# US 2008/0187946 A1 · Apparatus for and method of detecting microorganism or micro-particle in real time by using electrical charging method

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- Number: US 2008/0187946 A1
- Document ID: US20080187946A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 11/776,963
- Filed: 2007-07-12
- Published: 2008-08-07
- Earliest claimed: 2006-10-16
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Jin Sang HWANG; Jung Joo HWANG; Mi Jeong SONG
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080187946A1

## CPC

- G01N 15/0637: {Moving support}
- C12M 41/46: {of cellular or enzymatic activity or functionality, e.g. cell viability}
- C12Q 1/06: Quantitative determination
- G01N 33/54313: {the carrier being characterised by its particulate form}
- G01N 15/0656: {using electric, e.g. electrostatic methods or magnetic methods (by investigating individual particles G01N15/1031, G01N15/12)}
- 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)
- C12M: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; {APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS}
- 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

An apparatus for detecting a microorganism or micro-particle in real time includes an electrical charging module which electrically charges a microorganism or micro-particle in an atmosphere, a collection module which collects the electrically charged microorganism or micro-particle by using a potential difference, a preprocessing module which applies a fluorescent material to the collected microorganism or micro-particle and a sensing module which irradiates a light, senses a microorganism or micro-particle which reacts to the light and detects a concentration of the microorganism or micro-particle in the atmosphere.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for detecting a microorganism or micro-particle in real time, the apparatus comprising:
an electrical charging module which electrically charges a microorganism or micro-particle in an atmosphere;
a collection module which collects the electrically charged microorganism or micro-particle by using a potential difference;
a preprocessing module which applies a fluorescent material to the collected microorganism or micro-particle; and
a sensing module which irradiates a light, senses a microorganism or micro-particle which reacts to the light and detects a concentration of the microorganism or micro-particle in the atmosphere.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a filter which filters a microorganism or micro-particle which is larger than a predetermined size in the atmosphere, and which guides the filtered microorganism or micro-particle to the electrical charging module.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a transferring module which transfers the collected microorganism or micro-particle to a transfer belt.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a circulation belt including a collection medium which adheres to the microorganism or micro-particle; and
a collection roller where a potential difference is applied to enable the microorganism or micro-particle to be transferred to the transferring module.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:
a post processing module which controls a driving speed of the circulation belt according to the concentration of the microorganism or micro-particle.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a first sterilization module which sterilizes the microorganism or micro-particle which is adhered to the collection module; and
a first cleaning module which separates the microorganism or micro-particle which is not transferred from the collection module to the transferring module, from the collection module.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first cleaning module comprises:
a conductive substrate which applies a predetermined charging voltage; and
a cleaning blade which removes the microorganism or micro-particle which remains in the collection module by applying the charging voltage via the conductive substrate.

### Claim 8 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:
a second sterilization module which sterilizes the transferred microorganism or micro-particle; and
a second cleaning module which separates the microorganism or micro-particle from the transferring module.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second cleaning module comprises:
a conductive substrate which applies a predetermined charging voltage; and
a cleaning blade which removes the microorganism or micro-particle which remains in the transferring module by applying the charging voltage via the conductive substrate.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the filter which filters the microorganism or micro-particle is between about 0.5 μm and about 10 μm.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensing module counts a number of microorganisms or micro-particles to which the fluorescent material is applied, and detects a concentration of the microorganism or micro-particle in the atmosphere.

### Claim 12 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the transferring module further comprises:
a circulation belt to which the microorganism or micro-particle is transferred and adhered; and
a transfer roller which drives the circulation belt, and applies a potential difference to enable the microorganism or micro-particle to be transferred to the transferring module.

### Claim 13 (depends on 6)

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first sterilization module corresponds to at least one of an ultraviolet lamp and a sterilization filter.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second sterilization module corresponds to at least one of an ultraviolet lamp and a sterilization filter.

### Claim 15

A method of detecting a microorganism or micro-particle in real time, the method comprising:
electrically charging a microorganism or micro-particle in an atmosphere;
collecting the electrically charged microorganism or micro-particle using a potential difference;
preprocessing the collected microorganism or micro-particle by applying a fluorescent material to the collected microorganism or micro-particle;
irradiating a light;
sensing a microorganism or micro-particle which reacts to the light; and
detecting a concentration of the microorganism or micro-particle in the atmosphere.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
filtering a microorganism or micro-particle which is larger than a predetermined size from the atmosphere.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
transferring the collected microorganism or micro-particle to a transfer belt.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
sterilizing the microorganism or micro-particle, which is adhered to a predetermined collection module, in a first sterilizing operation; and
separating the microorganism or micro-particle, which is not transferred from the collection module to a predetermined transferring module, from the collection module in a first cleaning operation.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising:
sterilizing the transferred microorganism or micro-particle in a second sterilizing operation; and
separating the microorganism or micro-particle from a predetermined transferring module in a second cleaning operation.

### Claim 20

A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for implementing a method of detecting a microorganism or micro-particle in real time, the method comprising:
electrically charging a microorganism or micro-particle in an atmosphere;
collecting the electrically charged microorganism or micro-particle using a potential difference;
preprocessing the collected microorganism or micro-particle by applying a fluorescent material to the collected microorganism or micro-particle;
irradiating a light;
sensing a microorganism or micro-particle which reacts to the light; and
detecting a concentration of the microorganism or micro-particle in the atmosphere.