Measuring and testing – Gas analysis
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-21
2004-11-30
Williams, Hezron (Department: 2856)
Measuring and testing
Gas analysis
C073S023360, C422S029000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06823714
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a system and method for detecting hazardous materials inside containers and, more particularly, to a system and method for detecting hazardous materials inside shipping containers, such as semi-trailers cargo boxes, shipping containers, rail cars and the like, in which mail, merchandise, and goods are shipped.
All economies depend upon the physical shipment of materials for their functioning including the shipment of mail, merchandise, raw materials, and other goods. Typically, the materials are shipped in some type of shipping containment or cargo box. Such containments or boxes include semi-trailers, large trucks, and rail cars as well as inter-modal containers that are carried on container ships, off-loaded and carried by specially designed rail cars, and thereafter transferred to tractor-trailers for delivery to their final destination.
In some circumstances, it is desirable to subject the cargo to some type of inspection to determine the presence of hazardous or impermissible materials, including biological and chemical materials. In general, sophisticated sensing systems are known for the detection of hazardous biological and chemical materials. For example, such systems can include conventional laboratory facilities as well as mobile or semi-mobile units that can automatically or semi-automatically detect the presence of the undesired substance or substances. One such vehicle-mobile system is the Joint Biological Point Detection System (JBPDS) developed for the United States military and designed to detect the presence of a number of biological pathogens. Others include sensor or detectors for hazardous chemicals, explosives, illicit drugs, radioactive particles, and other hazardous materials. These sensors can be used single, or in combinations, to detect as many types of hazardous particles or vapors as required.
Currently when there is suspicious mail, it is all bulk irradiated as was done during the recent anthrax problem thereby delaying some mail for months and damaging or destroying some of the mail due to problems caused by the irradiation. For example some of this irradiated mail became brittle and pieces broke off.
U.S. Published Application No. US 2002/0126008 published Sep. 12, 2002 and filed Oct. 31, 2001 discloses use of sensors at various locations within a typical mail processing system to sense the presence of a harmful agent. This system is completely open to the ambient atmosphere. (The present application is based upon a provisional patent application filed Oct. 26, 2001.)
U.S. Published Application No. US 2002/0124664 published Sep. 12, 2002 and filed Feb. 1, 2002 discloses use of a mail sampling system used in a room separate from the remainder of a post office facility and in which there is an air intake fan and all outgoing air is filtered before release. Most often openings are formed in the parcels and mail for the sampling. The sampling system is said to determine whether mail is contaminated with a chemical or biological agent. (The present application is based upon a provisional patent application filed Oct. 26, 2001.)
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,942,699 and 6,324,927 disclose a manner of collective sampling of cargo items for contaminants such as chemical residues. The cargo items are placed into a special airtight chamber and physically agitated, such as by vibration, to release particulates and vapors from the items, and bursts of high pressure air is sent into the chamber. Heated air may also be used.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,915,339 discloses use of pressurized air into a container to loosen and cause free flow of material therein move.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,101 discloses a method and apparatus for sampling the atmosphere in non-hermetically-sealed containers by enclosing baggage in a chamber and varying the air pressure cyclically to mix a portion of the air in the baggage with the air in the chamber and a vapor detector is used to detect the presence of explosives or drugs in the baggage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,440 discloses a method of detecting a contraband substance in freight cargo in which the container is agitated to disturb particulates therein and samples are taken of the air containing such particulates. The collected particulates are heated to drive off vapors indicative of the contraband substance and the vapors are analyzed in a mass analyzer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,268 discloses a method and apparatus for detecting a contraband substance in freight cargo similar to that of U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,440 mentioned above.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,351 discloses a sterilization method and apparatus using a gaseous agent for sterilizing a gas for use in treating materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,603 discloses a method of an apparatus for treating infections medical wastes is which large sizes of medical waste in a sealed body are exposed to microwaves and heat.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,546 discloses apparatus for storing and sterilizing bio-hazardous waste in which air is evacuated and pressurized steam is injected.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,117 discloses a method and an apparatus for the disposal of material containing infective microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and viruses by introducing the material into a container which can be charged with ozone and exposed to the action thereof until the microorganisms are killed, and then the ozone is discharged from the container and converted to a lower valence level and the container is then evacuated.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,700,426 discloses a method for decontaminating or sterilizing “in situ” a vacuum sealed container and device for implementing such method for sterilizing or decontaminating microorganisms or dangerous products.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,841,038 discloses a remote sampling device for possibly hazardous content of a container. A hollow needle punctures the container and is used to withdraw the contents or to introduce another substance. An inert gas can be introduced into the area where the needle punctures the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,859,362 discloses a trace vapor detection method and device of sampling a volume of air suspected of containing drug vapors, removing particulate matter and binding vapors of the drug for further analysis. The device has a sampling, filtration and vacuum port components.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,422 discloses methods and apparatus for the treatment of hazardous biological waste materials. A biological waste material is placed into a chamber and a vacuum applied. Water vapor is introduced into the chamber and electromagnetic radiation energy is applied to produce a plasma.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,950 discloses a method and apparatus for detecting viruses using primary and secondary biomarkers. There is a sampling section for sampling the atmosphere and includes an intake device for taking a sample. It includes a heater for distilling any cholesterol and/or fatty acids from the sample. There is an analysis section for determining whether cholesterol and/or fatty acids that are indicative of the likely presence of a virus in the sample are present.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,295,860 for explosive detection system and sample collecting device in which luggage enters the device and leaves the device after inspection in which a vapor leaking from the luggage is sampled by a sampling probe, negative corona discharge is used to ionize the vapor, and a mass spectrometer is used to detect the ionized vapor to determine whether or not an explosive is present.
Patent Abstracts of Japan Pub. No. 02159554 A published Dec. 12, 1988, Application No. 63313358 discloses a monitoring method of a pathogen or allergen in which a biosensor is provided near a suction port for air conditioning provided for each room of wall surface which tends to gather mold.
WO 91/09307 published Jun. 27, 1991, for Explosive Detection Screening System detects vapor or particulate emissions from explosives and other controlled substances and reports their presence and may also report the concentration. There is a sampling chamber for collection of vapors or other controlled substances and a conc
Erlich Jacob N.
Frank Rodney
Kaye Harvey
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Perkins Smith & Cohen LLP
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