System and method for indicating the presence of mammalian blood or other mammalian bodily fluid

Abstract

A system and method of indicating the presence of mammalian blood or other mammalian bodily fluid includes receiving ambient air at an air inlet of a hand-held sensing device and sensing a chemical component of mammalian blood or other mammalian bodily fluid in the ambient air at a sensor disposed near the air inlet of the sensing device. The system and method includes using an electronic control circuit to determine the presence of the chemical component by discriminating the chemical component of mammalian blood or other mammalian bodily fluid from other odors in the ambient air and providing an audible and/or visual and/or vibrator indication when the presence of the chemical component is determined.

1 . A method of indicating the presence of mammalian blood or other mammalian bodily fluid, comprising:
 receiving ambient air at an air inlet of a hand-held sensing device;   sensing a chemical component of mammalian blood or other mammalian bodily fluid in the ambient air at a sensor disposed near the air inlet of the sensing device;   using an electronic control circuit to determine the presence of the chemical component by discriminating the chemical component of mammalian blood or other mammalian bodily fluid from other odors in the ambient air;   providing an audible and/or visual and/or vibrator indication when the presence of the chemical component is determined.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the chemical component discriminated is a volatile organic compound. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising using the control circuit to adjust a sensitivity of the sensor to increase or decrease the sensitivity. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising using the control circuit to compare a quantity of the sensed chemical component to a predetermined threshold and, if the threshold is exceeded, providing the audible and/or visual indication. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the predetermined threshold is manually adjustable. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the chemical component discriminated is an aldehyde or a ketone present in mammalian blood. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising holding the hand-held sensing device by a handle. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising swinging the hand-held sensing device back and forth over the ground to expose the sensor to airborne compounds from a wounded animal being trailed. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising concentrating or directing the chemical component toward the sensor. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising powering the sensing device by way of a battery coupled to the sensing device and disposed within the housing 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic control circuit uses direct injection mass spectrometry to determine the presence of the chemical component. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic control circuit uses ion mobility spectrometry to determine the presence of the chemical component. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus for indicating the presence of mammalian blood or other mammalian bodily fluid, comprising:
 an elongated housing comprising a first portion configured to be held in a person's hand and a second portion opposite the first portion having an air inlet;   a sensor coupled to the elongated housing and configured to receive air from the air inlet;   a control circuit coupled to the sensor, wherein the control circuit is configured to use the sensor to detect the presence of a particular chemical component that indicates the presence of mammalian blood or other mammalian bodily fluid in the vicinity of the air inlet;   wherein the control circuit is configured to provide an audible and/or visual and/or vibrator indication when the presence of the particular chemical component is detected; and   a battery configured to provide power to the control circuit.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the particular chemical component that the control circuit is configured to use the sensor to detect is trans-4,5-epoxy-(E)-2-decenal. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the particular chemical component that the control circuit is configured to use the sensor to detect is a ketone or an aldehyde. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising a memory configured to store a signature representing the particular chemical component, wherein the control circuit is configured to receive sensed data, compare the sensed data to the signature, and to provide the indication based on a result of the comparison. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the apparatus weighs less than about 10 pounds. 
     
     
         18 . An apparatus for indicating the presence of mammalian blood or other mammalian bodily fluid, comprising:
 an elongated housing at least two feet long comprising a first portion configured to be held in a person's hand and a second portion opposite the first portion having an air inlet;   a sensor configured to contact air from the air inlet; and   a control circuit coupled to the housing and coupled to the sensor, wherein the control circuit is configured to use the sensor to detect the presence of a chemical component that indicates the presence of mammalian blood or other mammalian bodily fluid in the vicinity of the air inlet;   wherein the control circuit is configured to provide an indication based on detecting the presence of the chemical component.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , further comprising a manually-operable input device coupled to the control circuit, wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust a sensitivity of the apparatus to the chemical component based on a signal from the manually-operable input device. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , further comprising a detector configured to detect light in the vicinity of the air inlet, wherein the control circuit is further configured to use data from the detector to detect the presence of the chemical component that indicates the presence of mammalian blood or other mammalian bodily fluid in the vicinity of the air inlet.