Patent ID: 8687189
Filing Date: 2014-04-01
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A method to rapidly analyze a number of solid samples to determine the presence of chemical elements of interest, wherein the method comprises a. for each solid sample, extracting the elements or compound of interest from the solid sample into a liquid medium for that solid sample, b. arranging a number of the said liquid mediums with extracted elements or compounds in an array format, to form array elements, c. interrogating or exciting the array elements using a laser so as to ablate a fraction of the liquid medium in the said array elements and form a plasma along with a concomitant optical emission from the ablated material, d. analyzing an optical spectrum produced from the the said optical emission to determine the type and concentration of the presence of the chemical elements of interest, and e. inferring from this analysis, the type and/or concentration of the chemical elements present in the extracted liquid and or in the samples being analyzed.