US 2013/0077087 A1Published application

Method and device for detecting biological material

AssigneeEnvironics Oy

InventorsKauko Janka, Jorma Keskinen, Matti Putkiranta, Sampo Saari, Katja Bengtsson

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Abstract

The invention relates to a method for detecting biological material in an airstream, in which method the airstream is fed with the aid of sampling devices, a light beam is emitted towards the airstream, a fluorescence signal depicting the fluorescence of the particle is created, a scattering signal depicting the scattering of the light of the particle is created, the fluorescence signal and the scattering signal are converted into discrete values, and an alarm value is defined, the discrete values are recorded cumulatively as hit points in an at least 2-dimensional measurement space equipped with selected dimensions, at least one index area is preselected from the said measurement space, a cumulative index is calculated at an index frequency from the hit points accumulated on the each preselected index area, an alarm value, showing the presence of a selected biological material, is defined from the said indices by using a preselected criterion.

Claims15

Dependent claims

Method for detecting biological material in an airstream, which airstream (16) contains particles (14) of biological material and/or biologically inert material, in which method

the airstream (16) is fed with the aid of sampling devices (12) into a chamber (18) and out of the chamber (18) after sampling,
a light beam (17) is emitted towards the airstream (16) by a light source, in order to excite the particles (14) in the airstream (16), in order to create fluorescence,
the fluorescence emitted by each particle (14) struck by the light beam (17) is measured with the aid of first measuring means (23) and a fluorescence signal (24) depicting the fluorescence of the particle (14) is created,
the scattered light from each particle (14) struck by the light beam (17) is measured with the aid of second measuring means (30) and a scattering signal (32) depicting the scattering of the light of the particle (14) is created,
the fluorescence signal (24) and the scattering signal (32) are converted into discrete values at the sampling frequency, and
an alarm value is defined on the basis of the discrete values,
characterized in that, in the method
the discrete values are recorded cumulatively as hit points in an at least 2-dimensional measurement space equipped with selected dimensions,
at least one index area (56, 58, 60) is preselected from the said measurement space,
a cumulative index is calculated at an index frequency from the hit points accumulated on the each preselected index area (56, 58, 60),
an alarm value, showing the presence of a selected biological material, is defined from the said indices by using a preselected criterion.

8 more elements

Device for detecting a biological material from air, which contains particles (14) of biological material and/or inert biological material, which device (10) includes

sampling means for feeding an airstream (16) into a chamber (18) and for leading the airstream (16) out of the chamber (18) after sampling,
a light source directed at the airstream (16), arranged to emit a beam in order to excite the particles (14) in the airstream (16) in order to create fluorescence,
first measuring means (23) for measuring the fluorescence emitted by the particles (14) struck by the beam coming from the light source and for creating a fluorescence signal depicting the fluorescence,
second measuring means (30) for measuring the light scattered by the particles (14) and for creating a scattering signal (32) depicting the scattered light,
at least one AD converter, for sampling the fluorescence signal (24) and the scattering signal (32) as discrete values at the sampling frequency,
analysis means for detecting biological material,
characterized in that the device (10) further includes classification means (36) and a memory (22), of which the classification means (36) are arranged to record the said discrete values cumulatively as hit points in an at least 2-dimensional memory (22) equipped with selected dimensions, and in which device (10) the analysis means (92) are arranged to calculate at the sampling frequency an index of the accumulated hit points for each preselected index area (56, 58, 60) of the memory (22), from which said indices the analysis means (92) are arranged to define, using a preselected criterion, an alarm level showing the presence of a selected biological material.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/699,768Filed 7 Jun 2011
Priority: FI 201056457 Jun 2010
Published: 28 Mar 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G01N 21/6486
Fluorescence; Phosphorescence: measuring fluorescence of biological material, e.g. DNA, RNA, cells
G01N 15/1459
Without spatial resolution of the texture or inner structure of the particle, e.g. processing of pulse signals: the analysis being performed on a…
G01N 21/53
Within a body or fluid: within a flowing fluid, e.g. smoke
G01N 21/645
Fluorescence; Phosphorescence: specially adapted constructive features of fluorimeters