# US 7,410,805 B2 · Aerosol detection system using optical and mass discrimination

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- Number: US 7,410,805 B2
- Document ID: US7410805B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/630,400
- Filed: 2003-07-30
- Published: 2008-07-17
- Granted: 2008-08-12
- Earliest claimed: 2003-07-30
- Assignees: The Boeing Company
- Inventors: Minas Tanielian
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7410805B2

## CPC

- G01N 1/2202: {involving separation of sample components during sampling}
- G01N 15/0255: {with mechanical, e.g. inertial, classification, and investigation of sorted collections (with centrifuges G01N15/042)}
- G01N 1/2211: {with cyclones}
- G01N 2001/2223: {aerosol sampling devices}
- Y10T 436/13: Tracers or tags
- Y10T 436/25: including sample preparation
- Y10T 436/25375: Liberation or purification of sample or separation of material from a sample [e.g., filtering, centrifuging, etc.]
- 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)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A system to detect and identify various aerosol agents, such as biological agents which have been aerosolized, is disclosed. The system generally includes a mechanism to collect a selected sample of atmosphere which may include the aerosol agent, a sub-system to detect the presence and type of agent, and a sub-system to communicate the type of agent detected.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of determining the presence of a selected agent in an atmospheric sample with a system including a sample collector, a sample tagger, a sample separator, and a detection component, the method comprising:
collecting an atmospheric sample of a selected size of an atmosphere;
mixing a tag with the atmospheric sample;
forming a volume including at least one of an interacted tag and an uninteracted tag;
forcing the formation of a collection from the volume of at least one of the interacted tag and the uninteracted tag;
detecting the presence of the collection of at least one of the interacted tag and the uninteracted tag; and
outputting the result of the detection;
wherein an interacted tag is formed generally only in the presence of a selected agent.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting the selected agent from the collected atmospheric sample for mixing with a tag.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising:
concentrating the selected agents from the atmospheric sample for mixing with a tag.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein mixing a tag with the atmospheric sample includes:
generally contacting the tag with the selected agent from the atmospheric sample.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein forming a volume including at least one of an interacted tag and an uninteracted tag includes:
binding the tag to the selected agent to form the interacted tag.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein forcing the formation of a collection from the volume of at least one of the interacted tag and the uninteracted tag includes:
separating said interacted tag from said uninteracted tag using a mass differential between said interacted tag and said uninteracted tag.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein forming a volume including at least one of an interacted tag and said uninteracted tag includes:
separating said interacted tag from said uninteracted tag based upon a dielectric constant differential between said interacted tag and said uninteracted tag.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein forcing the formation of a collection of at least one of an interacted tag in said uninteracted tag includes:
separating said uninteracted tag from said interacted tag using both a mass separation and a dielectric force separation.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein forming the uninteracted tag includes not contacting the tag with the selected agent.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the presence of the collection includes:
exciting said tag to force said tag to form an emission energy; and
detecting the emission energy from the excited tag.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
determining the presence of more than one collection;
wherein the presence of more than one collection allows for a determination of the presence of the selected agent.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the result of the detection includes outputting the presence of one or more collection.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein collecting an atmospheric sample includes collecting a plurality of types of the selected agent;
wherein each of the type of selected agent relates to a selected detectable species.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein mixing a tag with the atmospheric sample includes:
mixing a plurality of types of tags with the plurality of types of selected agents;
wherein each of the types of the plurality of tags interacts with substantially only a single type of the plurality of selected agents to form a plurality of types of interacted tags.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein forcing the formation of a collection from the volume includes forming a formation of a collection in a fluid that is substantially dry.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said tag is an up-converter.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
inducing an emission of a first wavelength from at least one of said interacted tag and said uninteracted tag with a second wavelength;
wherein said first wavelength is less than said second wavelength.

### Claim 18

A method of determining the presence of a selected agent in an atmospheric sample with a system including a sample collector, a sample tagger, a sample separator, and a detection component, the method comprising:
collecting an atmospheric sample of a selected size of an atmosphere;
providing at least a portion of the atmospheric sample to a mixing cell;
injecting from at least a single injector a tag into the mixing cell;
mixing the injected tag with the at least a portion of the atmospheric sample;
forming a volume including at least one of an interacted tag and an uninteracted tag;
moving the volume to a separation system;
determining the identity of at least one constituent of the at least a portion of the atmospheric sample at least in part by separating the interacted tag and the uninteracted tag; and
outputting the result of the determination;
wherein an interacted tag is formed generally only in the presence of a selected agent.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising:
providing a plurality of the injectors; and
injecting a tag from at least one of the plurality of injectors into the mixing chamber.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising:
concentrating the selected agents from the atmospheric sample for mixing with a tag.

### Claim 21 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein determining the identity of at least one constituent of the at least a portion of the atmospheric sample includes:
separating said interacted tag from said interacted tag using a mass differential between said interacted tag and said uninteracted tag.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein separating includes:
forming a separation chamber that defines a substantially annular chamber;
moving the volume to the separation chamber; and
rotating the separation chamber around a selected axis.

### Claim 23 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein forming at least one of an interacted tag and said uninteracted tag includes:
separating said interacted tag from said uninteracted tag based upon a dielectric constant differential between said interacted tag and said uninteracted tag.

### Claim 24 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein forcing the formation of a collection of at least one of an interacted tag in said uninteracted tag includes:
separating said uninteracted tag from said interacted tag using both a mass separation and a dielectric force separation.

### Claim 25 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising:
forming a separation chamber;
providing an optical window;
transmitting energy from an excitation source through the optical window;
exciting a selected portion of the volume.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The method of claim 25, further comprising:
providing a receiver; and
receiving an emitted energy the volume with the receiver.

### Claim 27

A method of determining the presence of a selected agent in an atmospheric sample with a system including a sample collector, a sample tagger, a sample separator, and a detection component, the method comprising:
collecting an atmospheric sample of a selected size of an atmosphere;
providing at least a portion of the atmospheric sample to a mixing cell;
injecting from at least a single injector a tag into the mixing cell;
ultrasonically mixing the injected tag with the at least a portion of the atmospheric sample;
forming a volume including at least one of an interacted tag and an uninteracted tag;
moving the volume to a separation system;
separating the volume by spinning the volume in a separation device causing the interacted tag to be separated from the uniteracted tag and both moving to an area including a transmission window, wherein two groups of particles are formed if a selected agent is present, a first group of particles that includes the interconnected tag and a second group of particles that includes the uninteracted tag;
providing an excitation source to transmit energy through the transmission window to excite at least a portion of the interacted tag or the uninteracted tag;
receiving an emission from at least a portion of the interacted tag or the uninteracted tag;
determining the presence of one or more groups of particles; and
outputting the result of the determination.