Method and apparatus for detecting viruses using primary and secondary biomarkers
AssigneeColorado School of Mines
InventorsAngelo J. Madonna, Kent J. Voorhees
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Abstract
The present invention relates to the detection of the likely presence of a virus in the environment. The detection is accomplished in a relatively rapid fashion that permits countermeasures to be taken to reduce the debilitating or deadly effects of the virus upon the target population. In one embodiment, the detection is accomplished by looking for the mass spectral signature or biomarker for a lipid, which is present in the cell cultures used to produce the virus. One biomarker that is considered particularly diagnostic for the presence of a virus is cholesterol.
Claims12
A method for detecting the likely presence of a virus in the environment so that countermeasures can be deployed, the method comprising:
- sampling the atmosphere;
- analyzing the sampled atmosphere to determine if cholesterol, which is indicative of a virus, is present, wherein said step of analyzing includes subjecting the sampled atmosphere to pyrolysis to free any cholesterol present in the sampled atmosphere;
- and
- issuing, if a cholesterol is present, an alarm so that countermeasures can be deployed against the virus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.