US Patent 7576322 Non-contact detector system with plasma ion source

A system for the non-contact detection of analyte chemicals, including explosives, chemical warfare agents and the like, employs a non-equilibrium plasma that is maintained at a temperature sufficiently low so as to avoid thermal damage to a surface, such as clothing or skin, that is being examined to thereby produce analyte ions and other charged particles. The ions are collected and passed into a sensor for detection and identification.