Patent ID: 8173431
Filing Date: 2012-05-08
Classification: B01D,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method for screening mail to detect a harmful substance conveyed by the mail; comprising steps of: (a) automatically sampling air drawn from the vicinity of the mail to screen wherein the sampling comprises continuously sampling the air proximate each one of a plurality of mail handling stations, and further comprising the steps of: (b) automatically evaluating the sampled air to detect a potentially harmful substance that is carried by the mail and which is picked up from the mail by the air moving in the vicinity of the mail, such evaluation being characterized as broadly determining if a potentially harmful substance must be present, as opposed to identifying a specific harmful substance, the evaluation comprising: (c) providing and indication if a potentially harmful substance is detected while the mail is being screened; and (d) in response to the indication of a potentially harmful substance being detected, carrying out an assay of a sample of the potentially harmful substance, to confirm the indication and to attempt to identify a specific harmful substance that is being conveyed by mail.