# US 10,371,616 B2 · Airborne microbial measurement apparatus and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,371,616 B2 - Document ID: US10371616B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/120,728 - Filed: 2014-12-12 - Published: 2017-03-02 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-02-27 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Chulwoo Park; Sunghwa Lee; Yeekyeong Jung - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10371616B2 ## CPC - G01N 15/0625: {Optical scan of the deposits} - C12Q 1/04: Determining presence or kind of microorganism; Use of selective media for testing antibiotics or bacteriocides; Compositions containing a chemical indicator therefor {(C12Q1/6897 takes precedence)} - C12Q 1/06: Quantitative determination - C12Q 1/24: Methods of sampling, or inoculating or spreading a sample; Methods of physically isolating an intact microorganisms - G01N 1/2205: {with filters} - G01N 1/2208: {with impactors} - G01N 15/00: Investigating characteristics of particles; Investigating permeability, pore-volume or surface-area of porous materials - G01N 15/0643: {of the filter type} - G01N 21/763: {Bioluminescence} - G01N 2015/0019: {Means for transferring or separating particles prior to analysis, e.g. hoppers or particle conveyors} - G01N 2015/011: {with lysing, e.g. of erythrocytes} - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - C12Q: MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEIC ACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS (immunoassay G01N33/53); COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL OR ENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES ## Abstract Provided is an airborne microbial measurement apparatus and a method of measuring the same. The airborne microbial measurement apparatus includes a particle separation device comprising an introduction part for introducing air and a nozzle part disposed on one side of the introduction part, a microbial particle passage through which microbial particles in the air passing through an inner passage of the nozzle part flow, an air particle passage through which air particles in the air passing through an outer space of the nozzle part flow, a collection device communicating with the microbial particle passage, the collection device comprising a filter part onto which the microbial particles are collected, and a luminescence measurement device dispose on one side of the collection device to detect an amount or intensity of light emitted from the microbial particles collected onto the filter part. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An airborne microbial measurement apparatus comprising: a particle separation device comprising an introduction part for introducing air and a nozzle part disposed on one side of the introduction part; a microbial particle passage through which microbial particles in the air passing through an inner passage of the nozzle part flow; an air particle passage through which air particles in the air passing through an outer space of the nozzle part flow; a collection device communicating with the microbial particle passage and comprising a filter part onto which the microbial particles are collected and a filter case in which the filter part is accommodated; and a luminescence measurement device comprising a light receiving device, the luminance measurement device being disposed on one side of the collection device to detect an amount or intensity of light emitted from the microbial particles collected onto the filter part; and a light receiving device detecting the amount of light emitted from the microbial particles collected onto the filter part, wherein the filter case comprises a plurality of filter holes defined in the filter case to expose the filter part to air from outside of the filter case, the plurality of filter holes comprising a first filter hole in communication with the microbial particle passage and a second filter hole that faces the light receiving device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The airborne microbial measurement apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a pump generating a flow of the microbial particles in the microbial particle passage; and a blower fan generating a flow of the air particles in the air particle passage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The airborne microbial measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle part comprises: an inlet into which the microbial particles in the air are introduced; and an outlet through which the microbial particles are discharged to the microbial particle passage. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The airborne microbial measurement apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the inlet is disposed to be spaced apart from the introduction part in one direction, and the air particles are introduced into the air particle passage through a space between the inlet and the introduction part. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The airborne microbial measurement apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the introduction part comprises a plurality of slits, and the nozzle part is provided in plurality to corresponding to the number of plurality of slits. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The airborne microbial measurement apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a partition plate having a communication hole to which the outlet of the nozzle part is coupled and separating the microbial particle passage from the air particle passage. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The airborne microbial measurement apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a filter driving part rotating the filter part or the filter case, wherein, when the filter driving part operates in a state where the first filter hole communicates with the microbial particle passage, the second filter hole is disposed to communicate to the microbial particle passage. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The airborne microbial measurement apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, when the filter driving part operates in the state where the first filter hole communicates with the microbial passage, the first filter hole is disposed to face the light receiving part. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The airborne microbial measurement apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a lysis agent supply device for supplying a lysis reagent to the filter part; and a luminous material disposed on the filter part. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The airborne microbial measurement apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display part for displaying information with respect to a concentration of the microbial particles on the basis of information relating to the amount or intensity of the light detected by the luminescence measurement device.