Abstract: The present invention is a system and method for significantly improving gas chromatography resolution using a dynamic and non-linear thermal gradient along the entire column length and is achieved by decreasing the velocity of analytes when approaching the back end of the capillary column in order to compensate for an increase in velocity of carrier gas as the carrier gas expands when approaching the back end, and wherein the thermal gradient is selected so that the analyte achieves a constant velocity through the capillary column.

Abstract: A system and method for separating the functions of a liquid chromatography (LC) system into physically separate systems that allow for a more versatile LC system, wherein an LC device provides column 50 a liquid solvent, a sample, and a pump and injector that pushes the sample in the solvent to an output port, and providing an attachable module containing a module input port, a column, a heater for the column, and at least one detector for on-column detection, then attaching the module to the LC device using a press-fit connection that enables the sample in the solvent to be pumped through the column to the at least one detector in order to separate, identify and quantify substances in the sample and transmit results from the at least one detector to the LC system for collection and analysis.

Abstract: A system for providing standard mixtures of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds for simultaneous GC and MS calibration in a calibration vial, wherein calibration mixtures are prepared by diluting calibration analytes in granular PDMS such that most of the analytes are in the PDMS phase and the sample can then be taken from the analytes in the headspace vapor in the calibration vial, wherein a reliable calibration sample can be taken from the calibration vial because the analytes in the PDMS phase and the headspace vapor are in thermodynamic equilibrium, and wherein the method provides solvent-less sampling, long-time stability, ease of use, is quantifiable, and related to temperature.

Abstract: A system and method for separating the functions of a liquid chromatography (LC) system into physically separate systems that allow for a more versatile LC system, wherein an LC device provides column 50 a liquid solvent, a sample, and a pump and injector that pushes the sample in the solvent to an output port, and providing an attachable module containing a module input port, a column, a heater for the column, and at least one detector for on-column detection, then attaching the module to the LC device using a press-fit connection that enables the sample in the solvent to be pumped through the column to the at least one detector in order to separate, identify and quantify substances in the sample and transmit results from the at least one detector to the LC system for collection and analysis.

Abstract: A system and method for performing UV LED-based absorption detection for capillary liquid chromatography for detecting and quantifying compounds in a liquid, wherein a simplified system eliminates the need for a beam splitter and a reference cell by using a stable UV source, and power requirements are reduced, resulting in a portable and substantially smaller system with relatively low detection limits.

Abstract: A system and method for performing liquid chromatography for separating molecules in a liquid solution, wherein a single column includes two of more separation segments, each separation segment having a separate detector immediately after each separation segment, wherein a mobile phase is inserted into a first separation segment and moves through the column until passing through a last separation segment, and then using the data from the detectors to perform compound identification.

Abstract: A system and method for performing UV LED-based absorption detection for capillary liquid chromatography for detecting and quantifying compounds in a liquid, wherein a simplified system eliminates the need for a beam splitter and a reference cell by using a stable UV source, and power requirements are reduced, resulting in a portable and substantially smaller system with relatively low detection limits.

Abstract: A system and method for thermal gradient gas chromatography wherein a front or injection end of a column is heated to a higher temperature than a back or detector end to thereby create a thermal gradient having a profile that is substantially monotonically non-increasing and has a positive second derivative, and then providing a heat source to raise the thermal gradient and cause it to remain stationary or to travel through the column while maintaining a desired profile.

Abstract: A new algorithm is taught for identifying compounds from spectroscopic or mass spectra data, wherein the improved order of operations of the present invention are defined as 1) background noise removal, 2) deconvolution by smoothing peaks, finding peaks and grouping peaks into unknown compounds, 3) preparing correlation values for combinations of unknown compound and target compound pairs, 4) sorting the combinations of unknown compound and target compound pairs by their correlation values, 5) removing complete ions from the mass spectra data using a peak, a retention time, and a retention window, and 6) matching unknown compounds to target compounds such that no target compound appears twice.

Abstract: A system and method for performing UV LED-based absorption detection for capillary liquid chromatography for detecting and quantifying compounds in a liquid, wherein a simplified system eliminates the need for a beam splitter and a reference cell by using a stable UV source, and power requirements are reduced, resulting in a portable and substantially smaller system with relatively low detection limits.

Abstract: A system and method for thermal gradient gas chromatography wherein a front or injection end of a column is heated to a higher temperature than a back or detector end to thereby create a thermal gradient having a profile that is substantially monotonically non-increasing and has a positive second derivative, and then providing a heat source to raise the thermal gradient and cause it to remain stationary or to travel through the column while maintaining a desired profile.

Abstract: A new algorithm is taught for identifying compounds from spectroscopic or mass spectra data, wherein the improved order of operations of the present invention are defined as 1) background noise removal, 2) deconvolution by smoothing peaks, finding peaks and grouping peaks into unknown compounds, 3) preparing correlation values for combinations of unknown compound and target compound pairs, 4) sorting the combinations of unknown compound and target compound pairs by their correlation values, 5) removing complete ions from the mass spectra data using a peak, a retention time, and a retention window, and 6) matching unknown compounds to target compounds such that no target compound appears twice.

Abstract: A system for providing standard mixtures of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds for simultaneous CC and MS calibration in a calibration vial, wherein calibration mixtures are prepared by diluting calibration analytes in granular PDMS such that most of the analytes are in the PDMS phase and the sample can then be taken from the analytes in the headspace vapor in the calibration vial, wherein a reliable calibration sample can be taken from the calibration vial because the analytes in the PDMS phase and the headspace vapor are in thermodynamic equilibrium, and wherein the method provides solvent-less sampling, long-time stability, ease of use, is quantifiable, and related to temperature.

Abstract: A novel apparatus and method for controlling a system with multiple observable variables is disclosed. The apparatus and method disclosed use elements of the bottom-up and top-down strategies of artificial intelligence to provide a control system that is able to learn without a training set of information, and that has an learning process that can handle any amount of input data, i.e., cannot become saturated. The control system disclosed is capable of learning and controlling non linear dynamical systems. The control system is also capable of adding additional observable variables or subtracting existing observable variables to determine the state of the plant or system being controlled.

Abstract: A system and method are provided of extracting spectra from data produced by temporally indexed spectral scans from a spectrometer and spectrometer. The method includes the operation of receiving a data matrix from the spectrometer. The noise can then be removed from the data matrix. A further operation is identifying spectra of interest in the data matrix based on information content. In addition, a reduction transformation can be applied to the data matrix based upon the spectra of interest based upon the denizen transformation for the purpose of extracting the spectra of interest from the data matrix.

Abstract: A novel apparatus and method for controlling a system with multiple observable variables is disclosed. The apparatus and method disclosed use elements of the bottom-up and top-down strategies of artificial intelligence to provide a control system that is able to learn without a training set of information, and that has an learning process that can handle any amount of input data, i.e., cannot become saturated. The control system disclosed is capable of learning and controlling non linear dynamical systems. The control system is also capable of adding additional observable variables or subtracting existing observable variables to determine the state of the plant or system being controlled.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for simultaneously concentrating and separating a plurality of analytes which includes generating a continuous electric field gradient within an enclosed passageway, and where the electric field gradient is characterized by the graph of the gradient with respect to position along the length of the axis of the passageway being a non-linear, monotone, non-decreasing function with a non-increasing first derivative. Analytes entrained in a carrier fluid within the passageway are exposed simultaneously to the continuous electrical field gradient and an opposing force selected for exerting a force on the analytes. The analytes are allowed to reach equilibrium with respect to the continuous electric field gradient and the opposing force, then are released in a controlled manner to maintain separation. The unique shape of the electric field intensity curve allows for simultaneous concentration and separation of analytes.