Fluid composition sensor device and method of use thereof

Abstract

Various embodiments described herein relate to devices and methods for detecting fluid particles and their properties. In various embodiments, an apparatus for detecting fluid particles and their properties can include a fluid composition sensor configured to receive a volume of fluid. The fluid composition sensor has a collection media housing configured to receive a portion of a collection media, a pump to move a volume of fluid over the collection media housing, an imaging device configured to capture images of particles on the collection media, and a particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit configured to calculate a total particulate matter mass. The particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit is connected to the imaging device and the pump. The particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit is configured to adjust the volume of fluid over the collection media housing.

Description

Background Technology

[0001] Sensors and devices can be used to characterize various aspects of fluids in a variety of applications. As just one example, sensor devices can be used to monitor air conditions, such as monitoring and characterizing the particulate content of airflows. However, existing fluid sensor devices offer limited functionality in generating data indicative of certain characteristics of the fluid, such as the unique properties and concentrations of individual particles contained within the fluid flow. Fluid sensor devices can use holographic imaging methods to characterize the particle properties and concentrations of particulate matter collected via inertial impaction. Improvements in various aspects of particle sampling and analysis are desired. Generally, fluid sampling devices utilizing sampling media capable of rapid and / or simplified sequential sampling of particles may be advantageous. For devices employing holographic imaging (such as lensless holography) for in-situ particle analysis, it is desirable to avoid light reflection and scattering in order to achieve optimal image quality.

[0002] Therefore, there is a need for improved fluid sensor devices that can reduce optical interference from inertial impactor sampling methods and / or enable the analysis of multiple samples from one or more impactors. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The various embodiments described herein relate to apparatus and methods for collecting and characterizing particles suspended in a fluid. Various embodiments relate to an apparatus for detecting fluid particle characteristics, comprising: an apparatus for detecting fluid particle characteristics, the apparatus including: a housing configured to support a collection medium for capturing one or more particles of a plurality of particles within a volume of fluid passing through at least a portion of the housing; a pump for moving the volume of fluid through at least a portion of the housing and through at least a portion of the collection medium; an imaging device configured to capture an image of at least a portion of the one or more particles captured by the collection medium; and a controller including a particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit configured to determine, at least partially, one or more particle loading conditions of at least a portion of the one or more particles captured by the imaging device, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the operation of the pump, at least partially, based on at least one of the one or more particle loading conditions of the one or more particles captured by the collection medium.

[0004] In various embodiments, the controller may be configured to stop pump operation when the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit determines that a predetermined total particulate matter mass threshold has been reached. In various embodiments, determining one or more particulate loading conditions may include determining first particulate loading conditions for a first image and determining second particulate loading conditions for a second image. In various embodiments, determining one or more particulate loading conditions may include comparing the first particulate loading conditions with the second particulate loading conditions. In some embodiments, determining one or more particulate loading conditions may further include calculating the difference between the first particulate loading conditions and the second particulate loading conditions. In some embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit may be configured to stop the pump when a predetermined difference between the first particulate loading conditions and the second particulate loading conditions is calculated.

[0005] In various embodiments, the controller may be configured to modify pump operation when the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit determines a predetermined difference between a first particle loading condition and a second particle loading condition. In various embodiments, determining one or more particle loading conditions may include identifying one or more particle clusters within an image captured by the imaging device. In various embodiments, the imaging device may be configured to capture images at set time intervals. In various embodiments, the imaging device may be configured to capture images at the onset of fluid flow of a volume of fluid passing through at least a portion of the housing. In some embodiments, determining one or more particle loading conditions may include determining whether the onset of fluid flow of a volume of fluid causes a spike under one or more particle loading conditions.

[0006] In various embodiments, determining one or more particle loading conditions may include calculating the particulate matter mass of at least a portion of an image based at least in part on the total intensity of light passing through at least a portion of one or more particles captured by the collection medium. In some embodiments, a controller may be configured to stop pump operation when the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit determines that the total intensity of light detected in the image is below a threshold. In some embodiments, a controller may be configured to adjust pump operation when the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit determines that the total intensity of light detected in the image is below a threshold. In various embodiments, determining one or more particle loading conditions may include determining the volume of fluid flowing through at least a portion of the housing over a defined time period. In some embodiments, the volume of fluid flowing through the housing over the defined time period may be determined at least in part based on pump operating time and pump flow rate.

[0007] Various embodiments relate to a method for detecting fluid particle characteristics, the method comprising: guiding a flow of a volume of fluid toward a collection medium, receiving one or more particles of a plurality of particles within the volume of fluid through the collection medium; capturing an image of one or more particles of the plurality of particles received by the collection medium; determining, at least in part, the loading conditions of the one or more particles of the plurality of particles received by the collection medium based on an image of at least a portion of the image of at least a portion of the one or more particles of the plurality of particles received by the collection medium; and adjusting the volume of fluid flowing toward the collection medium.

[0008] In various embodiments, determining one or more particle loading conditions may include determining the total particulate matter mass by a particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit of a controller configured to adjust the volume of fluid flowing toward the collection medium. In various embodiments, the method may further include adjusting the volume of fluid flowing toward the collection medium above the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit when at least a threshold difference between a first particle loading condition and a second particle loading condition is detected, wherein the first particle loading condition is determined for a first image, and the second particle loading condition is determined for a second image captured after the first image. In various embodiments, the method may further include adjusting the volume of fluid flowing toward the collection medium when the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit determines that the total intensity of light detected within the image is below a threshold. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Now refer to the accompanying drawings, which may not be drawn to scale, and in which:

[0010] Figure 1 Exemplary fluid sensors according to various implementation schemes are schematically illustrated.

[0011] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a portion of an exemplary fluid sensor as described herein is shown.

[0012] Figure 3 Exemplary apparatuses for implementing various embodiments of this disclosure are schematically illustrated.

[0013] Figure 4 A flowchart of an exemplary method for detecting fluid particle characteristics of a fluid according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0014] Figure 5 Exemplary apparatuses according to various embodiments as described herein are shown.

[0015] Figure 6 A collection medium assembly according to one embodiment as described herein is shown.

[0016] Figures 7A to 7BVarious views of a collection medium assembly according to one embodiment as described herein are shown.

[0017] Figures 8A to 8B Various views of a collection medium assembly according to one embodiment as described herein are shown.

[0018] Figures 9A to 9B Various views of the collection medium assembly according to the various embodiments described herein are shown.

[0019] Figure 10 A top view of a collection medium assembly according to an exemplary embodiment described herein is shown.

[0020] Figure 11 A top view of a collection medium assembly according to an exemplary embodiment described herein is shown.

[0021] Figure 12 A top view of a collection medium assembly according to an exemplary embodiment described herein is shown.

[0022] Figure 13 A cross-sectional view of an exemplary device according to an exemplary embodiment described herein is shown.

[0023] Figures 14A to 14B Exemplary apparatuses according to various embodiments described herein are shown.

[0024] Figure 15 A cross-sectional view of an exemplary device according to one embodiment described herein is shown.

[0025] Figure 16 A cross-sectional view of an exemplary device according to one embodiment described herein is shown.

[0026] Figure 17 A cross-sectional view of an exemplary device according to one embodiment described herein is shown.

[0027] Figures 18A to 18D Exemplary apparatuses according to various embodiments described herein are illustrated schematically.

[0028] Figures 19A to 19C A perspective view of an exemplary device according to various embodiments is shown.

[0029] Figures 20A to 20B Various views of exemplary devices according to various embodiments are shown. Detailed Implementation

[0030] This disclosure describes various embodiments more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that some, but not all, of the embodiments are shown and described herein. In fact, embodiments may take many different forms, and therefore this disclosure should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to enable this disclosure to meet applicable legal requirements. Throughout the document, similar reference numerals refer to similar elements.

[0031] First, it should be understood that although exemplary embodiments of one or more aspects are shown below, the disclosed components, systems, and methods can be implemented using any number of techniques (whether currently known or not yet available). This disclosure should in no way be limited to the exemplary embodiments, drawings, and techniques shown below, but modifications can be made within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. Although dimensional values ​​for various elements are disclosed, the drawings may not be drawn to scale.

[0032] The terms “example” or “exemplary” as used herein are intended to mean “served as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as an “example” or “exemplary” is not necessarily more preferred or advantageous than other implementations. As used herein, “fluid” can refer to a gas, a liquid, or a combination of gas and liquid in a single flow. Thus, the term “fluid” includes a variety of easily flowing substances, such as, but not limited to, liquids and / or gases (e.g., air, oil, etc.). Consequently, various embodiments relate to fluid sensing systems, such as gas sensing systems (e.g., some embodiments are specifically configured to operate with air; others are configured to operate with other gases, such as inert gases, volatile gases, etc.), liquid sensing systems, etc.

[0033] Overview

[0034] This document describes an apparatus configured to characterize and monitor particulate matter within a volume of fluid. The apparatus discussed herein can be configured to quantify and classify particles within a volume of fluid, at least in part, based on imaging of particles received by a collection medium of a fluid composition sensor. Furthermore, the apparatus discussed herein can be configured to characterize a particulate composition within a volume of fluid by directly identifying the particle size and particle type of each particle received by the collection medium of the fluid composition sensor. By directly determining the particle size and particle type, the apparatus described herein can be configured to detect changes in the particulate composition within a volume of fluid over time and / or location.

[0035] Furthermore, the device described herein can be configured to produce a clear optical output relative to an image captured by an imaging device of a fluid composition sensor. The device may include an impactor nozzle configured to minimize reflection of a portion of a light beam emitted from an illumination source. The device may also include an impactor nozzle configured to minimize imaging distortion caused by a diverging light beam emitted from an illumination source incident on its sidewalls and reflected toward the imager. For example, by minimizing the scattering of the light beam caused by the impactor nozzle, such a device configuration can reduce noise that can reduce the fluid composition sensor's ability to locate, identify, and / or analyze individual particles among one or more particles disposed within a collection medium. The device may similarly be configured to avoid a reduction in the fluid composition sensor's ability to reconstruct an image of one or more of the captured particles, which could result in reduced sensor performance relative to classifying one or more particles using machine learning.

[0036] Furthermore, the device described herein can be configured to increase device reliability and associated user satisfaction by incorporating a replaceable collection medium in conjunction with a fluid composition sensor. According to certain embodiments discussed herein, the collection medium used to collect particles from a given volume of fluid within the fluid composition sensor can be automatically replaced (within the fluid collection location) when a predefined sample volume or sample number of particles has passed through the device. The device described herein minimizes intermittent user interaction with the collection medium, thereby accelerating the sample collection process, reducing the physical work required by the user, promoting measurement automation, and minimizing device failures caused by misalignment during reconfiguration of one or more user-defined device components.

[0037] In various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor includes a controller (e.g., particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208) configured to calculate the total particulate matter mass of a plurality of particles received by a collection medium from a volume of fluid, and to characterize the spatial arrangement of the plurality of particles to identify one or more particle configurations known to negatively impact sensor accuracy, and / or sensor effectiveness over time (e.g., lifetime), such as particle aggregation, spike formation, particle contact, particle overlap, and / or collection medium “covered” by particles. This can help prevent sensor inaccuracies caused by overload of a depleted and / or disabled collection medium, where particle loading conditions cannot be accurately determined and / or identified by the sensor. Such exemplary configurations substantially minimize the amount of retesting required to obtain accurate data by defining operating parameters configured to substantially autonomously limit sensor operation when one or more of the aforementioned erroneous particle loading conditions are identified. The lifetime of the device can be increased by dynamically monitoring the loading conditions of the plurality of particles received by the collection medium and optimizing the operating parameters to selectively limit device uptime. Furthermore, the device described herein can simplify the calculation of the required operating time for a fluid composition sensor for a particle sample sufficient to provide one or more statistically significant measurements.

[0038] Fluid composition sensor

[0039] Device 10 may include a fluid composition sensor 100 configured to receive a volume of fluid flowing through it. Specifically, device 10 may be configured to receive a volume of gas, such as air, flowing through it. In various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor 100 may be further configured to capture images of one or more particles among a plurality of particles present within the received volume of fluid. Figure 1As shown, the fluid composition sensor 100 may include a housing 101, an impactor nozzle 104, a collection medium 106, a substrate 108 that is at least partially transparent, and an imaging device 110. In some embodiments, the fluid composition sensor 100 may also include a power supply 114 and a fan or pump 112 configured to power the fluid composition sensor 100, and the fan or pump configured to allow a volume of fluid to enter and pass through the fluid composition sensor 100. In various embodiments, the fan or pump 112 is calibrated such that the flow rate of fluid moving through the device is at least partially based on the operating characteristics of the fan or pump 112 (e.g., operating power) being known / determined. In various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor 100 may include a lensless microscope, such as one described in WIPO Publication No. 2018 / 165590, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. In various embodiments, the lensless microscope may utilize one or more techniques (such as lensless holography) to capture particle images of one or more of a plurality of particles received by the collection medium 106 as described herein. Alternatively, the fluid composition sensor 100 may include a lens-based imaging device or any other means configured to capture an image that can be analyzed by means as described herein to determine the particle size or other particle characteristics of one or more particles captured by the collection medium 106. In various embodiments, the lens-based imaging device may utilize one or more imaging techniques, such as optical microscopy, to capture particle images of one or more of the plurality of particles 120 received by the collection medium 106 as described herein. In various embodiments, optical microscopy may include passing light through one or more lenses to magnify and capture an image of one or more of the plurality of particles 120 within the collection medium 106, the light being transmitted through or reflected from the collection medium 106 and / or the plurality of particles 120 disposed in the collection medium. As described herein, the fluid composition sensor 100 may be electrically and communicatively connected to the controller 200.

[0040] In various implementation schemes, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the impactor nozzle 104 can be configured to guide the flow of a volume of fluid received by the fluid composition sensor 100 along a flow direction 130 at least substantially perpendicular to and pointing towards the receiving surface of the collection medium 106. In various embodiments, the collection medium 106 may be embodied as part of a collection medium assembly. For example, the collection medium assembly may be embodied as a replaceable slider (such as... Figures 5 to 8BAs shown), a replaceable collection medium 106 may be disposed within the slider. In other embodiments, the entire replaceable slider may be disposable, and the collection medium 106 may be permanently fixed therein. However, in other embodiments, the collection medium assembly may include a collection medium strip 106 (e.g., the collection medium strip may be embodied as an elongated collection medium 106 movable through the fluid composition sensor 100, such that new (e.g., unused) portions of the collection medium strip are exposed to the fluid flowing through the impactor nozzle 104). Alternatively, the collection medium 106 may be disposed on and / or as part of a rotatable disc, such that the collection medium 106 is rotatable relative to the fluid composition sensor 100, such that new (e.g., unused) portions of the collection medium disc are exposed to the fluid flowing through the impactor nozzle 104. It should be understood that the collection medium 106 may be embodied in any of a variety of forms. In other embodiments, the collection medium 106 may be permanently attached within the composition sensor 100, such that the entire composition sensor 100 can be disposable once the collection medium 106 is sufficiently filled with particles from the fluid flowing through the composition sensor 100. The collection medium 106 may be configured to receive one or more particles from a plurality of particles 120 via interaction with a volume of fluid. In various embodiments, the collection medium 106 may include a receiving surface 105, a back side 107, and a thickness defined by the distance between the receiving surface 105 and the back side 107. In various embodiments, the thickness of the collection medium 106 may be at least substantially between about 10 micrometers and about 1000 micrometers (e.g., 100 micrometers). In various embodiments, the collection medium 106 may include material adapted to prevent one or more particles from traveling at a certain velocity into the receiving surface 105 before reaching the back side 107, such that one or more particles from the plurality of particles 120 are disposed within the collection medium at a distance along the thickness of the collection medium 106. For example, in various embodiments, the collection medium may include an adhesive (i.e., viscous) material, such as a gel. In various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor 100 may include a transparent substrate 108 positioned at least substantially adjacent to (e.g., directly attached to) the back side 107 of the collection medium 106. In various embodiments, the collection medium assembly may also include the transparent substrate 108. Furthermore, in various embodiments, such as those where the collection medium assembly is embodied as a slider, the collection medium assembly may include a collection medium housing 113 that defines a handle 109. In various embodiments, the collection medium housing 113 may be configured to receive and secure at least a portion of the collection medium 106 and / or the substrate 108.In various embodiments, the collection medium housing 113 may be configured to be at least partially positioned within the fluid composition sensor 100 in a removable manner, such that the collection medium 106 is disposed within the fluid flow path of a volume of fluid traveling in the flow direction 130. In various embodiments, the collection medium housing 113 may be configured to have at least one opening positioned adjacent to at least a portion of the collection medium 106, such that one or more of a plurality of particles present in the volume of fluid may engage the receiving surface 105 of the collection medium 106.

[0041] In various embodiments, the collecting medium housing 113 may define a handle 109. In various embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, the handle 109 may be configured to facilitate accessibility of the collection medium 106 and / or the housing 113, for example, enabling removal and / or replacement of the collection medium 106 from the fluid composition sensor 100. As described above, the collection medium 106 may be configured for use in conjunction with (or embodied in) a slider, belt, reel, or any other suitable mechanism configured to facilitate the transport of the collection medium 106.

[0042] In various embodiments, device 10 may experience increasing inaccuracies over time, for example, as the number of particles collected within collection medium 106 increases (and the resulting physical properties of collection medium 106 change due to the increased number of particles disposed therein). Therefore, one or more components of the collection medium assembly as described herein may be replaceable. In various embodiments, replacing one or more components of the collection medium assembly may include removing one or more components from the fluid composition sensor 100, and replacing the one or more components of the collection medium assembly with one or more at least substantially similar components. Alternatively, it should be understood that in various embodiments, replacing one or more components of the collection medium assembly may include cleaning, repositioning, and / or modifying one or more components of the collection medium assembly to reduce the number of particles present in a portion of the collection medium 106 exposed to airflow within the composition sensor 100. As a non-limiting example, in various embodiments where the collection medium assembly may include adhesive tape, at least a portion of the tape may be removed to expose a new portion of the tape positioned below the tape and corresponding to the removed at least portion of the tape. As another non-limiting example, in various embodiments where the collection medium assembly may include a disk, the disk may be configured to be cleaned such that the characteristics of the disk are at least substantially similar to those of a new disk. In various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor 100 may be configured, partially or entirely, to be replaceable and / or disposable.

[0043] In various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor 100 may include an imaging device 110 configured to capture images of one or more particles of a plurality of particles 120 received by a collection medium 106. In various embodiments, the imaging device 110 may be positioned at least substantially adjacent to (e.g., in contact with or spaced apart from) the back side 107 of a transparent substrate 108, such that the imaging device 110 can effectively capture one or more images of one or more particles captured within the collection medium 106. In various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor 100 may have a designated field of view for permanently and / or temporarily capturing images of multiple particles of a plurality of particles simultaneously. The collection medium 106 may reside at least partially within the field of view of the imaging device 110, such that the plurality of particles 120 captured by the collection medium 106 are visible to the imaging device 110. Figure 2 As shown, the imaging device 110 can be positioned below the transparent substrate 108 relative to the collection medium 106. For example, the imaging device 110 can be positioned between about 100 micrometers and about 5 mm (e.g., 1 mm) from the transparent substrate 108. Alternatively, the imaging device 110 can be positioned above the transparent substrate 108 relative to the collection medium 106.

[0044] In various embodiments, imaging device 110 may be configured to capture images of one or more particles among a plurality of particles 120 received by collection medium 106 using one or more imaging techniques such as lensless holography. In various embodiments where the imaging device is configured to utilize lensless holography, the imaging device may calculate and generate images of one or more particles received by collection medium 106 by digitally reconstructing one or more microscopic images of the particles received by collection medium 106 without using a lens. Alternatively and / or in addition, imaging device 110 may utilize an optical microscope to capture images of one or more particles among a plurality of particles 120 received by collection medium 106. For example, in various embodiments, as described herein, images captured by exemplary imaging devices may include two-dimensional images (e.g., photographs of at least a portion of the collection medium) and / or three-dimensional images (e.g., three-dimensional digital reconstructions of at least a portion of the particles captured at the collection medium). In some embodiments, fluid composition sensor 100 may be configured to simultaneously capture one or more images of a plurality of particles in collection medium 106. For example, the fluid composition sensor 100 may have a designated field of view for permanently and / or temporarily capturing images of multiple particles from a plurality of particles simultaneously, as described herein. In various embodiments, one or more images captured by the fluid composition sensor 100 may be transmitted at least to the controller 200. In various embodiments, the imaging device 110 may be configured to capture one or more images at a first time and a second time, wherein the first time represents the start of analysis of one or more particles from a plurality of particles 120 captured by the collection medium 106, and the second time is after the first time. In such a configuration, the device is able to distinguish particles present in the collection medium 106 at the start of particle analysis from particles newly received by the collection medium 106 by comparing the corresponding particle images captured at the first time and the second time and identifying any particles from the second captured particle image that were not captured in the first captured particle image.

[0045] In various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor 100 may be connected to a power source 114 configured to receive and power the fluid composition sensor 100. As a non-limiting example, the power source 114 may include one or more batteries, one or more capacitors, one or more constant power sources (e.g., a wall socket), etc. In some embodiments, the power source 114 may include an external power source located outside the fluid composition sensor 100 and configured to deliver AC or DC power to the fluid composition sensor 100. Additionally, in some embodiments, such as... Figure 1As shown, power supply 114 may include an internal power source, such as one or more batteries, located within the fluid composition sensor 100. In various embodiments, power supply 114 may be connected to controller 200 so that power can be distributed to the fluid composition sensor 100 via the controller.

[0046] Figures 6 to 8B Various exemplary embodiments of the collection media assembly as described herein are illustrated. Figures 6 to 8B As shown, the collection medium assembly may include a collection medium 106 disposed on a replaceable slider, a collection medium housing 113 configured to hold the replaceable slider (and collection medium 106) therein, and a handle 109. In various embodiments, the collection medium 106 may be configured to attach to a transparent substrate 108, which may be further disposed within the collection medium housing 113. In various embodiments, the replaceable slider may define the transparent substrate 108. Figure 6 As shown, the collection medium housing 113 may include a tab adjacent to at least a portion of an opening configured to receive a replaceable slider via a hinged connection that allows the replaceable slider to snap into a desired position. The collection medium 106 may be configured to be replaceable because it can be removed from the collection medium housing 113 by unfolding it from its fixed position within the collection medium housing 113 via the replaceable slider, and subsequently replaced with a different collection medium 106 (e.g., a new collection medium 106). In various embodiments, the collection medium housing 113 may be removed from the fluid composition sensor 100, for example, via interaction between a user and a handle 109.

[0047] like Figure 7A and Figure 7B As shown, the collection medium housing 113 may include a slot along at least one side, the size of which corresponds to the cross-section of a replaceable slider, such that the housing 113 can be configured to receive a replaceable slider having a collection medium 106 disposed thereon via the slot. The collection medium 106 is configured to be replaceable because it can be removed from the collection medium housing 113 by sliding the replaceable slider from its fixed position within the collection medium housing 113 through the slot, and subsequently replaced with a different collection medium 106. The collection medium housing 113 may be removed from the fluid composition sensor 100, for example, via interaction between a user and the handle 109.

[0048] like Figure 8A and Figure 8BAs shown, the collection medium housing 113 may include a removable surface, such that the housing 113 can be configured to receive a replaceable slider when the removable surface is in a disassembled configuration, and to hold the replaceable slider in a desired position when the removable surface is in an assembled configuration. The collection medium 106 can be configured to be replaceable because it can be removed from the collection medium housing 113 via the disassembly of the removable surface of the collection medium housing 113 and the restoration of the replaceable slider from its fixed position within the collection medium housing 113, and subsequently replaced with a different collection medium 106. The collection medium housing 113 can be removed from the fluid composition sensor 100, for example, via interaction between the user and the handle 109.

[0049] Figures 9A to 9B Various views of the collection medium assembly according to various embodiments as described herein are shown. Figure 9A and Figure 9B As shown, the collection medium assembly 150 may include at least one collection medium 106 disposed on a transparent substrate 108, at least one aperture 111 extending through the transparent substrate 108, and an airtight engagement portion 115A surrounding the collection medium 106, the at least one aperture 111, and the transparent substrate 108. In various embodiments, the transparent substrate 108 may be defined by replaceable sliders, as described herein. In various embodiments, the at least one aperture 111 may be positioned at least substantially adjacent to the at least one collection medium 106. For example, as... Figures 9A to 9BAs shown, at least one orifice 111 may include a plurality of orifices (e.g., two orifices on opposite sides of the collection medium 106) disposed around the transparent substrate 108 to allow a volume of fluid to flow through the transparent substrate 108. In various embodiments, an airtight joint portion 115A may define at least a portion of the periphery of the collection medium assembly 150, such as a portion of the collection medium assembly 150 surrounding at least one collection medium 106 and at least one corresponding orifice 111. In various embodiments, the airtight joint portion 115A may be used to prevent or limit the exposure of adjacent or nearby collection medium segments 106 to the sampled fluid. In some embodiments, the airtight joint portion 115A may be embodied as a rigid, at least substantially smooth component configured to interact with a gasket (or other flexible sealing component) of an airtight component of a device as described herein. Alternatively, the airtight joint portion 115A may include one or more flexible components (e.g., resilient gaskets) configured to interact with a corresponding component of an airtight component of a device to form a seal therebetween that is at least substantially impermeable to fluid. For example, the air-tight engagement portion 115A may be configured to receive and / or engage an air-tight component of a fluid composition sensor, such that at least substantially all of a volume of fluid flowing through the fluid composition sensor flows through at least one orifice 111 surrounded by at least one air-tight engagement portion 115A. Figure 9A As shown, the air-tight joint portion 115A may include a portion of the surface of the transparent substrate 108. In various embodiments, as described herein, the air-tight joint portion 115A may include a plurality of air-tight joint portions, each air-tight joint portion corresponding to a respective collection medium 106 of at least one collection medium and at least one corresponding aperture 111.

[0050] Figure 9BA cross-sectional view of an exemplary collection medium assembly according to an embodiment described herein is shown. As shown, the collection medium assembly 150 may include a collection medium housing 113. In various embodiments, the collection medium housing 113 may be configured to at least partially surround a transparent substrate 108 to embody an outer frame of the collection medium assembly 106. In various embodiments, as described herein, at least one hermetically sealed portion of the collection medium assembly 150 may include a portion of the collection medium housing 113. In various embodiments, the collection medium housing 113 may be configured to facilitate the co-storage (e.g., stacking) and subsequent distribution of each of the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 into an internal sensor portion of a fluid composition sensor. For example, as described herein, the collection medium housing 113 of each of the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 may be configured to receive force from one or more components (e.g., actuator elements) of the exemplary device described herein, such that each collection medium assembly 150 can be continuously cascaded from a storage location to the internal sensor portion of the fluid composition sensor.

[0051] Figures 10 to 12 Various collection medium components according to exemplary embodiments described herein are illustrated. Figure 10 A top view of a plurality of collection medium assemblies disposed on a rotatable disc according to an exemplary embodiment is shown. In various embodiments, a plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 may be disposed on a rotatable disc capable of rotating about an axis such that the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 (e.g., including a plurality of collection media 106) are movable relative to an internal sensor portion of the housing of a fluid composition sensor. The rotatable disc may be configured such that the plurality of collection media 106 are movable (e.g., rotated) relative to the fluid composition sensor such that new (e.g., unused) collection media 106 of the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 are exposed to a volume of fluid flowing through an impactor nozzle, as described herein.

[0052] In various embodiments, the rotatable disk may include multiple coplanar and concentric disk portions, each disk portion comprising a portion of the rotatable disk on which one or more of a plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 may be disposed. For example, as Figure 10As shown, the rotatable disc may include a first disc portion 108A and a second disc portion 108B, on which a plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 are located. Each disc portion may be defined at least partially by a corresponding radial distance between the disc portion of the rotatable disc and a central axis, wherein the radial distance corresponding to each disc portion includes different values, such that the plurality of disc portions may define a plurality of circumferential layers extending radially outward from the central axis of the rotatable disc. The plurality of disc portions may be configured to increase the capacity of the rotatable disc relative to the number of collection medium 106 disposed thereon. In various embodiments, the exemplary device described herein may be configured such that the rotatable disc may be rotated and / or moved linearly (e.g., in a radial direction relative to the disc) relative to the fluid composition sensor in order to position unused collection medium 106 of the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 at least substantially adjacent to the outlet of an impactor nozzle of the fluid composition sensor, as described herein.

[0053] As described herein, each of the plurality of collection media 106 of the plurality of collection media assemblies 150 may be disposed on a transparent substrate. In various embodiments, at least a portion of the rotatable disk on which the plurality of collection media 106 are disposed may include a transparent substrate; however, opaque or translucent materials may be used to define portions of the disk between the included collection media assemblies 150. For example, in various embodiments, the entire rotatable disk may include a transparent substrate. Furthermore, in various embodiments, the rotatable disk may include one or more alignment keys 151 configured to facilitate manual and / or mechanical mounting and / or alignment of the collection media 106 disposed on the rotatable disk, the position of which allows a volume of fluid flowing through a fluid composition sensor (e.g., through an impactor nozzle) to pass through the surface of the collection media 106. The rotatable disk may include a plurality of orifices corresponding to at least one orifice 111 of each of the plurality of collection media assemblies 150, the plurality of orifices being configured to allow a volume of fluid to flow through. In various embodiments, each of the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 may include an air-tight engagement portion 115A surrounding a corresponding one of the plurality of collection media 106 and at least one orifice 111 located adjacent to it. In such a configuration, a volume of fluid flowing through the sensor may pass through the surface of the collection medium 106 surrounded by the air-tight engagement portion 115A engaged with the air-tight component of the fluid composition sensor, as described herein. For example, the collection medium 106 surrounded by the air-tight engagement portion 115A engaged with the air-tight component of the fluid composition sensor may be fluidly isolated from each of the other collection media among the plurality of collection media disposed on a rotatable disk.

[0054] Figure 11 A top view of a plurality of collection medium assemblies disposed on an alignment plate according to an exemplary embodiment is shown. In various embodiments, a plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 may be disposed on an alignment plate that is movable about a plane such that the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 (e.g., including a plurality of collection media 106) are movable relative to an internal sensor portion of the housing of a fluid composition sensor. The alignment plate may be configured such that the plurality of collection media 106 are movable relative to the fluid composition sensor along at least two directional axes (e.g., x-axis and y-axis existing in the plane) (e.g., linear displacement), such that new (e.g., unused) collection media 106 of the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 are exposed to a volume of fluid flowing through an impactor nozzle, as described herein. Figure 11 As shown, in various embodiments, the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 disposed on the alignment plate can be arranged to define an array comprising a plurality of rows and columns.

[0055] As described herein, each of the plurality of collection media 106 of the plurality of collection media assemblies 150 may be disposed on a transparent substrate. In various embodiments, at least a portion of an alignment plate on which the plurality of collection media 106 are disposed may include a transparent substrate. For example, in various embodiments, the entire alignment plate may include a transparent substrate (however, in some embodiments, portions of the alignment plate between the collection media assemblies may include an opaque or translucent material). Furthermore, in various embodiments, the alignment plate may include one or more alignment keys 151 configured to facilitate manual and / or mechanical mounting and / or alignment of the collection media 106 disposed on the alignment plate, the positioning of which allows a volume of fluid flowing through a fluid composition sensor (e.g., through an impactor nozzle) to pass through the surface of the collection media 106. In various embodiments, one or more alignment keys 151 may be arranged around the alignment plate to correspond to specific rows and columns of an array defined by the plurality of collection media assemblies 150.

[0056] The alignment plate may also include a plurality of orifices corresponding to at least one orifice of each of the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150, the plurality of orifices being configured to allow a volume of fluid to flow through. In various embodiments, each of the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 may include an air-tight engagement portion surrounding a corresponding one of the plurality of collection media 106 and at least one orifice 111 located adjacent to it. In such a configuration, a volume of fluid flowing through the sensor may pass through the surface of the collection medium 106 surrounded by an air-tight engagement portion 115A engaged with an air-tight component of the fluid composition sensor, as described herein. For example, the collection medium 106 surrounded by the air-tight engagement portion engaged with an air-tight component of the fluid composition sensor may be fluidly isolated from each of the other collection media disposed on the alignment plate.

[0057] Figure 12 A top view of a plurality of collection medium assemblies disposed on an alignment belt according to an exemplary embodiment is shown. In various embodiments, the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 may be disposed on an alignment plate that is movable in a direction at least substantially parallel to a linear axis extending along the length of the alignment belt, such that the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 disposed thereon (e.g., including a plurality of collection media 106) are movable relative to an internal sensor portion of the housing of a fluid composition sensor. The alignment belt may be configured such that the plurality of collection media 106 are movable (e.g., linearly displaced) relative to the fluid composition sensor, such that new (e.g., unused) collection media 106 of the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 are exposed to a volume of fluid flowing through an impactor nozzle, as described herein. Figure 12 As shown, in various embodiments, a plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 disposed on the alignment strip may be arranged to define a row of collection medium assemblies 150 extending along the length of the alignment strip.

[0058] In various embodiments, at least a portion of the alignment strip on which a plurality of collection media 106 are disposed may include a transparent substrate 108. For example, in various embodiments, the entire alignment strip may include a transparent substrate 108 (but it should be understood that portions of the alignment strip between the collection media assemblies 150 may include an opaque or translucent material). Furthermore, in various embodiments, the alignment strip may include one or more alignment keys 151 configured to facilitate manual and / or mechanical mounting and / or alignment of the collection media 106 disposed on the alignment strip, the location of which allows a volume of fluid flowing through a fluid composition sensor (e.g., through an impactor nozzle) to pass through the surface of the collection media 106. In various embodiments, one or more alignment keys 151 may be arranged around the alignment strip to correspond to a particular collection media assembly 150 of a row defined by the plurality of collection media assemblies 150.

[0059] The alignment band may also include a plurality of orifices corresponding to at least one orifice of each of the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150, the plurality of orifices being configured to allow a volume of fluid to flow through. In various embodiments, each of the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 may include an air-tight engagement portion surrounding a corresponding one of the plurality of collection media 106 and at least one orifice positioned adjacent to it. In such a configuration, a volume of fluid flowing through the sensor may pass through the surface of the collection medium 106 surrounded by an air-tight engagement portion 115A engaged with an air-tight component of the fluid composition sensor, as described herein. For example, the collection medium 106 surrounded by the air-tight engagement portion engaged with an air-tight component of the fluid composition sensor may be fluidly isolated from each of the other collection media among the plurality of collection media disposed on the alignment band. As described herein, in various embodiments, the alignment band may include a non-rigid (e.g., flexible, bendable, foldable, etc.) material. For example, each of the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 may be separated by a fold line along which the alignment band may be folded. In various embodiments, the non-rigid material of the alignment strip can facilitate compact storage of multiple collection medium assemblies 150, thereby increasing the capacity of the fluid composition sensor.

[0060] Figure 13 A cross-sectional view of an exemplary device according to an embodiment described herein is shown. Specifically, Figure 13 An exemplary collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 is shown, configured to accommodate at least a portion of a plurality of collection media. As described herein, in various embodiments, an exemplary collection medium assembly 150 may be configured to facilitate the co-storage (e.g., stacking) and subsequent dispensing of each of the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 into an internal sensor portion of a fluid composition sensor. Figure 13As shown, multiple exemplary collection medium assemblies 150 may be disposed within a collection medium assembly storage chamber 160. In various embodiments, the collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 may store multiple unused collection medium assemblies before they are sequentially used for particle collection within the fluid composition sensor. The collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 may be configured to at least substantially minimize the exposure of each of the collection medium assemblies 150 stored therein to the surrounding environment to avoid contamination of the corresponding collection medium 106.

[0061] As described herein, the collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 may be further configured to sequentially, in series, transfer each of the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 stored therein to the internal sensor portion of the fluid composition sensor. In various embodiments, the collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 may include an actuator element 161 configured to selectively apply force to one of the plurality of collection media stored within the collection medium assembly storage chamber to reposition the collection medium assembly 150 from the collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 toward the internal sensor portion of the fluid composition sensor. For example, the actuator element 161 may be configured to, from such... Figure 13 The compression position is moved to the extension position. When actuator element 161 moves from the compression position to the extension position, actuator element 161 can be configured to apply a force to the collection medium assembly 150. In various embodiments, the force applied to the collection medium assembly 150 when actuator element 161 moves from the compression position to the extension position can reposition the collection medium assembly such that when actuator element 161 is in the extension position, the collection medium assembly 150 is in a receiving position within the internal sensor portion of the fluid composition sensor. In various embodiments, the receiving position can be defined by the arrangement of the collection medium assembly 150 within the internal sensor portion of the fluid composition sensor, wherein the corresponding collection medium 106 is positioned such that a volume of fluid flowing through the fluid composition sensor (e.g., through an impactor nozzle) can pass through its surface. In various embodiments, when extending from the compression position to the extension position (e.g., to position the collection medium assembly 150 in the receiving position), actuator element 161 can be configured to retract from the extension position back to the compression position. Furthermore, in various embodiments, actuator element 161 may include a gear drive mechanism and / or a lever arm mechanism, which may be configured to operate according to one or more embodiments described herein.

[0062] As shown, the collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 may include a dispensing opening 162 within one or more walls of the chamber. The dispensing opening 162 is configured to allow one or more collection medium assemblies of the collection medium assemblies 150 stored within the collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 to pass through it when one or more collection medium assemblies of the collection medium assemblies 150 are transferred to the internal portion of the fluid composition sensor. In various embodiments, the dispensing opening 162 may include a dispensing door that can be selectively opened and closed to facilitate selective dispensing of the collection medium assemblies 150. For example, in Figure 13 In the exemplary embodiment shown, actuator element 161 may be configured to apply a lateral (e.g., horizontal) force to the collection medium assembly 150 positioned at a loading location (e.g., at the top of a stack of collection medium assemblies) to dispense the collection medium assembly 150 from the collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 through dispensing opening 162. As described herein, the collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 may be positioned close to the housing of the fluid composition sensor such that the housing is configured to receive at least a portion of the collection medium assembly 150 dispensed from the collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 via an extension of actuator element 161, thereby repositioning the collection medium assembly 150 through the dispensing opening. Thus, the dispensing opening 162 may be at least substantially planar with the internal sensor portion (e.g., the location of the collection medium assembly 150 when used for collecting airflow particles). As described above, the collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 can be configured to dispense the collection medium assembly 150 through the dispensing opening 162 (e.g., using actuator element 161) to deliver the collection medium assembly 150 to a receiving position within the internal sensor portion of the fluid composition sensor.

[0063] The collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 can be configured to arrange a plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 within the chamber such that they can be continuously transferred in series from a storage location to a receiving location within the internal sensor portion of the fluid composition sensor, as described herein. For example, the collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 may define a loading location located near and / or at least substantially planar with the actuator element 161 and / or dispensing opening 162, wherein the collection medium assembly 150 positioned at the loading location may be the next collection medium assembly 150 among a plurality of collection medium assemblies disposed within the collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 to be (e.g., sequentially prior to each of the other collection medium assemblies stored within the collection medium assembly storage chamber 160) transferred to the fluid composition sensor. Figure 13As shown, a plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 stored within a collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 may be arranged in a stack. As illustrated, the loading position may include a location near the actuator element 161 and / or the dispensing opening 162 (e.g., the top of the stack). In various embodiments, the collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 may include a loading element 163 configured to arrange the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 disposed within the collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 such that, upon dispensing a first collection medium assembly, a second collection medium is moved within the collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 to the loading position. For example, the loading element 163 may include a plate configured to be biased such that the plate transmits a corresponding loading force to one or more of the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150. In such exemplary cases, a biasing force may be applied to the bottom surface of the loading element 163 (e.g., via a spring) to push subsequently stacked collection medium assemblies 150 of the plurality of collection medium assemblies into the loading position. In various embodiments, the bias force applied to the loading element 163 and / or the loading force applied from the loading element 163 to one or more of the plurality of collection media assemblies 150 may be either a constant force or an intermittent force selectively applied between subsequent allocations of the collection media assemblies 150, in order to arrange the plurality of collection media assemblies such that at least one collection media assembly 150 is in the loading position.

[0064] Figures 14A to 14B Exemplary apparatuses according to various embodiments are illustrated. As described herein, a fluid composition sensor may include a housing 101, an illumination source 116, an impactor nozzle 104, at least one collection medium 106 disposed on a transparent substrate 108, and an imaging device 110. In various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor may be configured to receive a volume of fluid within an internal sensor portion of the housing 101. The impactor nozzle 104 may be configured to guide the flow of at least a portion of the volume of fluid received by the fluid composition sensor 100 along a flow direction 130 at least substantially perpendicular to and pointing towards the receiving surface of the collection medium 106.

[0065] As described herein, an impactor nozzle 104 may be disposed within an internal sensor portion of a housing 101 and may include a nozzle inlet, a nozzle outlet, and a plurality of sidewalls extending between the nozzle inlet and the nozzle outlet. The nozzle inlet is configured to receive at least a portion of a volume of fluid received by a fluid composition sensor. Each of the plurality of sidewalls of the impactor nozzle may include an inner sidewall and an outer sidewall. In various embodiments, the nozzle inlet may include a nozzle inlet cross-sectional area defined at least partially by a perimeter formed at the nozzle inlet by each of the inner sidewalls of the plurality of sidewalls. Similarly, the nozzle outlet may include a nozzle outlet cross-sectional area defined at least partially by a perimeter formed at the nozzle outlet by each of the inner sidewalls of the plurality of sidewalls. In various embodiments, the impactor nozzle 104 may also include a central nozzle axis extending vertically between the nozzle inlet and the nozzle outlet.

[0066] In various embodiments, the impactor nozzle 104 may include a first nozzle portion and a second nozzle portion, both of which may be defined at least partially by a portion of a plurality of sidewalls of the impactor nozzle 104. The first nozzle portion may include a portion of the impactor nozzle 104 defined at least partially by at least one tapered inner sidewall extending between the nozzle inlet and an intermediate nozzle position. The second nozzle portion may include a portion of the impactor nozzle 104 defined at least partially by at least one inner sidewall extending between the intermediate nozzle position and the nozzle outlet. As described herein, the intermediate nozzle position may include an intermediate nozzle cross-sectional area and may be defined by a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the impactor nozzle 104 and disposed between the first and second nozzle portions. In various embodiments, the first nozzle portion may be configured such that the nozzle inlet cross-sectional area is larger than the cross-sectional width of the intermediate nozzle. Furthermore, as described in further detail herein, the second nozzle portion may be configured such that the nozzle outlet cross-sectional area is larger, smaller, or at least substantially the same as the cross-sectional area of ​​the intermediate nozzle. For example, as... Figure 14A , 14B As shown, the impactor nozzle 104 is configured such that the nozzle outlet cross-sectional area and the intermediate nozzle cross-sectional area are substantially the same size.

[0067] As described herein, the impactor nozzle 104 may receive at least a portion of a volume of fluid received by the fluid composition sensor 100, and may be configured to guide the volume of fluid along a flow direction 130 that is at least substantially perpendicular to and points toward the receiving surface of the collection medium 106. For example, the flow direction 130 may be at least substantially aligned with and / or parallel to the central nozzle axis of the impactor nozzle 104. The collection medium 106 may be configured to receive one or more of a plurality of particles 120 within a volume of fluid via interaction with the volume of fluid guided from the impactor nozzle 104. As described herein, the collection medium 106 may be a component of a collection medium assembly, which may further include a transparent substrate 108 and at least one orifice 111. As described herein, the at least one orifice 111 may be configured such that at least a portion of the volume of fluid can pass through the transparent substrate 108 and continue through the internal sensor portion in the flow direction 130.

[0068] In various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor may further include one or more air-sealing components 115B configured to engage one or more corresponding air-sealing engagement portions 115A of the collection medium assembly disposed within the internal sensor portion of the housing. As described herein, the one or more air-sealing components 115B may be configured to surround at least the collection medium 106 and a corresponding at least one orifice 111 to isolate the collection assembly 106 from the surrounding ambient fluid, such that at least substantially all of a volume of fluid flowing through the fluid composition sensor flows through at least one orifice 111.

[0069] As described, the fluid composition sensor may include an illumination source 116 configured to emit one or more light beams. In various embodiments, the illumination source 116 may be a laser, lamp, light-emitting diode (LED), etc., which may operate in conjunction with one or more lenses configured to collectively generate a light beam (e.g., ultraviolet, visible, infrared, or multicolor light) that may be emitted toward the collection medium 106, as described in further detail herein. In some embodiments, the illumination source 116 may be configured such that a lens is not required, such as when the fluid composition sensor is configured to perform lensless holography, as described herein. For example, as... Figure 14BAs shown, the illumination source can be configured to emit one or more light beams along the light emission direction 131, such that the light beams can engage the collection medium 106 and illuminate one or more particles disposed within the collection medium 106. Furthermore, as described herein, the fluid composition sensor may also include an imaging device 110 configured to capture images of one or more of the plurality of particles 120 received by the collection medium 106. In various embodiments, the imaging device 110 may be positioned at least substantially adjacent to (e.g., in contact with or spaced apart from) the transparent substrate 108, such that the imaging device 110 can effectively capture one or more images of the one or more particles captured within the collection medium 106. The collection medium 106 may reside at least partially within the field of view of the imaging device 110, such that the plurality of particles 120 captured by the collection medium 106 are visible to the imaging device 110. In various embodiments, the imaging device 110 may be configured to capture images of one or more of the plurality of particles 120 received by the collection medium 106 using one or more imaging techniques such as lensless holography, optical microscopy, etc.

[0070] As described herein, in various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor can be configured between an open housing configuration and a closed configuration. Specifically, Figure 14A A cross-sectional view of an exemplary fluid composition sensor in a closed configuration is shown. The fluid composition sensor in the closed housing configuration is at least partially defined by engagement of at least one air-sealing component 115A with an air-sealing engagement portion of the collection medium assembly. As described herein, such engagement of the fluid composition sensor in the closed configuration provides a robust seal around at least the collection medium 106 and one or more corresponding orifices 111 to isolate the collection medium 106 and one or more corresponding orifices 111 from a volume of ambient fluid, thereby minimizing unwanted contamination of adjacent segments of the collection medium 106.

[0071] Figure 14BA cross-sectional view of an exemplary fluid composition sensor in an open configuration is shown. In various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor in an open housing configuration can be configured to allow reconfiguration of a collection medium assembly relative to at least a portion of the internal sensor portion of housing 101. In various embodiments where the fluid composition sensor is in an open configuration, the collection medium assembly, including a collection medium 106 disposed within the internal sensor portion of the fluid composition sensor, can be reconfigured such that the collection medium 106 is removed from the internal sensor portion. For example, the collection medium assembly can be removed from the internal sensor portion and transported to an exemplary secondary location. Alternatively, in the case of the fluid composition sensor in an open configuration, the collection medium assembly, including a collection medium 106 positioned outside housing 101, can be reconfigured such that the collection medium 106 is stored within the internal sensor portion of housing 101. For example, the collection medium assembly can be rotated and / or displaced relative to the internal sensor portion such that the collection medium 106 is at least substantially adjacent to the nozzle outlet arrangement of the impactor nozzle 104. Although various exemplary embodiments described herein are shown to include physical openings so that one or more components of the fluid composition sensor disposed within an internal sensor portion of the housing are exposed to a volume of ambient fluid, it should be understood that in various embodiments, the internal sensor portion of the fluid composition sensor may remain at least substantially isolated from the surrounding environment in an open configuration to avoid sensor contamination.

[0072] Figures 15 to 17 Various cross-sectional views of exemplary devices according to embodiments described herein are shown. Specifically, Figure 15 A cross-sectional view of an exemplary fluid composition sensor in an open configuration is shown, wherein the exemplary fluid composition sensor includes a plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 disposed on an alignment plate. For example, the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 disposed on the alignment plate may be arranged to define an array comprising a plurality of rows and / or columns. As described herein, the fluid composition sensor may be configured such that when the fluid composition sensor is in an open configuration, the alignment plate is movable about a transverse plane in multiple directions, such that the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 disposed thereon (e.g., including a plurality of collection media 106) are movable relative to the internal sensor portion of the housing 101. The alignment plate may be configured such that the plurality of collection media 106 are movable relative to the housing 101 (e.g., linearly displaced and / or rotated), such that new (e.g., unused) collection media 106 of the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 are exposed to a volume of fluid flowing through the impactor nozzle 104. As described herein, when the unused collection media 106 is disposed at a desired position at least substantially adjacent to the nozzle outlet of the impactor nozzle 104, the fluid composition sensor may be reconfigured to a closed configuration, thereby fixing the position of the collection media 106 relative to the nozzle outlet.

[0073] Figure 16 A cross-sectional view of an exemplary fluid composition sensor in an open configuration is shown, wherein the exemplary fluid composition sensor includes a plurality of individual collection medium assemblies 150, each collection medium assembly being configured to be continuously connected in series within an internal sensor portion of the fluid composition sensor. In various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor may include one or more collection medium assembly storage chambers configured to store at least a portion of the plurality of collection medium assemblies. Additionally, in various embodiments, each of at least one collection medium assembly storage chamber may be configured to dispense one or more of the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 into and / or receive the one or more collection medium assemblies from the housing 101. For example, as shown, the fluid composition sensor may include a first collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 and a second collection medium assembly storage chamber 164.

[0074] like Figure 16 As shown, each of the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 includes a collection medium disposed on a transparent substrate, a plurality of apertures arranged adjacent to and extending through the transparent substrate 108, an airtight joint portion, and a collection medium housing (e.g., a frame element). As described herein, in various embodiments, each of the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 may be configured to facilitate their co-storage in a collection medium assembly storage chamber. For example, as shown, at least a portion of the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 may be organized in a stacked configuration, with corresponding collection medium housings stacked relative to each other to minimize unwanted contamination of the collection medium through physical engagement of the collection medium with one or more components (e.g., corresponding collection medium housings) of adjacent collection medium assemblies.

[0075] In various embodiments, a first collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 may store multiple unused collection medium assemblies before each of the multiple collection medium assemblies is used for particle collection within the fluid composition sensor. For example, the first collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 may be configured to arrange multiple collection medium assemblies 150 within the chamber such that they can be continuously transferred in series from the first collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 to the internal sensor portion of the fluid composition sensor. In various embodiments, the collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 may include an actuator element 161 configured to selectively apply force to one of the multiple collection media stored within the first collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 (e.g., in a loaded position) to reposition the collection medium assembly 150 from the collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 toward the internal sensor portion of the fluid composition sensor housing 101 (e.g., aligned with the impactor nozzle 104). For example, in Figure 16 In the exemplary embodiment shown, the actuator element 161 of the first collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 may be configured to apply a lateral force to the collection medium assembly 150 positioned in a loading position (e.g., at the top of a stack of collection medium assemblies) to dispense the collection medium assembly 150 from the first collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 into the internal sensor portion of the fluid composition sensor. As described herein, the first collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 may be positioned close to the housing of the fluid composition sensor such that the housing is configured to receive the collection medium assembly 150 dispensed from the collection medium assembly storage chamber 160.

[0076] In various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor may include a second collection medium assembly storage chamber 164 configured to store a plurality of used collection medium assemblies 150 dispensed from the fluid composition sensor housing (e.g., collection medium assemblies 150 including collection medium 106 and including a surface disposed within the internal sensor portion, the surface having been traversed by at least one volume of fluid, such that one or more particles from that volume of fluid are disposed therein). For example, the second collection medium assembly storage chamber 164 may be configured to receive a plurality of collection assemblies 150 continuously transferred in series from the internal sensor portion of the fluid composition sensor to the second collection medium assembly storage chamber 164. The second collection medium assembly storage chamber 164 may include a storage opening in one or more walls of the chamber configured to allow one or more collection medium assemblies 150 dispensed from the housing to pass through it, such that one or more collection medium assemblies 150 can be transferred from the internal portion of the fluid composition sensor to the second collection medium assembly storage chamber 164. In various embodiments, the storage opening may include a storage door that can be selectively opened and closed to facilitate selective reception of the collection medium assemblies 150.

[0077] As described herein, once it is determined that at least substantially the entire sample volume of fluid has passed through the surface of the collection medium 106, the fluid composition sensor may be configured to dispense the used collection medium 106 and refill the internal sensor portion with unused collection medium 106. In various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor may be configured to receive unused collection medium assemblies 150 (e.g., unused collection medium 106) from a first collection medium assembly storage chamber 160 and transfer the used collection medium 106 to a second collection medium assembly storage chamber 164 at substantially similar times (e.g., simultaneously) or at different times (e.g., sequentially).

[0078] Figure 17A cross-sectional view of an exemplary fluid composition sensor in an open configuration is shown, wherein the exemplary fluid composition sensor includes a plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 disposed on an alignment strip. Figure 17 As shown, a plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 disposed on the alignment tape can be arranged to define a row of collection medium assemblies 150 extending along the length of the alignment tape. In various embodiments, the alignment tape is movable in a direction at least substantially parallel to a linear axis extending along the length of the alignment tape, such that the plurality of collection medium assemblies 150 disposed thereon (e.g., including a plurality of collection media 106) are movable relative to the internal sensor portion of the housing of the fluid composition sensor. In various embodiments, at least a portion of the alignment tape may be wound around both a first alignment tape reel 165A and a second alignment tape reel 165B, which may be arranged together such that at least a portion of the alignment tape may extend therebetween. The first alignment tape reel 165A and the second alignment tape reel 165B may be further configured such that at least a portion of the alignment tape extending therebetween may have at least one collection medium assembly 150 disposed thereon. For example, the fluid composition sensor may be configured such that a collection medium assembly 150 disposed on at least a portion of the alignment tape extending between the first alignment tape reel 165A and the second alignment tape reel 165B may be disposed within an internal sensor portion at least substantially adjacent to the nozzle outlet of the impactor nozzle 104.

[0079] In various embodiments in which the fluid composition sensor is in an open configuration, as shown, the alignment band can be configured such that a plurality of collection media 106 are movable (e.g., linearly displaced) relative to the fluid composition sensor housing, such that new (e.g., unused) collection media 106 of the plurality of collection media assemblies 150 are exposed to a volume of fluid flowing through the impactor nozzle 104, as described herein. For example, the alignment band can be configured to move relative to the fluid composition sensor housing at least in part based on rotation of a first alignment band reel 165A and a second alignment band reel 165B. The first alignment band reel 165A and the second alignment band reel 165B can be configured to rotate uniformly (e.g., at the same rate in the same rotational direction), such that a portion of the alignment band extending therebetween can be configured in which one or more collection media 106 disposed on that portion are at least substantially perpendicular to the central axis of the impactor nozzle 104.

[0080] Figures 18A to 18D Exemplary apparatuses according to various embodiments described herein are illustrated schematically. Specifically, Figures 18A to 18DExemplary devices including various impactor nozzle configurations according to various embodiments described herein are schematically illustrated. As described herein, a fluid composition sensor may include an illumination source 116, an impactor nozzle 104, a collection medium 106 disposed on a transparent substrate 108, and an imaging device 110. In various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor may be configured to receive a volume of fluid containing a plurality of particles. The fluid composition sensor may be further configured to guide a volume of fluid toward a receiving surface of the collection medium 106 in a flow direction at least substantially perpendicular to the collection medium 106 using the impactor nozzle 104, so as to facilitate the engagement of the collection medium 106 with the volume of fluid, such that at least a portion of the plurality of particles within the volume of fluid can be disposed in the collection medium 106.

[0081] As described herein, the impactor nozzle 104 may include a nozzle inlet, a nozzle outlet, and a plurality of sidewalls extending between the nozzle inlet and the nozzle outlet. The nozzle inlet is configured to receive at least a portion of a volume of fluid received by a fluid composition sensor. Each of the plurality of sidewalls of the impactor nozzle may include an inner sidewall 104A and an outer sidewall 104B. In various embodiments, the nozzle inlet may include a nozzle inlet cross-sectional area defined at least partially by a perimeter formed at the nozzle inlet by each of the inner sidewalls 104A of the plurality of sidewalls. Similarly, the nozzle outlet may include a nozzle outlet cross-sectional area defined at least partially by a perimeter formed at the nozzle outlet by each of the inner sidewalls 104A of the plurality of sidewalls. In various embodiments, the impactor nozzle 104 may also define a central nozzle axis extending vertically between the nozzle inlet and the nozzle outlet.

[0082] like Figure 18AAs shown, the impactor nozzle 104 may include a first nozzle portion 104C and a second nozzle portion 104D, both of which may be defined at least partially by a portion of a plurality of sidewalls of the impactor nozzle 104. The first nozzle portion 104C may include a portion of the impactor nozzle 104 defined at least partially by at least one tapered inner sidewall extending between the nozzle inlet and the intermediate nozzle position 104E. The second nozzle portion 104D may include a portion of the impactor nozzle 104 defined at least partially by at least a portion of one or more inner sidewalls 104A extending between the intermediate nozzle position 104E and the nozzle outlet. As described herein, the intermediate nozzle position 104E may include an intermediate nozzle cross-sectional area and may be defined by a plane arranged at least substantially perpendicular to the central axis of the impactor nozzle 104 between the first nozzle portion 104C and the second nozzle portion 104D. In various embodiments, the first nozzle portion 104C may include a tapered configuration in which the nozzle inlet cross-sectional area is larger than the intermediate nozzle cross-sectional area. Furthermore, in various embodiments, the second nozzle portion can be configured such that the nozzle outlet cross-sectional area is larger, smaller, or at least substantially the same as the cross-sectional area of ​​the intermediate nozzle. For example, as... Figure 18A As shown, the impactor nozzle 104 is configured such that the nozzle outlet cross-sectional area and the intermediate nozzle cross-sectional area are substantially the same size. As described, the variable cross-sectional area of ​​each segment of the impactor nozzle 104 can be configured to increase the velocity of a volume of fluid (e.g., multiple particles therein) flowing through the nozzle and induce laminar flow such that at least a portion of the multiple particles within the volume of fluid have sufficient momentum to impact the collection medium 106 and become disposed therein.

[0083] In various embodiments, the illumination source 116 may be a laser, lamp, light-emitting diode (LED), etc., which can generate one or more light beams 300 (e.g., ultraviolet, visible, infrared, or multicolor light) that can be emitted toward the collection medium 106. For example, the illumination source 116 may be configured to emit one or more light beams 300 in a light emission direction such that the light beams can engage the collection medium 106 and illuminate one or more particles disposed within the collection medium 106. Furthermore, as described herein, the imaging device 110 of the fluid composition sensor may be configured to utilize one or more light beams 300 to capture images of one or more particles of a plurality of particles 120 received by the collection medium 106 using one or more imaging techniques such as in-situ imaging (e.g., lensless holography).

[0084] In various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor may be configured such that one or more illumination sources 116 are arranged relative to the central nozzle axis of the impactor nozzle 104. For example, as Figures 18A to 18DAs shown, the fluid composition sensor can be configured such that the illumination source 116 is at least substantially aligned with the central nozzle axis of the impactor nozzle 104. In such a configuration, the illumination source 116 can emit one or more beams 300 in a light emission direction at least substantially similar to the extension of the central nozzle axis, such that at least a portion of the one or more beams 300 extends through both the nozzle inlet and nozzle outlet of the impactor nozzle 104 to illuminate one or more particles disposed in the collection medium 106. In various embodiments, as the one or more beams 300 extend toward the collection medium 106 away from the illumination source 116 in the light emission direction, the one or more beams 300 can naturally diverge from the light emission direction, such that the one or more beams 300 can define a beam emission angle. In such cases, the one or more beams can collectively embody a conical beam at least partially defined by its outer edge, wherein the cross-sectional area of ​​the conical beam increases as it extends toward the collection medium 106 (e.g., along the central axis of the nozzle 104). In various embodiments, the beam angle may correspond to an angle measured between the original light emission direction of the beam (e.g., the central axis of the impactor nozzle 104) and the outer edges of one or more beams (e.g., diverging beams).

[0085] like Figure 18A As shown, the diverging beam 300 (including one or more beams) may include an outer edge and an inner beam portion 301 defined by the portion of the diverging beam within the outer edge. For example, the diverging beam 300 emitted from the illumination source 116 may be at least partially defined by the outer edge 310. Furthermore, the diverging beam 300 may also be at least partially defined by an outer beam angle 311 corresponding to a divergence angle measured at the outer edge 310 (e.g., an angle measured between the outer edge 310 and the central axis of the impactor nozzle 104). For example, in various embodiments, at least a portion of the diverging beam 300 may be constrained by an intermediate nozzle position 104E.

[0086] In various embodiments, at least a portion of the inner portion 301 of the diverging beam 300 may have a sufficiently small beam angle to be emitted from the illumination source 116 and travel along the light emission path to the collecting medium 106 without substantially engaging the sidewall of the impactor nozzle 104. For example, the impactor nozzle 104 may be configured such that a portion of the inner portion 301 of the diverging beam 300, defined by the intermediate edge 320 and the intermediate beam angle 321, extends between the illumination source 116 and the collecting medium 106 through both the nozzle inlet and the nozzle outlet, without substantially engaging the inner sidewall 104A of the impactor nozzle 104.

[0087] Furthermore, in various embodiments, the impactor nozzle 104 may be configured such that at least a portion of the diverging beam 300 traveling through it may be incident on one or more inner sidewalls of the inner sidewall 104A. In such cases, the portion of the diverging beam incident on the inner sidewall 104A may be reflected and / or scattered from the inner sidewall 104A. For example, as shown, a portion of the inner portion 301 of the diverging beam 300, defined by a beam angle greater than the intermediate beam angle 321 (e.g., the outer beam angle 321) and extending radially between the intermediate edge 320 and the outer edge 310, may be incident on the inner sidewall 104A of the impactor nozzle 104. Thus, a reflecting portion 322 of the diverging beam 300 may be produced. As shown, the reflecting portion 322 may correspond to the portion of the inner portion 301 of the diverging beam 300 incident on the inner sidewall of the second nozzle portion 104D. For example, the reflective portion 322 can be deflected when engaging the inner sidewall 104A so as to travel through the nozzle exit in a reflection direction significantly different from the light emission direction defined by one or more beams of light from the reflective portion 322 corresponding to the illumination source 116. In various embodiments, at least a portion of the reflective portion 322 of the diverging beam 300 may continue to illuminate the collection medium 106 and / or the imaging device 110. In such cases, the reflective portion 322 of the diverging beam 300 may affect the performance of the imaging device 110, resulting in optical interference, for example, which can be manifested by spatial variations in apparent illumination intensity captured by the imaging device 110. In various embodiments, the reflective portion 322 may generate image noise that may at least partially obscure one or more features of one or more particles disposed within the collection medium 106, as described herein.

[0088] Figures 18B to 18C Exemplary devices including various impactor nozzle configurations according to various embodiments described herein are illustrated schematically. Specifically, Figures 18B to 18C An exemplary device including an impactor nozzle 104 is schematically shown, the impactor nozzle being configured to avoid the generation of a reflected beam portion caused, as described herein, by a portion of the diverging beam 300 incident on the sidewall of the impactor nozzle 104. As shown, the impactor nozzle 104 may be configured such that a second nozzle portion 104D may include at least one tapered inner sidewall extending between the intermediate nozzle position 104E and the nozzle outlet. For example, as... Figure 18BAs shown, the inner wall 104A at the second portion of the impactor nozzle 104 may include a tapered configuration at least partially defined by a cone angle 143A, such that the nozzle exit cross-sectional area of ​​the impactor nozzle 104 is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the intermediate nozzle. In various embodiments, the cone angle 143 of the second nozzle portion may correspond to at least one beam emission angle (e.g., outer beam emission angle 311) of the diverging beam 300 emitted from the illumination source 116. For example, the cone angle 143 of the second nozzle portion may be at least as large as the outer beam emission angle 311 corresponding to the outer beam 310, as described herein, and therefore at least as large as each of the beam emission angles corresponding to one or more beams defined by the diverging beam 300. In such exemplary impactor nozzle 104 configurations, the inner wall 104A of the second nozzle portion of the impactor nozzle 104 may avoid interfering with the outer edge 310 of the diverging beam 300, thereby avoiding the generation of reflected beam portions, as described herein.

[0089] like Figure 18C As shown, in various embodiments, the cone angle 143A may reflect the difference between the configuration of the inner sidewall 104A as shown and exemplary inner sidewalls including straight configurations (e.g., where the nozzle outlet cross-sectional area and the intermediate nozzle cross-sectional width are at least substantially similar, such as...). Figure 18A (As shown). In various embodiments, the cone angle 143A may be small enough to minimize the impact on the velocity and / or laminar flow of the fluid flowing through the exemplary volume therethrough, as described herein. For example, based at least in part on the configuration of the illumination source 116, the cone angle 143A may be at least substantially between 1 degree and 10 degrees (e.g., between 2 degrees and 5 degrees). In various embodiments, the cone angle 143A may be defined at least in part by the cross-sectional width of the intermediate nozzle and the distance between the illumination source 116 and the intermediate nozzle position. For example, in various embodiments, the cone angle Θ143A may be defined by the following equation:

[0090]

[0091] Furthermore, although shown as including linear (e.g., straight) sidewalls relative to the various exemplary embodiments described herein, it should be understood that in various embodiments, one or more of the plurality of sidewalls of the impactor nozzle 104 may include a configuration that is at least partially curved. For example, as Figures 18B to 18C As shown, the transition between the first nozzle portion and the second nozzle portion (e.g., around the intermediate nozzle position) can define the radius of curvature. Alternatively, the inner wall 104A of the impactor nozzle 104 can be at least partially curved such that no portion of the diverging beam 200 is incident on the side wall 104A.

[0092] Figure 18DExemplary devices including impactor nozzle configurations according to various embodiments described herein are schematically illustrated. Specifically, Figure 18D An exemplary device including an impactor nozzle 104 is schematically shown, the impactor nozzle being configured to avoid the generation of a reflected beam portion caused, as described herein, by a portion of the diverging beam 300 incident on the sidewall of the impactor nozzle 104. As shown, the impactor nozzle 104 may be configured such that a second nozzle portion extending between the intermediate nozzle position and the nozzle exit may include a straight configuration, wherein the cross-sectional area of ​​the nozzle exit and the cross-sectional width of the intermediate nozzle are at least substantially similar. For example, each inner sidewall 104A on opposite sides of the central nozzle axis of the impactor nozzle may define a configuration that is at least substantially parallel, such that the cone angle 143 of the second nozzle portion may be at least substantially zero.

[0093] In various embodiments, to avoid interfering with the diverging beam 300 (e.g., interfering with the outer edge 310), at least a portion of one or more sidewalls of the impactor nozzle may be laterally moved in an outward direction (e.g., away from the central nozzle axis) to increase the nozzle exit cross-sectional area and / or the intermediate cross-sectional area. The displacement of at least a portion of one or more sidewalls can effectively widen the second nozzle portion so that the diverging beam 300 can pass through the impactor nozzle 104 without interference from one or more of the inner sidewalls 104A. As described herein, in such embodiments, the nozzle sidewalls may be moved in an outward direction (e.g., away from the central nozzle axis) for particle analysis (e.g., image acquisition) and may be moved in an inward direction (e.g., toward the central nozzle axis) for particle collection (e.g., controlling the flow of fluid toward the collection medium 106).

[0094] like Figure 18D As shown, the portion of one or more of the multiple sidewalls defining the nozzle outlet can be displaced away from the central axis of the nozzle by a first sidewall displacement distance 144A. In various embodiments, one or more of the multiple sidewalls can be displaced away from the central axis by different distances (such as a second sidewall displacement distance 144B). Alternatively or otherwise, in various embodiments, one or more of the multiple sidewalls can be displaced away from the central axis of the nozzle by substantially the same distance, such as where the first sidewall displacement distance 144A and the second sidewall displacement distance 144B are at least substantially similar. In various embodiments, one or more of the sidewall displacement distances 144A, 144B can at least partially correspond to the outer beam emission angle 311 of the diverging beam 300 emitted from the illumination source 116. For example, in various embodiments, one or more of the sidewall displacement distances 144A, 144B can be at least partially defined by the outlet nozzle size, the distance between the illumination source 116 and the nozzle outlet, and the divergence angle of the illumination beam.

[0095] In various embodiments, as described herein, the fluid composition sensor may include an exemplary impactor nozzle 104 capable of being selectively configured between a first nozzle configuration and a second nozzle configuration. For example, in various embodiments, the first nozzle configuration may correspond to a particle collection function of the fluid composition sensor, and the second nozzle configuration may correspond to a particle analysis function of the fluid composition sensor. As described herein, the particle collection function of the fluid composition sensor may correspond to the fluid composition sensor receiving a volume of fluid comprising a plurality of particles and guiding the volume of fluid toward a receiving surface of the collection medium 106 in a flow direction at least substantially perpendicular to the collection medium 106 using the impactor nozzle 104, so as to facilitate the engagement of the collection medium 106 with the volume of fluid, such that at least a portion of the plurality of particles within the volume of fluid can be disposed in the collection medium 106. For example, to achieve the particle collection function, the impactor nozzle 104 may be configured such that its nozzle outlet is positioned at least substantially adjacent to the collection medium 106. Furthermore, as described herein, the particle analysis function of the fluid composition sensor may correspond to the fluid composition sensor capturing an image of one or more particles received by the collection medium 106 and determining at least one particle characteristic of the volume of fluid received by the fluid composition sensor based at least in part on the image. For example, to enable particle analysis functionality of a fluid composition sensor, illumination source 116 may be configured to emit one or more light beams to engage collection medium 106 and illuminate one or more particles received by collection medium 106, as described herein. As described herein, in various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor may be configured to determine and / or identify one or more particle loading conditions at collection medium 106 based at least in part on one or more detected characteristics of one or more emitted light beams emitted from exemplary illumination source 116. As a non-limiting example, the fluid composition sensor (e.g., controller 200) may be configured to determine one or more particle loading conditions at collection medium 106 based at least in part on the total light intensity of at least a portion of collection medium 106 within the field of view of an imaging device, at least a portion of collection medium 106 illuminated by one or more light beams emitted from illumination source 116.

[0096] As described herein, in various embodiments, the particle collection and particle analysis functions of the fluid composition sensor can occur sequentially, such that the fluid composition sensor can be configured to initiate the particle analysis function when it is determined that the fluid of the entire sample volume has passed through the surface of the collection medium 106, and therefore the need for the particle collection function of the fluid composition sensor has been at least temporarily exhausted. In various embodiments, the device 10 may include a controller 200, which is described in further detail herein, configured to generate and / or transmit one or more signals configured to cause the fluid composition sensor 110 to terminate the particle collection operation, such as by stopping the operation of the pump 112 of the sensor 110 (e.g., by adjusting the pump 112 from an "on" operation configuration to an "off" configuration) based at least in part on the detection of one or more particle loading conditions at the collection medium 106 by the controller 200. For example, controller 200 may be configured to generate and / or transmit one or more signals configured to, based on determining that the detected total light intensity of the collection medium is below a predetermined light intensity threshold, cause fluid composition sensor 110 to stop particle collection operation by, for example, stopping the operation of pump 112 of sensor 110 (e.g., by adjusting pump 112 from an "on" operation configuration to an "off" configuration). In various embodiments, particle loading conditions may be defined at least in part by: the spatial arrangement of the plurality of particles disposed at the collection medium (e.g., particle aggregation, spike formation, particle contact, particle overlap, etc.), particle coverage percentage, average gray level of all pixels in the captured image, particle mass, total light intensity, amount of collected particles, calculated particle density, etc.

[0097] Therefore, in various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor can be configured to selectively alternate between a first nozzle configuration corresponding to a particle collection function and a second nozzle configuration corresponding to a particle analysis function. For example, in one exemplary embodiment, the first nozzle configuration can be... Figure 18A The exemplary nozzle configuration shown is illustrated and described in further detail herein. The variable cross-sectional area of ​​each segment and the minimized nozzle outlet cross-sectional area of ​​the impactor nozzle 104 can be configured to increase the velocity of a given volume of fluid flowing through the nozzle and induce laminar flow, such that at least a portion of the plurality of particles within the given volume of fluid can be contained within the collection medium 106 upon impact. Furthermore, in one exemplary embodiment, a second nozzle configuration can be achieved through… Figure 18DThe exemplary nozzle configuration shown herein is illustrated and described in further detail. Where the particle analysis function of the fluid composition sensor can be achieved by emitting one or more light beams (e.g., diverging beam 300) from illumination source 116, the impactor nozzle 104 in the second nozzle configuration avoids the generation of reflected / scattered beam portions caused by a portion of the diverging beam 300 incident on the sidewalls of the impactor nozzle 104, as described herein. To avoid interfering with the diverging beam 300 (e.g., interfering with the outer edge 310), at least a portion of one or more of the plurality of sidewalls of the impactor nozzle 104 may be laterally moved in a direction away from the central nozzle axis to increase the nozzle exit cross-sectional area and / or intermediate cross-sectional area. The displacement of at least a portion of one or more of the plurality of sidewalls may widen at least a portion of the impactor nozzle 104 so that the diverging beam 300 can pass through it without interference from one or more of the inner sidewalls 104A.

[0098] In various embodiments, the impactor nozzle 104 may be selectively configured between a first nozzle configuration and a second nozzle configuration, at least in part, based on the application and / or removal of the applied force. For example, in various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor may be configured to alternate the impactor nozzle 104 from the first nozzle configuration to the second nozzle configuration by applying a force in an outward direction (e.g., away from the central nozzle axis) at one or more of the plurality of sidewalls of the impactor nozzle 104 to displace at least a portion of the sidewall by a corresponding outward direction by a first sidewall displacement distance 144A. In such cases, the fluid composition sensor may be configured to selectively alternate the impactor nozzle 104 from the second nozzle configuration back to the first nozzle configuration by removing the force applied in the outward direction, or by applying an equal force in an inward direction (e.g., in the opposite direction to the outward direction) at one or more of the plurality of sidewalls of the impactor nozzle 104.

[0099] Alternatively, in various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor may be configured to cause the impactor nozzle 104 to alternate from a first nozzle configuration to a second nozzle configuration by removing a force applied in an inward direction (e.g., toward the central nozzle axis) at one or more of the plurality of sidewalls of the impactor nozzle 104 so as to displace at least a portion of the sidewall in an outward direction at least substantially opposite to the inward direction by a first sidewall displacement distance 144A. In such cases, the fluid composition sensor may be configured to selectively cause the impactor nozzle 104 to alternate from the second nozzle configuration back to the first nozzle configuration by reapplying an inward force at one or more of the plurality of sidewalls of the impactor nozzle 104 so as to retract at least a portion of the sidewall in a corresponding inward direction by a first sidewall displacement distance 144A.

[0100] Furthermore, in various embodiments, the impactor nozzle 104 in the second nozzle may be at least partially defined by a central nozzle axis, the position of which is reconfigured relative to the central nozzle axis defined by the exemplary impactor nozzle in the first nozzle configuration around the fluid composition sensor housing. For example, the entire impactor nozzle 104 may be rotated, displaced, or otherwise positioned around the fluid composition sensor housing to the second nozzle position, such that the impactor nozzle 104 in the second nozzle configuration avoids the generation of a reflected beam portion caused by a portion of the diverging beam 300 incident on the impactor nozzle 104.

[0101] Figures 19A to 19C A perspective view of an exemplary device according to various embodiments is shown. Specifically, Figures 19A to 19C Exemplary impactor nozzle configurations according to various embodiments described herein are illustrated. In various embodiments, the impactor nozzle 104 may include multiple nozzle components (e.g., two components, three components, five components, etc.) that may be at least partially joined together to collectively define the impactor nozzle 104. Figure 19A As shown, the impactor nozzle 104 may include two nozzle components, namely a first nozzle component 141 and a second nozzle component 142. In various embodiments, the first nozzle component 141 and the second nozzle component 142 may embody two distinct components of the impactor nozzle 104, each defined at least partially by corresponding elements, such that the two distinct components can be joined together to collectively define the impactor nozzle 104. As shown and as described herein, the exemplary impactor nozzle 104 defined by the first nozzle component 141 and the second nozzle component 142 may include a nozzle inlet, a nozzle outlet, and a plurality of sidewalls extending between the nozzle inlet and the nozzle outlet. Each of the plurality of sidewalls of the impactor nozzle may include an inner sidewall and an outer sidewall. In various embodiments, the nozzle inlet may include a nozzle inlet cross-sectional area defined at least partially by a perimeter formed at the nozzle inlet by each of the inner sidewalls of the plurality of sidewalls. Similarly, the nozzle outlet may include a nozzle outlet cross-sectional area defined at least partially by a perimeter formed at the nozzle outlet by each of the inner sidewalls of the plurality of sidewalls. In various embodiments, the impactor nozzle 104 may also include a central nozzle axis extending vertically between the nozzle inlet and the nozzle outlet. Furthermore, as... Figure 19AAs shown, the first nozzle component 141 and the second nozzle component 142 can be configured such that the impactor nozzle 104 may include a first nozzle portion, a second nozzle portion, and an intermediate nozzle position located therebetween. The first nozzle component 141 and the second nozzle component 142 can be configured such that the first nozzle portion and the second nozzle portion of the impactor nozzle 104 are configured according to various exemplary embodiments described in further detail herein. In various embodiments, the first nozzle component 141 and the second nozzle component 142 may include different characteristics, such as material composition.

[0102] Figure 19B A perspective view of an exemplary first nozzle portion 141 according to various embodiments is shown.

[0103] In various embodiments, the first nozzle portion 141 may include an upper portion defining a first nozzle portion inlet and one or more first nozzle portion sidewalls. In various embodiments, the one or more first nozzle portion sidewalls may define at least a portion of a plurality of sidewalls of the impactor nozzle 104. As shown, the first nozzle portion 141 includes two first nozzle portion sidewalls 141A, 141B.

[0104] Figure 19C A perspective view of an exemplary second nozzle portion 141 according to various embodiments is shown. In various embodiments, the second nozzle portion 142 may include an upper portion defining a second nozzle portion inlet and one or more second nozzle portion sidewalls. In various embodiments, the one or more second nozzle portion sidewalls may define at least a portion of a plurality of sidewalls of the impactor nozzle 104. As shown, the second nozzle portion 142 includes two second nozzle portion sidewalls 142A, 142B.

[0105] In various embodiments, as described herein, the first nozzle component 141 and the second nozzle component 142 may include corresponding elements that can be joined together to jointly define the impactor nozzle 104. For example, the upper portions of the first nozzle component 141 and the second nozzle component 142 may be configured to engage each other in a stacked configuration. The respective upper portions may be at least substantially aligned so as to at least partially jointly define the nozzle inlet of the impactor nozzle 104. Furthermore, in various embodiments, one or more sidewalls of both the first nozzle component 141 and the second nozzle component 142 may be configured to engage each other to define a plurality of sidewalls of the impactor nozzle 104. For example, as shown, the first nozzle component 141 engages with the second nozzle component 142 such that two first nozzle component sidewalls 141A, 141B and two second nozzle component sidewalls 142A, 142B jointly define a plurality of sidewalls of the impactor nozzle 104. The two first nozzle component sidewalls 141A, 141B and the two second nozzle component sidewalls 142A, 142B can be arranged to jointly define the first nozzle portion, the second nozzle portion and the nozzle outlet.

[0106] Figures 20A to 20B Exemplary impactor nozzle configurations according to various embodiments described herein are shown. Specifically, Figures 20A to 20B An exemplary impactor nozzle configuration is illustrated, wherein one or more of a plurality of sidewalls are selectively reconfigurable. In various embodiments, as described herein, the exemplary impactor nozzle may be selectively reconfigured (e.g., reconfigured from a first nozzle configuration to a second nozzle configuration) at least in part based on one or more environmental conditions. For example, in reference herein... Figure 18D In the exemplary embodiment described, the impactor nozzle 104 may be selectively reconfigured from a first nozzle configuration to a second nozzle configuration at least in part by laterally moving at least a portion of one or more sidewalls of a plurality of sidewalls of the impactor nozzle in an outward direction (e.g., away from the central nozzle axis) to increase the nozzle exit cross-sectional area and / or intermediate cross-sectional area in order to effectively widen at least a portion of the impactor nozzle 104.

[0107] like Figure 20A As shown, the impactor nozzle 104 can be configured such that at least a portion of each of the two first nozzle component sidewalls 141A, 141B and the two second nozzle component sidewalls 142A, 142B that together define a plurality of sidewalls of the impactor nozzle 104 can move independently relative to the central nozzle axis of the impactor nozzle 104. As shown, each of the plurality of sidewalls of the exemplary impactor nozzle 104 (e.g., the two first nozzle component sidewalls 141A, 141B and the two second nozzle component sidewalls 142A, 142B) has been laterally displaced in an outward direction.

[0108] Figure 20B A top cross-sectional view of an exemplary impactor nozzle 104, at least partially defined by a nozzle configuration, is shown, wherein each of a plurality of sidewalls has been laterally displaced in an outward direction away from the central nozzle axis 104F. Each of the plurality of sidewalls of the impactor nozzle 104 can move at least substantially independently of each of the other sidewalls. For example, as shown, the configuration of a first nozzle component sidewall 141A may define a first sidewall displacement distance 144A extending outward from the central nozzle axis 104F. Furthermore, as shown, the configuration of a first nozzle component sidewall 141B may define a second sidewall displacement distance 144B extending outward from the central nozzle axis 104F. As shown, the configuration of a second nozzle component sidewall 142A may define a third sidewall displacement distance 145A extending outward from the central nozzle axis 104F. Additionally, as shown in the figure, the configuration of the second nozzle component sidewall 142B can define a fourth sidewall displacement distance 145B, which extends outward from the central nozzle axis 104F. In various embodiments, the sidewall displacement distances 144A, 144B, 145A, and 145B may include the same or different distances.

[0109] Particle impact depth

[0110] As discussed herein, each of one or more of the plurality of particles 120 may include one or more particle characteristics, such as, for example, particle size, particle mass, particle density, particle velocity (e.g., particle linear velocity), particle cross-sectional area, and particle shape. In various embodiments, the particle size may be approximated based on particle diameter. In various embodiments, the particle velocity may be approximated based at least in part on the known flow rate of the fluid moving through the device 10. In various embodiments, a particle traveling at a particle velocity toward the collection medium 106 in the airflow direction 130 may also include particle momentum, which may be at least in part influenced by one or more particle characteristics. When a particle is at the receiving surface 105 of the collection medium 106, the particle may define an initial momentum. The depth to which the particle subsequently embeds itself in the collection medium (i.e., particle impact depth 121) is at least in part directly related to the particle's initial momentum. In various embodiments, the particle impact depth 121 may be related to particle size, particle mass, and particle velocity.

[0111] like Figure 2As shown, each of the plurality of particles 120 within the collection medium 106 may also define both an impact depth 121 and a focusing depth 122. In various embodiments, the impact depth 121 of a particle may include the distance between the receiving surface 105 of the collection medium 106 and the location where the particle stops within the collection medium 106. As described herein, a particle may travel at a certain velocity along the airflow direction 130 through the receiving surface 105 and become lodged within the collection medium 106 before reaching the back side 107. The depth to which a particle is embedded in the collection medium 106 may define the impact depth 121 of that particle. The impact depth 121 of a particle may be related to at least the initial momentum of the particle at the receiving surface 105 of the collection medium, which must be dissipated by the collection medium 106. In various embodiments, the impact depth 121 of a particle may be affected by the type of collection medium, particle shape (e.g., particle cross-sectional area, particle orientation), ambient temperature, and / or ambient humidity. In various embodiments, since a larger particle cross-sectional area will disperse kinetic energy more rapidly within the collection medium, thereby reducing the particle impact depth, a compensation factor can be applied, for example, to the estimated mass of the particles to address the particle cross-sectional area issue. In various embodiments, since both ambient temperature and humidity affect the viscosity of the collection medium, thus increasing or decreasing the resistance experienced by the particles from the collection medium and affecting the particle impact depth, a compensation factor can be applied to the estimated mass of the particles to address the ambient temperature and / or ambient humidity issue. In various embodiments, ambient temperature and humidity can be measured by a device or by one or more remote sensors configured to transmit temperature and humidity data to the device.

[0112] In various embodiments, the impact depth 121 of one or more of the plurality of particles 120 may be determined by the controller 200 at least in part based on the focus depth 122. In various embodiments, the impact depth 121 of the particles within the collection medium 106 may be calculated by subtracting the measured focus depth 122 of the particles from the sum of the collection medium thickness, the transparent substrate thickness, and the distance between the transparent substrate 108 and the imaging device 110. In various embodiments, the focus depth 122 of the particles may include the distance between the imaging device 110 and the location where the particles stop within the collection medium 106. In various embodiments, such as Figure 2As shown, the focusing depth 122 of the particles within the collection medium 106 may include the sum of the following: the distance between the position where the particle stops within the collection medium 106 and the back side 107 of the collection medium 106, the thickness of the transparent substrate 108, and the distance between the transparent substrate 108 and the imaging device 110. In various embodiments, the focusing depth 122 of one or more of the plurality of particles 120 may be determined by the controller 200 using one or more image focusing techniques (such as computational techniques (e.g., angular spectral propagation (ASP)) or mechanical techniques (e.g., optomechanical adjustment)). In various embodiments, optomechanical adjustment may include mechanical adjustments to one or more components of the lens-based imaging device 110 to optimize the particle image. In various embodiments, data corresponding to adjustments to one or more components of the imaging device may also be collected to determine the focusing depth.

[0113] controller

[0114] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, device 10 may include controller 200 configured to determine the particle impact depth 121 of each of one or more of a plurality of particles 120 within a collection medium 106, and to determine, at least in part, the approximate aggregate mass of the plurality of particles present in a volume of fluid based on the particle impact depth 121 of each of one or more of the plurality of particles 120. Figure 3 As shown, controller 200 may include memory 201, processor 202, input / output circuitry 203, communication circuitry 205, imaging device data storage 107, collection medium characteristics database 204, particle imaging circuitry 206, particle type identification circuitry 207, particle mass concentration calculation circuitry 208, and fluid composition sensor configuration circuitry 209. Controller 200 may be configured to perform the operations described herein. While the components are described with respect to functional limitations, it should be understood that a particular implementation necessarily involves the use of specific hardware. It should also be understood that some components described herein may include similar or common hardware. For example, both sets of circuits may use the same processor, network interface, storage medium, etc., to perform their associated functions, so that each set of circuits does not require duplicate hardware. Therefore, it should be understood that the use of the term "circuit" as used herein with respect to components of controller 200 includes specific hardware configured to perform functions associated with a particular circuit described herein.

[0115] The term "circuit" should be broadly understood to include hardware, and in some embodiments, to include software for configuring the hardware. For example, in some embodiments, "circuit" may include processing circuitry, storage media, network interfaces, input / output devices, etc. In some embodiments, other elements of the controller 200 may provide or supplement the functionality of a particular circuit. For example, the processor 202 may provide processing functionality, the memory 201 may provide storage functionality, and the communication circuitry 205 may provide network interface functionality, etc.

[0116] In some embodiments, processor 202 (and / or coprocessor or any other processing circuitry assisting or otherwise associated with the processor) may communicate with memory 201 via a bus for transferring information between components of the device. Memory 201 may be non-transitory and may include, for example, one or more volatile and / or non-volatile memories. For example, memory 201 may be an electronic storage device (e.g., a computer-readable storage medium). In various embodiments, memory 201 may be configured to store information, data, content, applications, instructions, etc., for enabling the device to perform various functions according to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. It will be understood that memory 201 may be configured to store, in part or in whole, any electronic information, data, data structures, embodiments, examples, graphics, processes, operations, techniques, algorithms, instructions, systems, apparatuses, methods, lookup tables, or computer program products described herein, or any combination thereof. As a non-limiting example, memory 201 may be configured to store particle size data, particle type data, particle impact depth data, particle image data, particle shape data, particle cross-sectional area data, particle mass data, particle density data, and particulate matter mass concentration data associated with a volume of fluid. In various embodiments, the memory may be further configured to store one or more particle impact depth momentum lookup tables.

[0117] Processor 202 can be embodied in a variety of different ways and may include, for example, one or more processing devices configured to execute independently. Alternatively, the processor may include one or more processors configured in series via a bus to enable independent execution of instructions, pipelines, and / or multiple threads. The term "processing circuitry" is understood to include single-core processors, multi-core processors, multiple processors within a device, and / or remote or "cloud" processors.

[0118] In an exemplary embodiment, processor 202 may be configured to execute instructions stored in memory 201 or otherwise accessible to the processor. Alternatively or otherwise, the processor may be configured to perform hard-coded functions. Thus, whether configured by hardware or software methods, or by a combination thereof, the processor may represent an entity capable of performing operations and being configured accordingly according to embodiments of this disclosure (e.g., physically embodied in circuit form). Alternatively, for example, when the processor embodies an executor of software instructions, the instructions may specifically configure the processor to perform the algorithms and / or operations described herein when executing the instructions.

[0119] In some embodiments, controller 200 may include input / output circuitry 203, which can then communicate with processor 202 to provide output to a user, and in some embodiments, receive user-provided input such as commands. Input / output circuitry 203 may include a user interface, such as a graphical user interface (GUI), and may include a display, which may include a web user interface, a GUI application, a mobile application, a client device, or any other suitable hardware or software. In some embodiments, input / output circuitry 203 may also include a display device, a display screen, a user input element (such as a touchscreen), a touch area, soft keys, a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a speaker (e.g., a buzzer), a light-emitting device (e.g., a red light-emitting diode (LED), a green LED, a blue LED, a white LED, an infrared (IR) LED, an ultraviolet (UV) LED, or a combination thereof), or other input / output mechanisms. Processor 202, input / output circuitry 203 (which may utilize processing circuitry), or both, may be configured to control one or more functions of one or more user interface elements via computer-executable program code instructions (e.g., software, firmware) stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (e.g., memory 201). Input-output circuitry 203 is optional, and in some embodiments, controller 200 may not include input-output circuitry. For example, when controller 200 does not directly interact with the user, controller 200 may generate user interface data for display on one or more other devices with which one or more users directly interact, and transmit the generated user interface data to one or more of these devices. For example, controller 200 may use user interface circuitry to generate user interface data for display on one or more display devices, and transmit the generated user interface data to those display devices.

[0120] The communication circuit 205 may be a device or circuit embodied in hardware or a combination of hardware and software, configured to receive and / or transmit data to and from a network and / or to any other device, circuit, or module communicating with device 200. For example, the communication circuit 205 may be configured to communicate with one or more computing devices via wired (e.g., USB) or wireless (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cellular, etc.) communication protocols.

[0121] In various embodiments, processor 202 may be configured to communicate with particle imaging circuitry 206. Particle imaging circuitry 206 may be a device or circuit embodied in hardware or a combination of hardware and software, configured to receive, process, generate, and / or transmit data, such as images captured by imaging device 110. In various embodiments, particle imaging circuitry 206 may be configured to analyze one or more images captured by imaging device 110 of fluid composition sensor 100 to determine which particles among a plurality of particles 120 present within collection medium 106 were newly received by collection medium 106 during a recent particle analysis. Particle imaging circuitry 206 may receive a first captured particle image and a second captured particle image from imaging device at a first time and a second time, respectively, where the first time indicates that device 10 begins analyzing one or more particles among the plurality of particles 120 captured by collection medium 106, and the second time occurs after the first time. In such a configuration, the device may be configured to distinguish between particles present in the collection medium 106 at the start of particle analysis and particles newly received by the collection medium 106 by comparing corresponding particle images captured at a first time and a second time, and identifying any particles from the second captured particle image that were not captured in the first captured particle image. In various embodiments, the particle imaging circuit 206 may be configured to analyze one or more images captured by the imaging device 110 of the fluid composition sensor 100 to determine the particle size of each of one or more of a plurality of particles 120 within the collection medium 106. In various embodiments, the particle size may be defined by the cross-sectional area of ​​the particle. In various embodiments, the particle imaging circuit 206 may be configured to determine the particle size of particles having any of a variety of particle sizes. For example, the particle imaging circuit 206 may be configured to determine the particle size of particles having a diameter between about 0.3 micrometers and about 100 micrometers (e.g., 2.5 micrometers), and thus determine the particle size category that the particle may be associated with, such as, for example, PM10, PM4, PM2.5, or PM1. In various embodiments, the controller and / or particle imaging circuitry 206 may be configured to analyze one or more images captured by the imaging device 110 of the fluid composition sensor 100 to determine the shape of each of one or more of the plurality of particles 120 within the collection medium 106. In various embodiments, the particle shape may be defined at least in part by the particle cross-sectional area. The particle imaging circuitry 206 may also be configured to use one or more image focusing techniques to determine the particle impact depth 121 of each of the plurality of particles 120 within the collection medium 106. The particle imaging circuitry 206 may be configured to execute instructions stored, for example, in memory 201, for performing one or more image focusing techniques.In various embodiments, the one or more image focusing techniques may include one or more techniques such as angular spectral propagation (ASP). In other embodiments, optomechanical adjustment may be used as an image focusing technique. In various embodiments, particle imaging circuit 206 may use one or more image focusing techniques to determine the depth of focus 122 of each of one or more of a plurality of particles 120 within a collection medium. In determining the depth of focus of each of the one or more particles, particle imaging circuit 206 may be configured to use known dimensions of fluid composition sensor 100 to calculate, for example, the thickness of the collection medium and the distance between transparent substrate 108 and imaging device 110, the impact depth 121 of each of one or more of the plurality of particles 120 within the collection medium 106. In various embodiments, for example, the impact depth 121 of a particle within the collection medium 106 may be calculated by subtracting the measured depth of focus 122 of the particle from the sum of the thickness of the collection medium, the thickness of the transparent substrate, and the distance between transparent substrate 108 and imaging device 110. Particle imaging circuit 206 may send and / or receive data from imaging device data storage 107. In various embodiments, the particle imaging circuit 206 may be configured to use one or more machine learning techniques to determine the impact depth of a particle. In various embodiments, the one or more machine learning techniques used by the particle imaging circuit 206 to determine the impact depth of a particle may include depth-supervised learning using one or more labeled datasets having one or more known particle characteristics (such as particle type, particle velocity, particle size, particle shape, and / or any other data generated, transmitted, and / or received by the controller 200) to estimate the impact depth of the particle.

[0122] In various embodiments, processor 202 may be configured to communicate with particle type identification circuitry 207. Particle type identification circuitry 207 may be a device or circuit embodied in hardware or a combination of hardware and software, configured to identify the particle type and / or particle species of one or more of a plurality of particles 120 received by collection medium 106. In various embodiments, the plurality of particles 120 within a volume of fluid may include one or more of various particle types, such as bacteria, pollen, spores, mold, biological particles, soot, inorganic particles, and organic particles. In various embodiments, particle type identification circuitry 207 may use one or more machine learning techniques to determine the particle type and / or particle species of each of the plurality of particles 120 received by collection medium 106. In various embodiments, the one or more machine learning techniques used by particle type identification circuitry 207 to determine the particle type and / or particle species of each of the plurality of particles 120 may include analyzing images captured by imaging device 110, particle size data, particle shape data, and / or any other data generated, transmitted, and / or received by controller 200. In various embodiments, particle type identification circuit 207 may send and / or receive data from imaging device data storage 107. Furthermore, in various embodiments, particle type identification circuit 207 may be configured to receive determined initial particle velocity data corresponding to one or more particles from a plurality of particles 120 received by collection medium 106 from particulate matter concentration calculation circuit 208. In various embodiments, particle type identification circuit 207 may be configured to compare the determined initial particle velocity with a particle velocity approximated, at least in part, based on a known flow rate of fluid moving through fluid composition sensor 100, and generate velocity comparison data associated with that particle. In various embodiments, particle type identification circuit 207 may be configured to execute a feedback loop wherein one or more velocity comparison data associated with one or more particles from a plurality of particles 120 received by collection medium 106 may limit one or more inputs to a machine learning model to improve the machine learning rate associated with one or more machine learning techniques, as described herein.

[0123] In various embodiments, device 10 may be configured to have or communicate with a collection medium characteristics database 204. The collection medium characteristics database 204 may be stored at least partially on the system's memory 201. In some embodiments, the collection medium characteristics database 204 may be remote from device 10 but integrated with it. The collection medium characteristics database 204 may contain information such as one or more particle impact depth-momentum relationship lookup tables. In various embodiments, the particle impact depth-momentum relationship lookup table may include a data matrix for defining the relationship between particle impact depth and initial particle momentum (i.e., the momentum of the particle at the receiving surface 105 of the collection medium 106, where the particle is received by the collection medium 106 at the receiving surface 105, as described herein) for a particular collection medium type. Various particle impact depth-momentum relationship lookup tables may include data matrices for defining the relationship between particle impact depth and initial particle momentum for various collection medium types.

[0124] The particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be a device or circuit embodied in hardware or a combination of hardware and software, configured to determine the particulate matter mass concentration within a volume of fluid. In various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to determine the particulate matter mass concentration within a volume of fluid based on the approximate aggregate mass of a plurality of particles present within the volume of fluid. In various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to determine the approximate aggregate mass of a plurality of particles 120 present within a volume of fluid based on the aggregate mass of a plurality of particles 120 received by the collection medium 106. In various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to determine the aggregate mass of a plurality of particles 120 received by the collection medium 106 based on a corresponding estimated mass of each particle among the particles 120. In various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to estimate the corresponding mass of each particle among the particles 120 based at least in part on a correspondingly determined impact depth of each particle.

[0125] In various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 can be configured to estimate the mass of a plurality of particles 120 by retrieving data corresponding to the particles, such as particle size data, particle shape data (e.g., particle cross-sectional area data, particle orientation data), and particle impact depth, and to determine the initial momentum of the particle before it is received by the collection medium 106 based on data in a particle impact depth-momentum lookup table that associates the particle impact depth with the initial momentum of the particle for a given type of collection medium 106. By using the known relationship between momentum, velocity, and mass (the momentum of a particle equals the mass of the particle multiplied by the velocity of the particle), and the known velocity of the particle (based on a control value of the airflow rate within the device 10), the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 can be configured to determine the estimated mass of the particle.

[0126] In various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to use one or more machine learning techniques to determine the estimated mass of the particles. In various embodiments, the one or more machine learning techniques used by the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 to determine the particle mass may include deep supervised learning using one or more labeled datasets having one or more known particle characteristics (such as particle type, particle velocity, particle impact depth, various particle weight measurements, and / or any other data generated, transmitted, and / or received by the controller 200) to estimate the particle mass. In various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to apply one or more compensation factors to the determined particle mass using one or more machine learning techniques.

[0127] Furthermore, in various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to determine the estimated density of particles based at least in part on one or more of the following: particle impact depth, estimated particle mass, particle shape, particle type, and particle size data. In various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to determine the estimated mass and / or density of each particle in the plurality of particles 120 received by the collection medium 106. In various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to apply one or more compensation factors to the estimated mass of the particles to address one or both of the particle condition associated with the particles and the environmental condition associated with the surrounding environment. In various embodiments, for example, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to apply appropriate compensation factors based at least in part on the particle cross-sectional area, ambient temperature, and / or ambient humidity. In various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to determine the estimated aggregate mass of the plurality of particles 120 received by the collection medium based on the estimated mass of each particle in the plurality of particles 120 received by the collection medium 106. In various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to determine the approximate aggregate mass of a plurality of particles present in a volume of fluid based on the determined aggregate mass of the plurality of particles 120 received by the collection medium 106. In various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to determine the particulate matter mass concentration in the volume of fluid based on the approximate aggregate mass of the plurality of particles present in the volume of fluid. In various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to apply one or more scaling factors to the determined particulate matter mass concentration in the volume of fluid to address problems of experimental inefficiency, such as particle collection efficiency and detection probability factors. In various embodiments, an appropriate scaling factor may be determined based on empirical data.

[0128] Furthermore, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 can be configured to determine that the collection medium 106 needs to be replaced. For example, in various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 can be configured to determine that a threshold amount of time has elapsed since the last replacement of the collection medium 106, the number of particles present in the collection medium 106 has exceeded a predetermined threshold number of particles, and / or the percentage of particle coverage in the field of view has exceeded a threshold percentage of particle coverage.

[0129] In various embodiments, device 10 may be configured to determine the amount of time that device 10 (e.g., pump 112) should remain in operation by drawing fluid through device 10, such that at least a predetermined volume of fluid is directed toward collection medium 106 (e.g., across the surface of the collection medium). The predetermined volume of fluid may be defined by a threshold volume of fluid (e.g., a minimum volume of fluid, a maximum volume of fluid) or an acceptable range of fluid volume (e.g., between the minimum and maximum volumes of fluid). In some embodiments, the volume of fluid passing through device 10 may be measured (e.g., by a fluid flow sensor); however, in other embodiments, the volume of fluid passing through device 10 may be estimated (e.g., based on a known fluid flow rate) while the pump is in an operating configuration and for a given amount of time. For example, in various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to generate and / or transmit one or more signals to cause the fluid composition sensor 110 to initiate a particulate collection operation, as described herein, wherein the sensor 110 is capable of receiving a volume of fluid containing a plurality of particles, and facilitates the engagement of the collection medium 106 with the received volume of fluid such that at least a portion of the plurality of particles within the volume of fluid may be disposed at and / or therein in the collection medium 106. For example, in various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to transmit one or more signals to cause the pump 112 to switch from an "off" configuration to an "on" operation configuration. Conversely, in various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to transmit one or more signals to cause the pump 112 to switch from an "on" operation configuration to an "off" configuration. As a non-limiting example, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to emit one or more signals to cause the pump 112 to switch from an "on" operation configuration to an "off" configuration, at least in part, based on determining that a threshold amount of time has elapsed and / or that the fluid composition sensor 110 has received a threshold volume of fluid during operation. In various embodiments, such determination may be made by the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 based at least in part on data collected by a fluid flow sensor of the fluid composition sensor 110, which is configured to detect the flow rate of a given volume of fluid passing through at least a portion of the sensor 110. In various embodiments, the fan or pump 112 is calibrated such that the flow rate of fluid moving through the device is at least in part based on the operating characteristics of the fan or pump 112 (e.g., operating power) being known / determined.

[0130] In some embodiments, device 10 includes: a fluid composition sensor 110 configured to receive a volume of fluid, the fluid composition sensor having: a collection medium 106 housing configured to receive and hold at least a portion of the collection medium 106 for receiving one or more particles from a plurality of particles within the volume of fluid; a pump 112 for moving the volume of fluid above the collection medium 106 housing; an imaging device 110 configured to capture images of at least a portion of one or more particles from a plurality of particles received by at least one collection medium 106; and a particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 connected to the imaging device 110 and the pump 112. The particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 is configured to calculate the total particulate matter mass of the one or more particles based on the images of the one or more particles from a plurality of particles received by at least one collection medium 106. The particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 is configured to adjust the volume of fluid above the collection medium 106 housing.

[0131] In various embodiments, as described herein, the particle mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to regulate the operation of the fluid composition sensor 110, for example, by adjusting one or more operating characteristics of the fluid composition sensor 110 (e.g., pump on / off configuration, pump volumetric flow rate, etc.). For example, the particle mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to regulate the operation of the pump 112 of the fluid composition sensor 110, for example, by adjusting (e.g., stopping) one or more operating characteristics of the pump 112 before a certain amount of particles have been captured by the collection medium 106, which would degrade the measurement accuracy of future captured particles (e.g., because the collection medium is sufficiently filled with particles that cannot be identified and / or whose edges cannot be accurately located). For example, as described herein, the fluid composition sensor 110 is configured to receive a volume of fluid containing a plurality of particles, such that at least a portion of the particles are disposed on and / or therein in a collection medium 106, and is further configured to determine that at least one of the following—particulate matter mass, particle coverage percentage, and / or any other particle loading conditions defined by the plurality of particles disposed at the collection medium 106—may experience an increase in inaccuracy due to measurement errors caused by physical saturation and / or degradation of the collection medium over time due to prolonged collection of the plurality of particles. In various embodiments, the particle loading conditions as described herein may be defined at least in part by the following: the spatial arrangement of the plurality of particles disposed at the collection medium (e.g., particle aggregation, spike formation, particle contact, particle overlap, etc.), particle coverage percentage, average grayscale of all pixels in a captured image, particulate matter mass, total light intensity, amount of collected particles, calculated particle density, etc.

[0132] For example, the increased frequency and / or extent of the aforementioned sensor inaccuracy may correspond to an increase in the number of particles collected at collection medium 106 (and the resulting physical properties of collection medium 106 change due to the increased number of particles disposed therein). Therefore, in various embodiments, one or more components of the collection medium assembly as described herein (e.g., collection medium 106) may be replaceable, such that a first collection medium can be used to receive a first plurality of particles from a first volume of fluid and can be removed from sensor 110 and replaced by a second collection medium, which can then be used to receive a second plurality of particles from a second volume of fluid received by the sensor after the first collection medium has been removed from sensor 110. In such exemplary cases, a decrease in sensor accuracy due to measurement errors can be addressed by replacing at least partially depleted collection medium with at least substantially new medium having fewer (e.g., zero) particles from a volume of fluid caused by physical saturation and / or degradation over time of the collection medium received by sensor 110 with which it is coupled.

[0133] In some implementations, as described herein, particle mass concentration calculation circuitry 208 may be configured to determine when a plurality of particles received by collection medium 106 are arranged such that at least two particles are non-uniformly spaced, in contact, clustered, and / or overlap each other. For example, in an exemplary case, two or more particles may be aligned with each other relative to an imaging device, wherein a first particle engages the collection medium at a first time and at a first position around the receiving surface, and a second particle subsequently engages the collection medium at a second time (the second time being chronologically after the first time) and at the first position around the receiving surface, such that, from the perspective of the imaging device, at least a portion of the second particle overlaps with at least a portion of the first particle. In such exemplary cases, as described above, positioning the second particle on top of the first particle prevents the entire first particle from being captured in an image taken by the exemplary imaging device, and thus prevents controller 200 from accurately analyzing the first particle according to one or more of the operations described herein. In such exemplary cases, the controller may be configured to determine that a first portion of a plurality of particles located at a first portion of the collection medium exhibits a first aggregate particle density that is at least significantly different from a second aggregate particle density of a second portion of a plurality of particles located at a second portion of the collection medium, wherein the aggregate particle density may be defined by the number of plurality of particles within a given surface area defining a portion of the collection medium. In some embodiments, device 10 (e.g., controller 200 associated with an imaging device) may be configured to actively monitor particle spacing to maximize the operational efficiency of device 10 and / or identify particle placement on collection medium 106.

[0134] In various embodiments, controller 200 (e.g., particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuitry 208) may be configured to calculate particulate matter mass by using at least an image, to calculate the total particulate matter mass or to determine the amount of light extending through collection medium 106. In some embodiments, particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuitry 208 works in conjunction with particulate imaging circuitry 206 to determine and / or characterize the spatial arrangement of one or more particles within the field of view of an imaging device, such as, for example, the spacing between particles. For example, in various embodiments, as described herein, images captured by exemplary imaging devices may include two-dimensional images (e.g., photographs of at least a portion of the collection medium) and / or three-dimensional images (e.g., three-dimensional digital reconstructions of at least a portion of particles captured at the collection medium, based at least in part on the two-dimensional position of the detected particles and the depth of focus associated with each of a plurality of particles, which may indicate the distance from the imaging device and thus may indicate the three-dimensional position of each of a plurality of particles). Therefore, in various embodiments, the particle mass concentration calculation circuit 208 can be configured to characterize the spacing between two particles among a plurality of captured particles as the distance between the two particles by an image, wherein the distance between the two particles is defined by one or more of an x ​​component (e.g., the difference of the corresponding x coordinates), a y component (e.g., the difference of the corresponding y coordinates), and a z component (e.g., the difference of the corresponding z coordinates, which may be determined by the depth of focus relative to the imaging device).

[0135] As described herein, particle mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to calculate the percentage of particle coverage of the collection medium within the field of view, and may also determine that the calculated percentage of particle coverage is greater than a threshold percentage of particle coverage. In some embodiments, particle mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to calculate the percentage of particle coverage of the collection medium 106 based at least in part on a determined percentage of the image covered by the particles (e.g., a percentage of the field of view of the imaging device). For example, in various embodiments, in exemplary cases, a portion of the collection medium may be covered by particles, wherein the particles are disposed at the collection medium, and wherein the cross-section of the particles is positioned between the imaging device and at least a portion of the thickness of the collection medium, such that the particles at least partially interrupt the line of sight between the imaging device and at least a portion of the thickness of the collection medium. As a non-limiting example, multiple particles received by the collection medium may collectively cover at least a portion of the collection medium. As described herein, particle mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to calculate the percentage of particle coverage of the collection medium based at least in part on a comparison of the total surface area of ​​the collection medium (e.g., the receiving surface) with the surface area of ​​the collection medium covered by the multiple particles. In various embodiments, the particle mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to determine that the particle coverage percentage of the collection medium is greater than a predetermined threshold. As a non-limiting example, in various embodiments, the predetermined threshold for the particle coverage percentage may be at least between approximately 0.01% and 99.9%. In such exemplary cases, the particle mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to identify the collection medium as “covered” and thus generate one or more signals configured to cause adjustments to the operation of the fluid composition sensor to facilitate replacement of the covered collection medium. As a non-limiting illustrative example, in exemplary cases where the detection controller 200 is configured to detect the presence of individual particles, such as in applications related to “cleanrooms,” the predetermined threshold for the particle coverage percentage may be less than 1%.

[0136] In some embodiments, particle mass concentration calculation circuitry 208 may be configured to determine, at least in part, whether at least a portion of a plurality of particles received by fluid composition sensor 110 is aggregated at collection medium 106 based on one or more images of collection medium 106. In various embodiments, particle mass concentration calculation circuitry 208 may be configured to determine that a plurality of particles received by fluid composition sensor 110 are aggregated such that the boundaries of the plurality of particles at least substantially overlap or are spaced less than an aggregation threshold distance to define individual clusters, and that the plurality of clusters (each cluster comprising a plurality of particles with overlapping boundaries) are spaced apart (such that the individual clusters are separated and discrete from each other), wherein a first portion of collection medium exhibits a first particle coverage percentage, which, as described above, is disproportionate to a second particle coverage percentage detected at a second portion of collection medium. For example, in some embodiments, particle mass concentration calculation circuitry 208 may be configured to determine whether particles are aggregated by calculating the average distance between at least a portion of the particles. In some embodiments, the particle mass concentration calculation circuit 208 is configured to determine, at least a portion of the plurality of particles received by the fluid composition sensor 110, that aggregation has occurred, based at least in part on the determination that a calculated average distance (as shown in the image) between particles at the collection medium 106 is below a predetermined distance. For example, in some embodiments, the particle mass concentration calculation circuit 208 is configured to determine when a percentage of the distance between particles is below a predetermined distance. In some embodiments, the particle mass concentration calculation circuit 208 is configured to cause the fluid composition sensor 110 to adjust the volume of fluid flowing through the collection medium 106, such as, for example, by stopping the pump 112, (e.g., by transmitting one or more signals). In some embodiments, the particle mass concentration calculation circuit 208 is configured to provide a signal when particle aggregation is determined. In some embodiments, the signal is connected to a display device. In some embodiments, the signal provided by the particle mass concentration calculation circuit 208 can provide a warning that diagnoses the presence of uneven airflow within the device 10.

[0137] In various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to adjust the operation of the pump 112 of the fluid composition sensor 110 (e.g., between on / off configuration, volumetric flow rate, etc.) based at least in part on determining that a predetermined total particulate matter mass threshold has been reached. For example, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to transmit one or more signals that directly or indirectly cause the pump 112 to stop operating when it is determined that the predetermined total particulate matter mass threshold has been reached.

[0138] As a non-limiting example, in various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may receive, from the imaging device of the device 10, a first captured particle image and a second captured particle image captured at a first time and a second time, respectively, wherein the first time indicates that the device 10 begins analyzing one or more particles of a plurality of particles 120 captured by the collection medium 106, and the second time occurs after the first time. In various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 is configured to determine a first particle loading condition corresponding to the first image and to determine a second particle loading condition corresponding to the second image. In various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 is configured to compare a first total particulate matter mass with a second total particulate matter mass. In various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 is configured to calculate the difference between the first total particulate matter mass and the second total particulate matter mass. For example, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to calculate the difference between the first total particulate matter mass and the second total particulate matter mass by identifying any particles from the second captured particle image that were not captured in the first captured particle image. In various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to adjust one or more operating characteristics (e.g., on / off configuration, volumetric flow rate, etc.) of the pump 112 of the fluid composition sensor 110, at least in part, based on the determination that a calculated difference between a first total particulate matter mass and a second total particulate matter mass is greater than a predetermined difference. For example, in various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to stop the pump 112 when a predetermined difference between the first total particulate matter mass and the second total particulate matter mass is calculated. In some embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 is configured to determine the density of the particle concentration at the collection medium 106, at least in part, based on captured particle images. For example, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to compare the calculated particle density with one or more stored particle density thresholds, and thus adjust one or more operating characteristics of the pump 112 based on the determination that the calculated particle density is greater than a particle density threshold. Alternatively, the particle mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to adjust one or more operating characteristics of the pump 112 based on determining that the calculated particle density is less than a particle density threshold.

[0139] In various embodiments, as described herein, particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 is configured to determine whether the total particulate matter mass is clustered. In various embodiments, imaging device 110 is configured to capture images at set intervals. In various embodiments, imaging device 110 is configured to capture images when a volume of fluid begins to flow over the housing of collection medium 106. In various embodiments, particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 is configured to determine whether the initiation of flow of a volume of fluid causes a spike under one or more particulate loading conditions (such as, for example, particulate matter mass). In various embodiments, a spike under particulate loading conditions may be defined as a rapid increase in particulate loading conditions, such as, for example, a rapid increase in particulate matter mass over time. As a non-limiting illustrative example, a spike may be defined as the rate of increase of one or more particulate loading conditions exceeding a defined threshold, such as, for example, a rate of increase of particulate matter mass exceeding a predetermined particulate matter mass increase rate threshold. In some embodiments, particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 is configured to calculate the percentage increase of particulate matter mass over time, such as, for example, the rate of increase of particulate matter mass calculated in a continuous measurement. In some embodiments, particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuitry 208 is configured to provide a signal indicating that one or more particle loading conditions have increased by a percentage over time above or below a predetermined threshold. As a non-limiting illustrative example, as defined herein, the controller's detection of spikes may correspond to determining that any other component of, for example, imaging equipment, collection medium, illumination source, and / or fluid composition sensor 110 may become contaminated at the start of particle collection operation and / or require recalibration of device 10.

[0140] In various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to calculate, at least in part, the total particulate matter mass of one or more of a plurality of particles received by at least one collection medium 106, based on determining the total intensity of light passing through an image captured by an imaging device, as described herein. In various embodiments, the total light intensity may correspond to a measurement at least in part based on an imaging device (such as, for example, a charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensor). As a non-limiting illustrative case, the total light intensity may be measured at least in part based on the average bit count of each pixel associated with the imaging device and / or the image generated by the imaging device. For example, an exemplary calculation of the total light intensity may be performed as a function of time during operation, whereby device 10 (e.g., controller 200) measures one or more raw signals from each pixel in the CCD array corresponding to the imaging device. In various embodiments, the total light intensity (as depicted by the image of collection medium 106 and the plurality of particles received therethrough) may be at least in part based on the particle type, average refractive index, particle opacity at an optimal source wavelength (e.g., 850 nm), etc., associated with at least a portion of the plurality of particles captured at the collection medium. As a non-limiting illustrative example, the total intensity of light may be at least substantially inversely proportional to the particle concentration and / or particulate matter mass of a plurality of particles captured in the image (e.g., at the collection medium 106 and within the field of view of the imaging device). In various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to adjust the operation of the pump 112 of the fluid composition sensor 110 (e.g., on / off configuration, volumetric flow rate, etc.) at least in part based on determining that the calculated total light intensity is less than a predetermined threshold. For example, in various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to generate one or more signals configured to stop the pump 112 from operating (e.g., switch from an "on" operation configuration to an "off" configuration) when it is determined that the total intensity of light passing through the image is less than a predetermined intensity threshold.

[0141] In various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 is configured to determine the total intensity of light passing through an image captured by an imaging device, wherein the image depicts at least a portion of a collection medium in grayscale. In such exemplary cases, the image depicting the collection medium in grayscale may include one or more particles among a plurality of particles disposed at locations on the collection medium indicated by indicators, such as, for example, one or more relatively dark regions (e.g., relative to the collection medium) to distinguish the collection medium from the one or more particles disposed thereon. In various embodiments, the size, shape, color, etc., of the one or more indicators corresponding to the plurality of particles disposed at the collection medium may vary at least partially based on the aggregate mass, density, size, etc., of the one or more particles corresponding to them. As a non-limiting example, in some embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to determine a particle coverage percentage at least partially based on the number and / or coverage percentage (e.g., relative to a portion of the collection medium depicted in the grayscale image) of the collection medium, the one or more dark spots being represented. The calculated total light intensity is less than a predetermined threshold. In some embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to present an exemplary grayscale image of the collection medium based at least in part on determining the number and / or coverage percentage of one or more dark spots (e.g., relative to a portion of the collection medium depicted in a grayscale image), while one or more operating characteristics of the pump 112 of the fluid composition sensor 110 (e.g., on / off configuration, volumetric flow rate, etc.) are adjusted, and the calculated total light intensity is less than a predetermined threshold.

[0142] Various embodiments relate to a method for detecting fluid particle characteristics, the method comprising: guiding a volume of fluid toward a collection medium 106, receiving one or more particles of a plurality of particles within the volume of fluid on the collection medium 106; capturing an image of one or more particles of the plurality of particles received by the collection medium 106; determining the total particulate matter mass of the one or more particles based on the image of one or more particles of the plurality of particles received by at least one collection medium 106; and adjusting the volume of the fluid.

[0143] In various embodiments, the total particulate matter mass is determined by a particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208, which is configured to operate in conjunction with a controller to adjust the volume of fluid passing over the collection medium 106 and / or through the housing of device 10. In various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 is configured to adjust the volume of fluid passing over the housing of collection medium 106 when a predetermined difference between a first total particulate matter mass and a second total particulate matter mass is calculated. In various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 is configured to adjust the volume of fluid above the housing of collection medium 106 when the total intensity of light passing through the image decreases to a predetermined threshold. In various embodiments, pump 112 continues to operate to draw air through device 10 as long as the intensity of the image or the light intensity is above the predetermined threshold.

[0144] In various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor 110 (e.g., controller 200) may receive one or more predetermined thresholds (such as particle coverage threshold, particle separation threshold, light intensity threshold, etc.) as user input provided via a user interface. For example, in some embodiments, the user input received by controller 200 may be transmitted to particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuitry 208 and may include the sampled fluid and / or material. In such exemplary cases, particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuitry 208 may be configured to identify the corresponding predetermined threshold based at least in part on one or more lookup tables stored in memory 202 and associated with the user-selected fluid and / or material. As a non-limiting example provided by way of illustration, particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuitry 208 may be configured to receive a signal corresponding to a material (such as silica dust, which may be at least partially transparent to the wavelength of an exemplary light beam emitted from an illumination source within the exemplary fluid composition sensor), as described herein. In such exemplary cases, particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuitry 208 may use data stored in memory (e.g., lookup tables) to identify the corresponding light intensity threshold. In various embodiments, the light intensity threshold identified as corresponding to at least partially transparent silica dust material, based at least in part on the contrast between the covered and uncovered portions of the collection medium, may be different from (e.g., may be less than) the light intensity threshold corresponding to opaque materials, as described herein. As another non-limiting example, the light intensity threshold identified as corresponding to opaque materials (such as, for example, volcanic ash or soot) based at least in part on the contrast between the covered and uncovered portions of the collection medium may be different from (e.g., may be greater than) the light intensity threshold corresponding to at least partially transparent materials.

[0145] In various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor includes a controller (e.g., particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208) configured to calculate the total particulate matter mass of a plurality of particles received by a collection medium from a volume of fluid, and to characterize the spatial arrangement of the plurality of particles to identify one or more particle configurations known to negatively impact sensor accuracy, and / or sensor effectiveness over time (e.g., lifetime), such as particle aggregation, spike formation, particle contact, particle overlap, and / or collection medium “covered” by particles. This can help prevent sensor inaccuracies caused by overload of a depleted and / or disabled collection medium, where particle loading conditions cannot be accurately determined and / or identified by the sensor. Such exemplary configurations substantially minimize the amount of retesting required to obtain accurate data by defining operating parameters configured to substantially autonomously limit sensor operation when one or more of the aforementioned erroneous particle loading conditions are identified. The lifetime of the device can be increased by dynamically monitoring the loading conditions of the plurality of particles received by the collection medium and optimizing the operating parameters to selectively limit device uptime. Furthermore, the device described herein can simplify the calculation of the required operating time for a fluid composition sensor for a particle sample sufficient to provide one or more statistically significant measurements.

[0146] Furthermore, in various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to determine, at least in part, the initial particle velocity of one or more of the plurality of particles 120 received by the collection medium 106 based on the determined particle mass, wherein the initial particle velocity is the velocity of the particle at the receiving surface 105 of the collection medium 106. In various embodiments, the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit 208 may be configured to transmit the determined initial particle velocity data to a particle type identification circuit 207, the initial particle velocity data corresponding to one or more of the plurality of particles 120 received by the collection medium 106.

[0147] The fluid composition sensor configuration circuit 209 may be a device or circuit embodied in hardware or a combination of hardware and software, configured to control the selective configuration of one or more selectively configurable components of the fluid composition sensor. In various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor configuration circuit 209 may configure the fluid composition sensor between an open configuration and a closed configuration, as described herein. Furthermore, in various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor configuration circuit 209 may facilitate the automatic reconfiguration of one or more collection medium assemblies, as described herein. In various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor configuration circuit 209 may selectively configure the distribution door and / or storage door of the storage chamber of one or more collection medium assemblies of the fluid composition sensor between an open configuration and a closed configuration. Furthermore, in various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor configuration circuit 209 may be configured to selectively configure the impactor nozzle of the fluid composition sensor between a first nozzle configuration and a second nozzle configuration. For example, the fluid composition sensor configuration circuit 209 may switch the impactor nozzle between a first nozzle configuration corresponding to the particle collection function of the fluid composition sensor and a second nozzle configuration corresponding to the particle analysis function of the fluid composition sensor, as described herein.

[0148] In various embodiments, device 10 may be configured to have or communicate with an imaging device data storage library 107. The imaging device data storage library 107 may be at least partially stored on the system's memory 201. In some embodiments, the imaging device data storage library 107 may be remote from device 10 but integrated with it. The imaging device data storage library 107 may contain information, such as images associated with one or more potential components of the fluid. In some embodiments, the imaging device data storage library 107 and / or other similar reference databases communicating with device 10 may include non-image information for identifying particles (e.g., for fluorescent particles, a spectrometer may be used by the fluid composition sensor 100 discussed herein, and device 10 may receive spectral information to identify and / or classify particles). In some implementations, device 10 may also use machine learning to identify and / or classify particles, such that device 10 may be initially trained using a reference database such as imaging device data storage 107, and then the device may be configured to identify and / or classify particles without referencing imaging device data storage 107 or other reference databases (e.g., the system may not actively communicate with imaging device data storage 107 during normal operation).

[0149] method

[0150] Figure 4A block diagram of an exemplary method 400 for detecting the properties of fluid particles according to some embodiments discussed herein is shown.

[0151] At frame 402, one or more of a plurality of particles may be received by a collection medium via a volume of fluid. The plurality of particles may be received by the collection medium from a volume of fluid comprising the plurality of particles. In various embodiments, the plurality of particles received by the collection medium may represent a plurality of particles present within a volume of fluid. In various embodiments, the fluid composition sensor may include a collection medium and may be configured to guide at least a portion of the volume of fluid in a direction perpendicular to a receiving surface of the collection medium, such that the volume of fluid may interact with the collection medium.

[0152] Furthermore, at box 404, an image of one or more particles among a plurality of particles received by the collection medium is captured. In various embodiments, the image of one or more particles among a plurality of particles received by the collection medium may be captured by an imaging device. In various embodiments, the imaging device may be configured to capture images of one or more particles among a plurality of particles present in the collection medium at the start of particle analysis and at the end of particle analysis. These images can be compared to determine which particles among the one or more particles among a plurality of particles present in the collection medium were received by the collection medium during particle analysis. In various embodiments, the imaging device may be positioned within the fluid composition sensor adjacent to the collection medium such that one or more particles among a plurality of particles received by the collection medium are within a designated field of view of the imaging device. In various embodiments, one or more imaging techniques such as lensless holography or optical microscopy may be used to capture images of one or more particles among a plurality of particles received by the collection medium. In various embodiments, the particle images may include holographic image reconstruction.

[0153] At box 406, the particle impact depth of each of one or more of a plurality of particles within the collection medium is determined. The particle impact depth of the particles received by the collection medium may be defined by the depth to which the particles are embedded in the collection medium. In various embodiments, the particle impact depth of each of one or more of a plurality of particles within the collection medium may be determined using an image captured by an imaging device. In various embodiments, the particle impact depth of each of one or more of a plurality of particles within the collection medium may be determined at least in part based on a measured depth of focus, the distance between the imaging device and the transparent substrate, the thickness of the transparent substrate, and the thickness of the collection medium, wherein the depth of focus is the distance between the imaging device and the particle. The depth of focus of the particle may be defined as the distance between the imaging device and the particle. In various embodiments, one or more image focusing techniques such as computational techniques (e.g., angular spectral propagation) and / or mechanical techniques (e.g., optomechanical adjustment) may be used to determine the depth of focus of each of one or more of a plurality of particles received by the collection medium. In various implementations, the impact depth of one or more particles among a plurality of particles in the collection medium can be calculated by subtracting the measured depth of focus of each particle from the sum of the thickness of the collection medium, the thickness of the transparent substrate, and the distance between the transparent substrate and the imaging device.

[0154] At box 408, the approximate aggregate mass of the plurality of particles present within a volume of fluid is determined at least in part based on the particle impact depth of each of one or more of the plurality of particles. In various embodiments, the correspondingly determined particle impact depth for each particle can be used to estimate the corresponding mass of each of the plurality of particles. In various embodiments, based on data from a particle impact depth-momentum lookup table that associates particle impact depth with initial particle momentum for a given type of collection medium, the particle impact depth and measured particle size data can be used to determine the initial momentum of each particle before it is received by the collection medium. The estimated mass of each particle can be determined using known relationships between momentum, velocity, and mass (the momentum of a particle equals its mass multiplied by its velocity) and known velocities of each particle (controlled values ​​based on the airflow velocity of a volume of fluid). In various embodiments, one or more compensation factors can be applied to the estimated mass of each particle to address one or both of the particle condition associated with the particle and the environmental condition associated with the surrounding environment. In various embodiments, appropriate compensation factors can be applied, for example, at least in part based on the particle cross-sectional area, ambient temperature, and / or ambient humidity. In various embodiments, the estimated mass of each particle among a plurality of particles can be used to determine the aggregate mass of the plurality of particles received by the collection medium. In various embodiments, the determined aggregate mass of the plurality of particles received by the collection medium can be used to approximate the aggregate mass of the plurality of particles present within a volume of fluid. In various embodiments, the approximate aggregate mass of the plurality of particles present within a volume of fluid can be used to estimate the particulate matter concentration within a volume of fluid. In various embodiments, one or more scaling factors can be applied to the determined particulate matter concentration within a volume of fluid to address problems of experimental inefficiency, such as particle collection efficiency and detection probability factors. In various embodiments, an appropriate scaling factor can be determined based on empirical data.

[0155] At block 410, a compensation factor may be applied, at least in part, to the approximate aggregate mass of a plurality of particles present within a volume of fluid, based on one or more of the particle cross-sectional area, ambient temperature, and ambient humidity. In various embodiments, the compensation factor may be applied to the estimated mass of each particle to address one or both of the particle condition associated with the particle and the environmental condition associated with the surrounding environment. In various embodiments, a compensation factor may be applied, for example, to the estimated mass of the particles to address the particle cross-sectional area problem, since a larger particle cross-sectional area will disperse kinetic energy more rapidly within the collection medium, thereby reducing the particle impact depth. In various embodiments, a compensation factor may be applied to the estimated mass of the particles to address the ambient temperature and / or ambient humidity problem, since both ambient temperature and ambient humidity affect the viscosity of the collection medium, thus affecting the particle impact depth. In various embodiments, ambient temperature and humidity may be measured by a device or by one or more remote sensors configured to transmit temperature and humidity data to the device.

[0156] At box 412, the particle size of each of one or more particles among a plurality of particles received by the collection medium can be determined. In various embodiments, the particle size of each of the one or more particles can be determined based on captured particle images. In various embodiments, the particle size of particles with diameters between about 0.3 micrometers and about 100 micrometers (e.g., 2.5 micrometers), and particle size categories such as PM10, PM4, PM2.5, or PM1, can be determined. In various embodiments, particle size data may include particle cross-sectional area data.

[0157] At box 414, one or more machine learning techniques may be used to determine the particle type of each of one or more particles among a plurality of particles received by the collection medium. In various embodiments, the one or more machine learning techniques used to determine the particle type of each of one or more particles among a plurality of particles may include analyzing captured particle images, particle size data, and / or any other data associated with one or more particles. In some embodiments, the machine learning techniques may be used to identify particles and / or classify particles. In various embodiments, a machine learning device may be initially trained using a reference imaging database including various particle data, and then the machine learning device may be used to identify and / or classify particles without referencing the imaging database or other reference database.

[0158] At box 416, the particle density of each of one or more of the plurality of particles received by the collecting medium can be determined at least in part based on the particle impact depth of each of the one or more particles. In various embodiments, the particle density can be determined at least in part based on one or more of the particle impact depth, estimated particle mass, particle type, and particle size data.

[0159] In various embodiments, the methods described herein may also include replacing the collection medium as described herein. In various embodiments, the collection medium may be replaced based on one or more parameters such as elapsed time, the number of particles received, and / or the percentage of particle coverage within the field of view.

[0160] in conclusion

[0161] Many modifications and other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains, which have the benefits of the teachings presented in the foregoing description and related drawings. Therefore, it should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terminology is used herein, it is used only in a general and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting the properties of fluid particles, the apparatus comprising: Fluid composition sensor, the fluid composition sensor comprising: A housing configured to support a collection medium for capturing one or more particles from a plurality of particles within a volume of fluid passing through at least a portion of the housing; A pump for moving the volume of fluid through at least a portion of the housing and through at least a portion of the collection medium; An imaging device configured to capture an image of at least a portion of one or more particles captured by the collection medium; and A controller, including a particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit, is configured to determine, at least in part, one or more particle loading conditions of at least a portion of the one or more particles captured by the imaging device, based on an image captured by the imaging device, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the operation of the pump based, at least in part, on at least one of the one or more particle loading conditions of the at least a portion of the one or more particles captured by the collection medium. The at least one particle loading condition is to identify one or more particle clusters within the image captured by the imaging device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to stop the operation of the pump when the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit determines that a predetermined total particulate matter mass threshold has been reached.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein determining the one or more particle loading conditions includes determining a first particle loading condition for a first image and determining a second particle loading condition for a second image.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein determining the one or more particle loading conditions further includes comparing the first particle loading condition with the second particle loading condition.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the imaging device is configured to capture the image when fluid flow through the volume of at least a portion of the housing begins.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein determining the one or more particle loading conditions comprises determining whether the initiation of fluid flow of the volume of fluid causes a spike under the one or more particle loading conditions, wherein the spike is defined as a rapid increase in the particle loading conditions.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein determining the one or more particle loading conditions further comprises calculating the particulate matter mass of the at least portion of the particles based at least in part on the total intensity of light passing through an image of at least a portion of the one or more particles captured by the collection medium.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein determining the one or more particle loading conditions further includes calculating the difference between the first particle loading condition and the second particle loading condition.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit is configured to stop the pump when a predetermined difference between the first particle loading condition and the second particle loading condition is calculated.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to modify the operation of the pump when the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit determines that a predetermined difference between the first particulate load condition and the second particulate load condition has been calculated.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the imaging apparatus is configured to capture images at set time intervals.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to stop pump operation when the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit determines that the total intensity of light detected in the image is below a threshold.

13. The device of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the operation of the pump when the particulate matter mass concentration calculation circuit determines that the total intensity of light detected in the image is below a threshold.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein determining one or more particle loading conditions includes determining the volume of fluid flowing through at least a portion of the housing over a defined time period.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the volume of fluid flowing through the housing during the defined time period is determined at least in part based on pump operating time and pump flow rate.

16. A method for detecting the properties of fluid particles, the method comprising: To guide the flow of a certain volume of fluid toward the collection medium. The collecting medium receives one or more particles from a plurality of particles within the volume of fluid; Capture images of one or more of the plurality of particles received by the collection medium; The loading conditions of the at least a portion of the particles are determined based at least in part on the images of at least a portion of the plurality of particles received by the collection medium. as well as The fluid volume flowing toward the collection medium is adjusted based on at least one particle loading condition. The at least one particle loading condition is to identify one or more particle clusters within the image captured by the imaging device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising adjusting the fluid flowing to the volume of the collection medium when it is determined that the total intensity of light detected within the image is below a threshold.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein determining one or more particulate loading conditions comprises determining the total particulate mass by a particulate mass concentration calculation circuit of a controller, the controller being configured to adjust the volume of fluid flowing toward the collection medium.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein adjusting the volume of fluid flowing toward the collection medium includes adjusting the fluid volume when at least a threshold difference between a first particle loading condition and a second particle loading condition is detected, wherein the first particle loading condition is determined for a first image and the second particle loading condition is determined for a second image captured after the first image.

Images