Device and method for detecting a concentration of predetermined particles based on their morphological properties in air

Device for detecting a concentration of predetermined particles, including viruses, in air, which comprises organic and/or inorganic aerosol particles, the device comprising:

• a supply unit, an imaging unit, an image capture unit, and an evaluation unit;
• wherein the supply unit is configured to bind the aerosol particles contained in the air in a fluid such that that the fluid contains the aerosol particles previously contained in the air as particles, and is configured to provide a steady or uniformly timed fluid flow along a predetermined flow path,
• wherein the imaging unit has a sample channel through which the fluid flow can flow, which determines the predetermined flow path within the imaging unit, and wherein the imaging unit is configured to produce an enlarged image of the particles contained in the fluid flowing through the sample channel,
• wherein the image capture unit is configured to capture the image and transmit it to the evaluation unit,
• wherein the evaluation unit is configured to automatically detect morphological properties of the particles depicted in the image, and configured to compare the morphological properties detected with morphological properties of the predetermined particles, and by the comparison to determine a proportion of predetermined particles in the image and the concentration of the predetermined particles in the air.