Molecular Separators, Concentrators, and Detectors Preparatory to Sensor Operation, and Methods of Minimizing False Positives in Sensor Operations

Abstract

As an elegant solution for minimizing false positives returned by a sensor tuned to an analyte molecule, filters constructed of carbon nanotubes are positioned relative to the sensor to limit the sensor to being exposed to molecules within a defined range of sizes, with too-big molecules being excluded from reaching the sensor by one filter, and too-small molecules being pumped out through another, finer filter before the sensor is operated.

1 - 3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising:
 screening the initial sample to produce a screened sample consisting of molecules of size smaller than a maximum size; and   requiring molecules of size smaller than a minimum size to exit.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , comprising producing a target sample consisting of molecules having a size in the predefined size range. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the step of screening the initial sample to produce a screened sample consisting of molecules of size smaller than the maximum size includes applying a screen comprising at least one nanotube having an inner diameter to exclude molecules bigger than the maximum size. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the step of requiring molecules of size greater than the minimum size to exit includes applying a screen comprising at least one nanotube having an inner diameter that permits passage of molecules below the minimum size. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , comprising passing the initial sample through a screen comprising at least one nanotube having an inner diameter to exclude molecules bigger than the maximum size,
 followed by withdrawing, through a screen comprising at least one nanotube having an inner diameter that permits passage of molecules below the minimum size, a subset of molecules which are smaller than the minimum size.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4 , comprising a screening step of screening an initial sample comprising at least one of an analyte molecule and/or a molecule that evokes a false positive for the analyte molecule. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 4 , comprising a screening step of screening an initial sample comprising at least one of an analyte molecule and/or a molecule that evokes a false positive for the analyte molecule and is of a different size than the analyte molecule. 
     
     
         11 . A method of reducing or avoiding false alarms by a sensor tuned to a target molecule that is sarin or VX, comprising:
 receiving into a container an initial sample that contains various-sized molecules, followed by   reducing the initial sample to a subset of molecules of a predefined size range;   bringing only the subset of molecules of the predefined size range into contact with the sensor.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the initial sample includes at least one of an analyte molecule and/or a molecule that evokes a false positive for the analyte molecule. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the initial sample includes a set of molecules that are of a relatively large size, a set of molecules that are of a relatively small size, and target set of molecules that are of a medium size which is the predefined size range, and the reducing step reduces the initial sample to the target set. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the reducing step comprises screening-out too-big molecules and further comprises a step of requiring too-small molecules to exit while screening-in target-size molecules. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the reducing step sorts at least one molecule that would evoke a false positive and prevents the molecule that would evoke the false positive from coming in contact with the sensor. 
     
     
         17 . A method of removing, from an initial sample, a subset of molecules that would activate false positives by a sensor which is intended to detect a molecule or molecules wherein the analyte molecule or molecules have an identified size range, comprising:
 removing from the initial sample molecules outside the identified size range of the analyte molecule or molecules.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the removing step comprises applying at least a first screen comprising at least one nanotube of an inner diameter that excludes too-big molecules, and further comprises requiring too-small molecules to exit through at least one nanotube of an inner diameter that permits passage of too-small molecules. 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A method of processing an initial sample of a set of molecules before contact with a sensor, comprising:
 directing the initial sample into contact with an entry screen leading into a container, the entry screen excluding from entry a subset of molecules bigger than a molecules size range of molecules wanted to be detected by the sensor;   withdrawing from the container a subset of molecules smaller than the molecular size range of molecules wanted to be detected by the sensor.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the initial sample includes at least one molecule that would evoke a false-positive if presented to the sensor and after the directing step and the withdrawing step, the molecule that would evoke a false positive is not within the container. 
     
     
         22 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising:
 screening from entry into the container molecules which are bigger than the target molecule to which the sensor is tuned;   withdrawing from the container molecules which are smaller than the target molecule to which the sensor is tuned, until the container only contains molecules of a size of the target molecule, to be sensed by the sensor; and   after the screening and withdrawing steps, operating the sensor.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the screening step comprises providing a screen that comprises nanotubes. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the withdrawing step comprises withdrawing molecules through nanotubes. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising operating a flow controller.