초록 ▼

A detection system and method are provided having vehicle-mounted and manportable mobile surveillance capabilities with minimal equipment redundancy. The system comprises a vehicle-mounted sensor unit, a hand-held unit, a manportable unit and a vehicle-mounted air collector unit. The vehicle-mounted

A detection system and method are provided having vehicle-mounted and manportable mobile surveillance capabilities with minimal equipment redundancy. The system comprises a vehicle-mounted sensor unit, a hand-held unit, a manportable unit and a vehicle-mounted air collector unit. The vehicle-mounted sensor unit comprises a spectroscopy subsystem that is configured to direct light onto a surface outside the vehicle and to capture scattered optical energy from the surface outside the vehicle while the vehicle is moving. The hand-held unit may be removably mounted to the air collector unit to interrogate airborne particles in collected air. The hand-held unit is removable from the air collector unit and is connected to the manportable unit by a cable so as to form an integrated portable detection system for mobile surveillance away from the vehicle by a user.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A detection system, comprising: a hand-held unit comprising a light source configured to optically interrogate a surface and collection optics configured to capture scattered optical energy from the surface; a manportable unit connected to said hand-held unit and configured t

What is claimed is: 1. A detection system, comprising: a hand-held unit comprising a light source configured to optically interrogate a surface and collection optics configured to capture scattered optical energy from the surface; a manportable unit connected to said hand-held unit and configured to receive said scattered optical energy captured by the hand-held unit, comprising a spectrograph that is configured to convert said scattered optical energy to spectrum data and a computing device that is configured to analyze the spectrum data produced by the spectrograph in the manportable unit; and an air collector unit that is configured to collect air and to separate particles in the collected air for deposit onto a collection surface, wherein the air collecting unit comprises a port configured to permit optical access to said collection surface by said hand-held unit and a support structure configured to removably support said hand-held unit in a position for optical interrogation of said collection surface; wherein the hand-held unit is configured to be removable from said air collector unit to permit the manportable unit and the hand-held unit to be carried away from the air collector unit for use as an integrated portable detection system by a user. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the air collector unit comprises a housing having an intake port configured to collect air and a virtual impactor in said housing configured to separate particles in the collected air. 3. The system of claim 2, and further comprising a vapor collector connected to said virtual impactor that extracts particles from vapor in the collected air. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the light source in the hand-held unit comprises an ultraviolet laser light source that directs a beam of ultraviolet light that is suitable for exciting Raman scattering. 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the ultraviolet laser light source is suitable for further exciting fluorescence scattering, and wherein the Raman scattering and the fluorescence scattering are in different wavelength regions. 6. The system of claim 4, wherein the hand-held unit comprises a wavelength selective optical element that separates the Raman scattering and the fluorescence scattering. 7. The system of claim 5, wherein the spectrograph in the manportable unit comprises first and second light dispersing elements and first and second detectors, wherein the first light dispersing element disperses the Raman scattering into its constituent wavelengths and the first detector generates Raman data from light directed to it by the first light dispersing element, and the second light dispersing element disperses the fluorescence scattering into its constituent wavelengths and the second detector generates fluorescence data from light directed to it by the second light dispersing element. 8. The system of claim 6, and further comprising a control unit connected to said manportable unit, wherein the control unit comprises a computing device that analyzes the Raman data to detect a non-fluorescing biological substance and analyzes the fluorescence data to detect a fluorescing substance. 9. The system of claim 1, and further comprising a control unit coupled to said manportable unit and said air collector unit, and wherein the control unit comprises a computing device that analyzes the spectrum data. 10. The system of claim 8, wherein the air collector unit is mounted to a vehicle. 11. The system of claim 9, and further comprising a vehicle-mounted sensor unit on the vehicle and connected to said control unit, wherein the vehicle-mounted sensor unit comprises a spectroscopy subsystem that interrogates a surface outside the vehicle while the vehicle is moving to produce spectrum data from the surface outside the vehicle. 12. The system of claim 10, and further comprising a cable that connects the hand-held unit to said manportable unit. 13. A vehicle-based detection system that also has manportable functions, comprising: a vehicle-mounted sensor unit comprising a spectroscopy subsystem that is configured to direct light onto a surface outside the vehicle and to capture scattered optical energy from the surface outside the vehicle while the vehicle is moving; a hand-held unit comprising a light source that is configured to emit a light beam onto a surface to be analyzed for presence of a substance, and collection optics that is configured to capture scattered optical energy from said surface; a manportable unit connected to said hand-held unit and configured to receive said scattered optical energy captured by the hand-held unit, comprising a spectrograph that is configured to convert said scattered optical energy to spectrum data and a computing device that is configured to analyze the spectrum data produced by the spectrograph in the manportable unit; and a vehicle-mounted air collector unit that is configured to collect air and to separates particles in the collected air onto a collection surface, wherein the air collecting unit comprises a port to permit optical access to said collection surface by said hand-held unit and a support structure that is configured to removably support said hand-held unit in a position so that the light source in the hand-held unit directs light onto said collection surface and the collection optics captures scattered optical energy from said collection surface; wherein the hand-held unit is configured to be removable from said air collector unit to permit the manportable unit and the hand-held unit to be carried away from the vehicle-mounted air collector unit for use as an integrated portable detection system by a user. 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the air collector unit comprises a housing having an intake port to collect air and a virtual impactor in said housing that separates particles in the collected air. 15. The system of claim 13, wherein the light source in the hand-held unit is suitable for exciting Raman scattering and fluorescence scattering, wherein the Raman scattering and fluorescence scattering are in different wavelength regions. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the hand-held unit comprises a wavelength selective optical element that separates the Raman scattering and the fluorescence scattering, and wherein the spectrograph in the manportable unit comprises first and second light dispersing elements and first and second detectors, wherein the first light dispersing element disperses the Raman scattering into its constituent wavelengths and the first detector generates Raman data from light directed to it by the first light dispersing element, and the second light dispersing element disperses the fluorescence scattering into its constituent wavelengths and the second detector generates fluorescence data from light directed to it by the second light dispersing element. 17. The system of claim 16, and further comprising a control unit mounted to the vehicle and connected by a wired or wireless link to said manportable unit, wherein the control unit comprises a computing device that analyzes the Raman data to detect a non-fluorescing biological substance and analyzes the fluorescence data to detect a fluorescing substance. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the control unit is further connected to the vehicle-mounted sensor unit, and wherein the computing device of said control unit analyzes the spectrum data produced by the spectrograph in the vehicle-mounted sensor unit. 19. The system of claim 13, and further comprising a cable that connects the hand-held unit to said manportable unit. 20. A method comprising: on a vehicle, collecting air into a housing; separating particles in the collected air onto a collection surface in the housing; providing a hand-held unit comprising a light source and collection optics; removably supporting the hand-held unit with respect to an opening in the housing so as to align the light source and collection optics in the hand-held unit with respect to the opening; activating the light source in the hand-held unit to illuminate a collection surface in the housing and to capture scattered optical energy from the collection surface; removing the hand-held unit from the opening in the housing and carrying the hand-held unit away from the housing together with a manportable unit that is connected to the hand-held unit; activating the light source in the hand-held unit to illuminate a surface away and outside from the housing; capturing scattered optical energy with the hand-held unit and converting the scattered optical energy to spectrum data with a spectrograph in the manportable unit; and analyzing the spectrum data with a computing device in the manportable unit. 21. The method of claim 20, and further comprising analyzing the captured scattered optical energy from the collection surface of the housing with a computing device contained in a unit mounted on the vehicle. 22. The method of claim 20, wherein activating the light source in the hand-held unit to illuminate the collection surface in the housing comprises activating a laser light source in the hand-held unit so as to producing Raman scattering and fluorescence scattering from illumination of the collection surface in the housing. 23. An apparatus, comprising: a housing; a virtual impactor contained in said housing that separates particles in collected air; a collection surface on which particles separated from collected air by the virtual impactor are collected; an opening in the housing; a hand-held interrogation unit comprising a light source configured to optically interrogate a surface and collection optics configured to capture scattered optical energy from the surface; and a support structure on the housing that is configured to removably support the hand-held interrogation unit so as to permit the hand-held interrogation unit to illuminate the collection surface and capture scattered optical energy from the collection surface; wherein the hand-held interrogation unit is configured to be removable from the support structure to permit it to be carried away from the support structure for use as an integrated portable detection system by a user. 24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the support structure comprises a hollow body having a first length portion that attaches to the housing and a second length portion that is configured to receive the hand-held interrogation unit. 25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the second length portion of the support structure comprises one or more structures that are complementary to one or more structural features of the hand-held interrogation unit so as to orient the hand-held interrogation unit with the housing to ensure proper alignment and interaction with optical components inside the housing. 26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the second length portion comprises at least one slot that is configured to receive an external structure of the hand-held interrogation unit so as to orient the hand-held interrogation unit with the housing to ensure proper alignment and interaction with optical components inside the housing.