Fiber sampler for recovery of bioaerosols and particles

Abstract

A bioparticle collection device and an aerosol collection system. The bioparticle collection device includes a collection medium including a plurality of fibers formed into a fiber mat and configured to collect bioparticles thereon, and includes a viability enhancing material provider disposed in a vicinity of the plurality of fibers and configured to provide a viability enhancing material to the collected bioparticles to maintain viability of the bioparticles collected by the fiber mat. The aerosol collection system includes an aerosol pumping device configured to entrain particles in an gas stream, an aerosol saturation device configured to saturate the particles in the gas stream with a biocompatible liquid, and an aerosol collection medium downstream from the aerosol saturation device and including a plurality of fibers formed into a fiber mat for collection of the saturated aerosol particles.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is related to and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to U.S. Application Ser. No. 61 / 374,466, filed Aug. 17, 2010, entitled “Fiber Sampler for Recovery of Bioaerosols and Particles,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.[0002]This application is related to U.S. application Ser. No. 11 / 559,282, filed on Nov. 13, 2006, entitled “Particle Filter System Incorporating Nanofibers,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. This application is related to U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 819,916, filed on Apr. 8, 2004, entitled “Electrospinning of Polymer Nanofibers Using a Rotating Spray Head,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. This application is also related to U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 819,942, filed on Apr. 8, 2004, entitled “Electrospray / electrospinning Apparatus and Method,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by refe...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

In addition to the problem of collecting the aerosol (particles) is the problem of recovering the particles for analysis.

In the case of biological particles, a common problem is that the organisms die during collection or after collection while awaiting laboratory analysis.

Current sampling methods onto microbiological media do not permit extended sampling times beyond 30-45 minutes in the case where preservation of viable organisms is of interest.

Each bioaerosol sampling method has limitations with respect to sampling time, desiccation, shelf life of sample, complexity, compatibility with analysis via PCR and live recovery.

Impactors are limited with respect to sampling time because the collection media used to enumerate the number of colonies of organisms for viability after collection is subject to desiccation, thus limiting the sampling time.

Impingers are limited in their sampling time from the evaporation of the collecting fluid.

An example consequence is that in portable samplers operation is severely limited due to battery life in the samplers with filters with high pressure drop.

Further, the flow of air through the filters or membranes after a biological aerosol has been trapped can lead to the desiccation of the medium about the bioaerosol and death of the bioaerosol.

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