Airborne particulate

Manual sampling apparatus for collecting airborne particulate, said manual sampling apparatus comprising:

• a primary unit, said primary unit including:
• primary collecting means having an intake and an associated particulate filter for collecting airborne particulate from an air stream into said intake,
• vacuum pump means for establishing said air stream into said intake of said primary collecting means,
• automated sampling control means coupled between said primary collecting means and said vacuum pump means for controlling establishing of said air stream into said intake of said primary collecting means;
• at least one satellite unit, each at least one satellite unit having its own satellite collecting means including an intake and a particulate filter for collecting airborne particulate from an air stream into said satellite collecting means;
• said at least one satellite unit being coupled to said primary unit such that said vacuum pump means of said primary unit is coupled to each satellite collecting means and such that said automated sampling control means of said primary unit controls activation and deactivation of each satellite collecting means of said at least one satellite unit;
• and
• means for inputting external condition dependent data to said sampling control means, said sampling control means including means for employing at least some of said external condition dependent data for conditional activation of one of said primary collecting means of said primary unit and said satellite collecting means of said at least one satellite unit.

Manual sampling monitor for collecting airborne particulate, said manual sampling monitor comprising:

• an airborne particulate intake for accepting air flow containing airborne particulate;
• a particulate filter coupled to said airborne particulate intake for sampling accepted airborne particulate;
• a filter holder/exchange mechanism having a pivoting mechanism and being actuatable using said pivoting mechanism between a filter sample position and a filter exchange position, said particulate filter being sealed within said filter holder/exchange mechanism when in said filter sample position, and when in said filter exchange position said holder/exchange mechanism being open with said particulate filter vertically and horizontally displaced from said filter sample position to facilitate manual removal/replacement of said particulate filter;
• and
• vacuum pump means for establishing air flow into said airborne particulate intake, said air flow containing airborne particulate for sampling by said particulate filter.

A manual sampling monitor for collecting airborne particulate, said manual sampling monitor comprising:

• an airborne particulate intake for accepting air flow containing airborne particulate;
• a particulate filter coupled to said airborne particulate intake for sampling accepted airborne particulate;
• vacuum pump means for establishing air flow into said intake, said air flow containing airborne particulate for sampling by said particulate filter;
• and
• automated sampling control means coupled to said vacuum pump means for control of said vacuum pump means' establishing of air flow into said airborne particulate intake, said sampling control means having means for receiving external condition dependent data and for employing at least some of said external condition dependent data for conditional activation of said vacuum pump means' establishing of air flow into said airborne particulate intake.

A monitor for manual sampling of airborne particulate, said monitor comprising:

• an airborne particulate intake for accepting air flow containing airborne particulate;
• a particulate filter coupled to said airborne particulate intake for sampling accepted airborne particulate;
• means for establishing air flow containing airborne particulate into said airborne particulate intake;
• and
• means for raising the temperature of air flow within said monitors, wherein once said particulate filter is manually removed from said manual sampling monitor, particulate collected by said filter can be immediately analyzed.

A method for sampling airborne particulate employing a manual sampling apparatus which accepts airborne particulate, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) establishing an air flow through said manual sampling apparatus;
• (b) raising the temperature of said air flow through said manual sampling apparatus established in said step (a);
• (c) simultaneous with said temperature raising step (b), filtering particulate from said air flow through said manual sampling apparatus at a particulate filter;
• (d) manually removing said filter from said manual sampling apparatus;
• and
• (e) evaluating particulate collected by said particulate filter during said filtering step (c),
• wherein said raising step (b) facilitates said evaluating step (e) to be immediately performed after said manual removing step.

A satellite sampling apparatus for use with a primary sampling apparatus for collecting airborne particulate, said primary sampling apparatus having a primary intake, a primary particulate filter and a vacuum pump, said satellite sampling apparatus comprising:

• a satellite intake for accepting an air stream;
• a satellite particulate filter for collecting the airborne particulate from said air streams;
• means for connecting said satellite intake to the vacuum pump of the primary sampling apparatus;
• and
• a satellite filter holder/exchange mechanism having a pivoting mechanism and being actuatable using said pivoting mechanism between a filter sample position and a filter exchange position, said satellite particulate filter being sealed within said satellite filter holder/exchange mechanism when in said filter sample position, and when in said filter exchange position said satellite filter holder/exchange mechanism being open with said satellite particulate filter vertically and horizontally displaced from said filter sample position to facilitate manual removal/replacement of said particulate filter.

A satellite sampling apparatus for use with a primary sampling apparatus for collecting airborne particulate, said primary sampling apparatus having a primary intake, a primary particulate filter and a vacuum pump, said satellite sampling apparatus comprising:

• a satellite intake for accepting an air stream;
• a satellite particulate filter for collecting the airborne particulate from said air stream;
• means for connecting said satellite intake to the vacuum pump of the primary sampling apparatus;
• and
• a heater for raising the temperature of air flow within said satellite sampling apparatus, wherein once said satellite particulate filter is manually removed from said satellite sampling apparatus, particulate collected by said satellite particulate filter can be immediately analyzed.

A manual sampling monitor for collecting airborne particulate, said manual sampling monitor comprising:

• multiple airborne particulate intakes for accepting air flow containing airborne particulate;
• multiple particulate filters of which each particulate filter is coupled to its own airborne particulate intake of said multiple airborne particulate intakes for sampling accepted airborne particulate;
• a filter holder/exchange mechanism having a pivoting mechanism and being actuatable using said pivoting mechanism between a filter sample position and a filter exchange position, a particulate filter of said multiple particulate filters being sealed within said filter holder/exchange mechanism when in said filter sample position, and when in said filter exchange position said holder/exchange mechanism being open with said particulate filter vertically and horizontally displaced from said filter sample position to facilitate manual removal/replacement of said particulate filter;
• and
• vacuum pump means for establishing air flow into a selected airborne particulate intake of said multiple airborne particulate intakes, said air flow containing airborne particulate for sampling by said particulate filter.

A manual sampling monitor for collecting airborne particulate, said manual sampling monitor comprising:

• multiple airborne particulate intakes for accepting air flow containing airborne particulate;
• multiple particulate filters of which each particulate filter is coupled to its own airborne particulate intake of said multiple airborne particulate intakes for sampling accepted airborne particulate;
• vacuum pump means for establishing air flow into a selected airborne particulate intake of said multiple airborne particulate intakes, said air flow containing airborne particulate for sampling by a particulate filter of said multiple particulate filters that corresponds to said selected airborne particulate intake;
• and
• automated sampling control means coupled to said vacuum pump means for control of said vacuum pump means' establishing of air flow into said selected airborne particulate intake, said sampling control means having means for receiving external condition dependent data and for employing at least some of said external condition dependent data for conditional activation of said vacuum pump means' establishing of air flow into said selected airborne particulate intake.

A monitor for manual sampling of airborne particulate, said monitor comprising:

• multiple airborne particulate intakes for accepting air flow containing airborne particulate;
• multiple particulate filters of which each particulate filter is coupled to its own airborne particulate intake of said multiple airborne particulate intakes for sampling accepted airborne particulate;
• means for establishing air flow containing airborne particulate into a selected airborne particulate intake of said multiple airborne particulate intakes;
• and
• means for raising the temperature of air flow within said monitor, wherein once a selected particulate filter of said multiple particulate filters is manually removed from said manual sampling monitor, particulate collected by said selected particulate filter can be immediately analyzed.