Photonic micro-gas-chromatography detection of chemical threat agents

Robert Furstenberg; Christopher J. Breshike; Benjamin Andrews; Andrew Kusterbeck; Dawn Dominguez; Christopher A. Kendziora; R. Andrew McGill; Todd Stievater; Dmitry Kozak

doi:10.1117/12.2304458

10 May 2018 Photonic micro-gas-chromatography detection of chemical threat agents

Robert Furstenberg, Christopher J. Breshike, Benjamin Andrews, Andrew Kusterbeck, Dawn Dominguez, Christopher A. Kendziora, R. Andrew McGill, Todd Stievater, Dmitry Kozak

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 10629, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) Sensing XIX; 1062906 (2018) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2304458
Event: SPIE Defense + Security, 2018, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

A significant remaining challenge in chemical detection is the ability to rapidly detect with high fidelity a full suite of CWAs and TICs in a single point-detection system. Gas chromatography (GC) is a proven laboratory technique that can achieve the stated detection goal, but not at the required speed and not in a wearable (or even portable) form factor. Efforts in miniaturizing GCs yielded small devices, but they remain slow as they retain the end-of-column detection paradigm which results in long elution times of CWAs and TICs. We describe a novel concept of in-column detection by probing the sorbent coating (stationary phase) of a micro-GC column through optical evanescent field interactions in the long-wave infrared (“chemical fingerprint”) spectral region (U.S. Patent US9599567B2). Detection closer to the injection port ensures a rapid response for slow-eluting analytes. Although this results in poor separation (i.e. poor ability to identify chemicals), this is more than compensated by having full IR absorbance spectra at each location. This orthogonal spectral signature (along with GC retention times) is used in a powerful algorithm to quickly identify components in a complex mixture under conditions of incomplete separation. We present results with an ATR-based system that uses a focused tunable quantum cascade laser beam directed by galvo mirrors at points along a molded micro-GC column whose bottom wall is the sorbent coated ATR prism. Efforts are under way to further miniaturize this device by employing novel long-wave-IR photonic waveguides for a truly portable integrated photonic chromatographic detector of CBRNE threats.

Citation Download Citation

Robert Furstenberg, Christopher J. Breshike, Benjamin Andrews, Andrew Kusterbeck, Dawn Dominguez, Christopher A. Kendziora, R. Andrew McGill, Todd Stievater, and Dmitry Kozak "Photonic micro-gas-chromatography detection of chemical threat agents", Proc. SPIE 10629, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) Sensing XIX, 1062906 (10 May 2018); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2304458

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