2011Assignee: Smiths Detection-Watford LimitedInventor: Stephen John Taylor
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Patent number: 7999224Abstract: An ion mobility spectrometer has a reaction region separated from a drift region by an electrostatic gate. A doping circuit supplies a dopant to the reaction region but the drift region is undoped. Two high field ion modifiers are located one after the other in the drift region. One ion modifier can be turned on to remove dopant adducts from the admitted ions, or both ion modifiers can be turned on so that the ions are also fragmented. In this way, several different responses can be produced to provide additional information about the nature of the analyte substance and distinguish it from interferents.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2008Date of Patent: August 16, 2011Assignee: Smiths Detection-Watford LimitedInventor: Jonathan Richard Atkinson