Abstract: Apparatuses and method are provided. For example, in one embodiment, a ring electrode includes a plurality of sub-rings adapted to provide an electric field inside a spectrometer. The sub-rings have an internal sub-ring radius. There is a ring insulator between adjacent sub-rings. Each said ring insulator has substantially the same internal radius as the sub-rings. In another embodiment, a method is provided for insertion of the ring electrode inside the spectrometer.

Abstract: Apparatuses and method are provided. For example, in one embodiment, a ring electrode includes a plurality of sub-rings adapted to provide an electric field inside a spectrometer. The sub-rings have an internal sub-ring radius. There is a ring insulator between adjacent sub-rings. Each said ring insulator has substantially the same internal radius as the sub-rings. In another embodiment, a method is provided for insertion of the ring electrode inside the spectrometer.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a trap material use in a chemical trace detection portal for detecting trace amounts of contraband, and more particularly for detecting vapors and particles emitted from drugs and explosive devices. The trap material is made of a metallic foam material, such as aluminum foam metal, copper foam metal, stainless steel foam metal, or a silica-carbon foam metal, which have high thermoconductivity and reduced density, as compared to conventional trap materials, thereby ensuring that the internal temperature of the subject trap rapidly achieves the temperature required during desorbing of the trace materials.

Abstract: A security checkpoint includes a personal scanning portal, a parcel scanning portal and a controller for ensuring substantially simultaneous scanning of a person and the parcel associated with the person. The controller also adjusts the level of scrutiny at each portal based on scanned data received at the other portal and based on information in a database relating to the specific person at the security checkpoint.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for identifying trace amounts of substances of interest in an air flow. The apparatus includes an inlet for receiving the air flow and an outlet for exhausting major portions of the air flow. The outlet is offset from the inlet. A porous impactor is disposed in alignment with the inlet and is impacted by particles entrained in the air flow. The porous impactor is heated sufficiently to vaporize particles impinging thereon. A detector communicates with the porous impactor and is operative for identifying substances of interest in the vaporized particles.

Abstract: A portal trace detection apparatus is provided for detecting minute particles of interest, such as traces of narcotics, explosives and other contraband. The apparatus includes a portal through which a human suspect will pass. A detection apparatus is disposed at least partly in the ceiling of the portal, and hence above the human subject in the portal. Particles of interest will be entrained in the human thermal plume that exists in the boundary layer of air adjacent the suspect, and will flow upwardly from the suspect to the detection apparatus in the ceiling of the portal. The portal includes a plurality of vertically aligned arrays of air jets. The air jets are fired sequentially from bottom to top to produce short bursts of air sufficient to disturb the clothing of the suspect and to dislodge particles of interest from the clothing. The dislodged particles of interest are entrained in the air in the human thermal plume and are transported upwardly to the detector.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for detecting whether substances of interest are present in a sample of air. The apparatus includes a detector, such as an ion trap mobility spectrometer. The detector is operated at a high drift voltage and then is switched to a low drift voltage. Spectra are collected at the high and low field strengths and are compared with standard spectra at those strengths to determine whether materials of interest are present.

Abstract: A detector requires a stream of dry air for transporting particles to the detector. The detector then operates to determine whether the dry air has transported any particles of interest. Continuous operation of the detector is permitted by providing first and second dryers that can be operated alternately for drying air that is to be directed to the detector. The dryer that is not being operated is recharged. Air is directed alternately between the first and second dryer to ensure that neither dryer is operated after reaching saturation.

Abstract: An ion trap mobility spectrometer is provided. The ion trap mobility spectrometer employs algorithms to simultaneously detect and analyze both positive and negative plasmagrams. Selectivity is improved by detecting the presence of peaks in both spectra and setting logic filters which require the presence or absence of certain peaks in both spectra. Selectivity is improved by looking for two peaks in the two spectra.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a trap material use in a chemical trace detection portal for detecting trace amounts of contraband, and more particularly for detecting vapors and particles emitted from drugs and explosive devices. The trap material is made of a metallic foam material, such as aluminum foam metal, copper foam metal, stainless steel foam metal, or a silica-carbon foam metal, which have high thermoconductivity and reduced density, as compared to conventional trap materials, thereby ensuring that the internal temperature of the subject trap rapidly achieves the temperature required during desorbing of the trace materials.

Abstract: A detector requires a stream of dry air for transporting particles to the detector. The detector then operates to determine whether the dry air has transported any particles of interest. Continuous operation of the detector is permitted by providing first and second dryers that can be operated alternately for drying air that is to be directed to the detector. The dryer that is not being operated is recharged. Air is directed alternately between the first and second dryer to ensure that neither dryer is operated after reaching saturation.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for detecting whether substances of interest are present in a sample of air. The apparatus includes a detector, such as an ion trap mobility spectrometer. The detector is operated at a high drift voltage and then is switched to a low drift voltage. Spectra are collected at the high and low field strengths and are compared with standard spectra at those strengths to determine whether materials of interest are present.

Abstract: A portal trace detection apparatus is provided for detecting minute particles of interest, such as traces of narcotics, explosives and other contraband. The apparatus includes a portal through which a human suspect will pass. A detection apparatus is disposed at least partly in the ceiling of the portal, and hence above the human subject in the portal. Particles of interest will be entrained in the human thermal plume that exists in the boundary layer of air adjacent the suspect, and will flow upwardly from the suspect to the detection apparatus in the ceiling of the portal. The portal includes a plurality of vertically aligned arrays of air jets. The air jets are fired sequentially from bottom to top to produce short bursts of air sufficient to disturb the clothing of the suspect and to dislodge particles of interest from the clothing. The dislodged particles of interest are entrained in the air in the human thermal plume and are transported upwardly to the detector.

Abstract: An ion trap mobility spectrometer is provided with a reaction chamber and a drift chamber. Ions are produced in the reaction chamber by high voltage electronic pulses. More particularly, the ions are formed periodically and are allowed to thermalize in a field-free environment of the reaction chamber. The ions then react with molecular species in the gas phase in the reaction chamber. After a short period, the ions are pulsed into the drift section and are collected on a collector electrode disposed at the end of the drift chamber remote from the reaction chamber. The reaction period may be varied to sample the ion population at different intervals. This enables the ion-molecule reactions to be monitored as the ion population approaches equilibrium. The monitoring results can be used to determine differences between reacting species because the molecular ion population varies at different time points approaching equilibrium. This in turn provides improved identification of target materials.

Abstract: Sample traps or wipes are provided for a detection system for detecting contraband materials. The sample trap is formed from an open weave glass fabric coated with a thin layer of Teflon and roughened to cut through the surface of Teflon and to break some of the glass fibers. Alternatively, the sample trap is non-woven felt fabric made of high temperature polyamide fiber. The sample traps are used in a detector, such as an ion trap mobility spectrometer. The detector includes a desorber which feeds dry air from a manifold above and below the sample trap through a series of holes along the mouth of the desorber. The dry air passes through the trap and purges out unwanted atmospheric constituents that could otherwise affect the performance of the detector. The purged air passes to the outside atmosphere, thus creating a dry curtain at the entry to the desorber.

Abstract: An ion trap mobility spectrometer is provided. The ion trap mobility spectrometer employs algorithms to simultaneously detect and analyze both positive and negative plasmagrams. Selectivity is improved by detecting the presence of peaks in both spectra and setting logic filters which require the presence or absence of certain peaks in both spectra. Selectivity is improved by looking for two peaks in the two spectra.

Abstract: A portal trace detection apparatus is provided for detecting minute particles of interest, such as traces of narcotics, explosives and other contraband. The apparatus includes a portal through which a human suspect will pass. A detection apparatus is disposed at least partly in the ceiling of the portal, and hence above the human subject in the portal. Particles of interest will be entrained in the human thermal plume that exists in the boundary layer of air adjacent the suspect, and will flow upwardly from the suspect to the detection apparatus in the ceiling of the portal. The portal includes a plurality of vertically aligned arrays of air jets. The air jets are fired sequentially from bottom to top to produce short bursts of air sufficient to disturb the clothing of the suspect and to dislodge particles of interest from the clothing. The dislodged particles of interest are entrained in the air in the human thermal plume and are transported upwardly to the detector.

Abstract: An ion trap mobility spectrometer is provided with a reaction chamber and a drift chamber. Ions are produced in the reaction chamber by high voltage electronic pulses. More particularly, the ions are formed periodically and are allowed to thermalize in a field-free environment of the reaction chamber. The ions then react with molecular species in the gas phase in the reaction chamber. After a short period, the ions are pulsed into the drift section and are collected on a collector electrode disposed at the end of the drift chamber remote from the reaction chamber. The reaction period may be varied to sample the ion population at different intervals. This enables the ion-molecule reactions to be monitored as the ion population approaches equilibrium. The monitoring results can be used to determine differences between reacting species because the molecular ion population varies at different time points approaching equilibrium. This in turn provides improved identification of target materials.

Abstract: An ion trap mobility spectrometer (ITMS) and method of operation are provided for enhanced detection of narcotics in an air sample. The air sample is transported by a carrier gas with a low concentration of a dopant that has a basicity between the relative basicity of said carrier gas and the narcotic.