6 ms·

A tricorder with a fancier name, eh? I know some geochemists who would love a portable mass spec...

greesil 4y ago
Space-based I think.
weberer 4y ago
>I know some geochemists who would love a portable mass spec They sell those already. They cost around $30,000 per unit.
- jofer 4y ago
  The portable ones used in geochemistry are usually imaging spectrometers, not mass-spec, unless I'm missing something. I.e. they're measuring something entirely different. Sure, there are portable mass spectrometers, in the sense of something you can put a sample in and also carry around. But they still require getting a sample, preparing it, and putting it in the machine. They're not something you can scan with. Especially in geochemistry, "scannability" / ability to process large sections of a core without manual sample prep is a big deal. You usually have hundreds of meters to kilometers of core (thin cylinder of rock) or a deep borehole that you're trying to extract information out of alongside other measurements + manual logging. Lots of things need destructive sampling, so you will do more things that actually take samples and process them, but non-destructive "scanning-style" methods are a huge help.
- detrites 4y ago
  Indeed. I was surprised to learn some time ago that there are already several kinds of handheld, effective "tricorders" in existence at least as far as scanning the surface of an object or compound. There are two main varieties typically used by geologists (and also in many other fields): One is based on X-rays, which is the older, slower and more limited detection-range technology, that have the positive of being non-destructive (well, other than perhaps to the user depending on how they wield it...). The other, typically referred to as "LIBS", are based on high-intensity laser bursts that destroy a tiny portion of the material being analysed and then run some kind of analysis on the gases produced in the ignition. There are even particular models available of the latter [0] that have small replaceable argon gas canisters included which then enable the detection of every known element up to Uranium, though I don't know how accurate they are. They're also typically much faster at analysis than the X-Ray models. [0] https://sciaps.com/libs-handheld-laser-analyzers/z-903-libs/ https://sciaps.com/libs-handheld-laser-analyzers/z-903-libs/
  - jerf 4y ago
    "Tricorders" are in some sense more a spectrum than an end point. Even a modern phone is already simply incidentally a sensing platform that 50 years ago would certainly have been very expensive, and probably not fit into the phone form factor even if everything else was evicted. Just a full 3D accelerator, temperature sensor, pressure sensor, compass/magnetism sensor, and general EMF detector is an impressive lineup.
  - qwezxcrty 4y ago
    Are you talking about XRF analyzers? Those tends to be lighter and can be truly handheld. For LIBS systems I know, one need to drag a cart.
    - detrites 4y ago
      Follow the link I included - LIBS is now handheld (in the same XRF form factor, weight etc), quite a competitive space now, many handheld XRF manufacturers have LIBS versions available.
      - qwezxcrty 4y ago
        That looks nice! Didn't know such things exist before. However the tiny Argon bottle does not give me much confidence.
        detrites 4y ago
        Could you elaborate? I know little about this tech, but suspect there may be size/performance trade-offs.
        qwezxcrty 4y ago
        Well, just worrying the small argon bottles can quickly run out. Maybe it's better than expected in typical use cases.
qwezxcrty 4y ago
Well, one will still need to drag a 15 kg of turbo pump cart if operated on earth.

Space-based I think.

>I know some geochemists who would love a portable mass spec They sell those already. They cost around $30,000 per unit.

jofer 4y ago
The portable ones used in geochemistry are usually imaging spectrometers, not mass-spec, unless I'm missing something. I.e. they're measuring something entirely different. Sure, there are portable mass spectrometers, in the sense of something you can put a sample in and also carry around. But they still require getting a sample, preparing it, and putting it in the machine. They're not something you can scan with. Especially in geochemistry, "scannability" / ability to process large sections of a core without manual sample prep is a big deal. You usually have hundreds of meters to kilometers of core (thin cylinder of rock) or a deep borehole that you're trying to extract information out of alongside other measurements + manual logging. Lots of things need destructive sampling, so you will do more things that actually take samples and process them, but non-destructive "scanning-style" methods are a huge help.
detrites 4y ago
Indeed. I was surprised to learn some time ago that there are already several kinds of handheld, effective "tricorders" in existence at least as far as scanning the surface of an object or compound. There are two main varieties typically used by geologists (and also in many other fields): One is based on X-rays, which is the older, slower and more limited detection-range technology, that have the positive of being non-destructive (well, other than perhaps to the user depending on how they wield it...). The other, typically referred to as "LIBS", are based on high-intensity laser bursts that destroy a tiny portion of the material being analysed and then run some kind of analysis on the gases produced in the ignition. There are even particular models available of the latter [0] that have small replaceable argon gas canisters included which then enable the detection of every known element up to Uranium, though I don't know how accurate they are. They're also typically much faster at analysis than the X-Ray models. [0] https://sciaps.com/libs-handheld-laser-analyzers/z-903-libs/ https://sciaps.com/libs-handheld-laser-analyzers/z-903-libs/
- jerf 4y ago
  "Tricorders" are in some sense more a spectrum than an end point. Even a modern phone is already simply incidentally a sensing platform that 50 years ago would certainly have been very expensive, and probably not fit into the phone form factor even if everything else was evicted. Just a full 3D accelerator, temperature sensor, pressure sensor, compass/magnetism sensor, and general EMF detector is an impressive lineup.
- qwezxcrty 4y ago
  Are you talking about XRF analyzers? Those tends to be lighter and can be truly handheld. For LIBS systems I know, one need to drag a cart.
  - detrites 4y ago
    Follow the link I included - LIBS is now handheld (in the same XRF form factor, weight etc), quite a competitive space now, many handheld XRF manufacturers have LIBS versions available.
    - qwezxcrty 4y ago
      That looks nice! Didn't know such things exist before. However the tiny Argon bottle does not give me much confidence.
      - detrites 4y ago
        Could you elaborate? I know little about this tech, but suspect there may be size/performance trade-offs.
        qwezxcrty 4y ago
        Well, just worrying the small argon bottles can quickly run out. Maybe it's better than expected in typical use cases.

qwezxcrty 4y ago

Well, one will still need to drag a 15 kg of turbo pump cart if operated on earth.