1. A method of determining the presence or amount of beryllium or a beryllium compound in a sample, comprising:
admixing a sample suspected of containing beryllium or a beryllium compound with a dissolution solution for sufficient time whereby beryllium or a beryllium compound within said sample is dissolved;
mixing a portion from said admixture with a buffered solution comprising a fluorescent indicator capable of binding beryllium or a beryllium compound to the fluorescent indicator; wherein the volumetric ratio of the said admixture and the buffered solution is equal or less than 1:12 and
determining the presence or amount of beryllium or a beryllium compound within said sample by measuring fluorescence from said fluorescent indicator.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the dissolution solution comprises an ammonium bifluoride solution.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the dissolution solution comprises ammonium bifluoride and an acid.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluorescent indicator comprises 10-hydroxybenzohquinoline-7-sulfonate.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the buffered solution includes a metal chelating agent.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the metal chelating agent comprises EDTA or a salt of EDTA.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein the buffered solution comprises lysine.
8. The method of claim 4, wherein the buffered solution includes lysine.
9. A method in claim 1 where buffered solution has a pH between 7 and 13.5.
10. A method in claim 9 where the buffered solution is stored in a container which has low optical transmission at a wavelength of less than 450 nm.
11. A method of determining the presence or amount of beryllium or a beryllium compound in a sample, comprising:
admixing a sample suspected of containing beryllium or a beryllium compound with a dissolution solution for sufficient time whereby beryllium or a beryllium compound within said sample is dissolved;
mixing a portion from said admixture with a detection solution comprising a fluorescent indicator capable of binding beryllium or a beryllium compound to the fluorescent indicator; wherein the said detection solution is stored in a container with low light transmission below the wavelength of 450 nm;
determining the presence or amount of beryllium or a beryllium compound within said sample by measuring fluorescence from said mixture with buffered solution.
12. A method of determining the presence or amount, and particle size, of beryllium or a beryllium compound in air laden with particles, comprising:
Directing the air through a series of filters of decreasing mesh size and separating the particles based on their size;
Capturing at least two fractions of particles separated thereby; analyzing separately at least two of the said fractions each by, admixing a sample suspected of containing beryllium or a beryllium compound with a dissolution solution for sufficient time whereby beryllium or a beryllium compound within said sample is dissolved;
mixing a portion from said admixture with a detection solution comprising a fluorescent indicator capable of binding beryllium or a beryllium compound to the fluorescent indicator;
determining the presence or amount of beryllium or a beryllium compound within said sample by measuring fluorescence from said mixture with detection solution.
13. A method of determining the presence or amount of beryllium or a beryllium compound in a sample, comprising:
admixing a sample suspected of containing beryllium or a beryllium compound with a dissolution solution for sufficient time whereby beryllium or a beryllium compound within said sample is dissolved and wherein the solvation of beryllium compound in the dissolution solution is assisted by one or more of heat, microwaves and ultrasonic process;
mixing a portion of the said admixture with a solution comprising a fluorescent indicator capable of binding beryllium or a beryllium compound to the fluorescent indicator;
determining the presence or amount of beryllium or a beryllium compound within said sample by measuring fluorescence from said fluorescent indicator.
14. A method of determining the presence or amount of beryllium or a beryllium compound in a sample, comprising:
admixing a sample suspected of containing beryllium or a beryllium compound with a dissolution solution for sufficient time whereby beryllium or a beryllium compound within said sample is dissolved;
forming a measurement solution by mixing a portion from said admixture with a detection solution comprising a fluorescent indicator capable of binding beryllium or a beryllium compound to the fluorescent indicator;
determining the presence or amount of beryllium or a beryllium compound within said sample by measuring fluorescence from said fluorescent indicator and comparing it with several known standard calibration solution and wherein the temperature of all the measurement solutions and that of all of the standard calibration solutions is controlled within 6\xb0 C.
15. A method of determining the presence or amount of beryllium or a beryllium compound in a sample as in claim 14 wherein the temperature of the measurement solution is in the range of 10\xb0 C. to 40\xb0 C.
16. A method of determining the presence or amount of beryllium or a beryllium compound in a sample, comprising:
admixing a sample suspected of containing beryllium or a beryllium compound with a dissolution solution for sufficient time whereby beryllium or a beryllium compound within said sample is dissolved;
forming a measurement solution by mixing a portion from said admixture with a solution containing a fluorescent indicator capable of binding beryllium or a beryllium compound to the fluorescent indicator;
determining the presence or amount of beryllium or a beryllium compound within said sample by measuring fluorescence from said fluorescent indicator wherein the temperature of the fluorescence detector is controlled.
17. A method of determining the presence and amount of beryllium or a beryllium compound in a sample as in claim 16 where the said detector temperature is maintained below ambient temperature.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A spectroscopy system, comprising
a tunable laser with a semiconductor source illuminating a sample with a tunable optical signal, which is tunable over a scan band;
a detector for detecting a sample signal generated by interaction of the tunable optical signal with the sample;
an optical power control system including:
an amplitude detector system for detecting an amplitude of the tunable optical signal, and
a power control system for regulating the amplitude of the tunable optical signal in response to the detected amplitude.
2. An optical power control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the semiconductor source comprises a semiconductor optical amplifier and the laser further comprises a tunable filter that controls the wavelength of the tunable signal.
3. An optical power control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein a laser cavity is a linear cavity.
4. An optical power control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein a laser cavity is a ring cavity.
5. An optical power control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the tunable filter is a microelectromechanical system filter.
6. An optical power control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the tunable filter is a microelectromechanical filter comprising thin film coating mirror structures.
7. An optical power control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the amplitude detector system comprises a detector; and a tap providing a portion of the tunable optical signal to the detector.
8. An optical power control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein semiconductor source spectroscopy system comprises an optical bench, to which the semiconductor source and a tunable filter, controlling the wavelength of the tunable signal, are attached.
9. An optical power control system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the amplitude detector system comprises:
a detector, which is attached to the bench; and
a tap, which is attached to the bench, providing a portion of the tunable optical signal to the detector.
10. An optical power control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power control system regulates the amplitude of the tunable optical signal by controlling power to the semiconductor source.
11. An optical power control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power control system stabilizes the amplitude of the tunable optical signal by controlling power to the semiconductor source.
12. An optical power control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power control system comprises an optical signal power regulator for regulating the amplitude of the tunable optical signal.
13. An optical power control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power control system comprises an optical signal attenuator for regulating the amplitude of the tunable optical signal by attenuating the tunable optical signal in response to the amplitude detector system.
14. An optical power control method for a spectroscopy system, comprising a laser with a semiconductor source illuminating a sample with a tunable optical signal, which is tunable over a scan band, and a detector for detecting a sample signal generated by interaction of the tunable optical signal with the sample, the optical power control comprising:
detecting an amplitude of the tunable optical signal; and
regulating the amplitude of the tunable optical signal in response to the detected amplitude.
15. An optical power control method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a step of generating the tunable optical signal by powering a semiconductor optical amplifier and controlling a wavelength of the tunable optical signal with a tunable filter.
16. An optical power control method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the step of regulating the amplitude comprises regulating the amplitude of the tunable optical signal by controlling power to the semiconductor source.
17. An optical power control system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the step of regulating the amplitude comprises regulating the amplitude of the tunable optical signal by attenuating the tunable optical signal in response to the amplitude.