Miniaturized Electrostatic Air Sampler for Bioaerosol Collection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrostatic samplers for airborne particulates are large, power-intensive, and often damage or kill microorganisms with high voltages, making them unsuitable for portable and efficient collection of viable viruses and bacterial spores for analysis.
Innovation Solution
A miniaturized electrostatic air sampler using physics-based computational fluid dynamics to optimize airflow, electric fields, and collector geometry, with a segmented outer electrode and tapered ionizing electrodes, operating at lower voltages to maintain particle viability and achieve high collection efficiencies, and capable of operating on battery power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If existing electrostatic samplers use high voltages to achieve high collection efficiency, then particle capture efficiency is improved, but microorganisms are damaged or killed and power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the voltage parameter from high voltage (typically >10,000V in conventional electrostatic precipitators) to low voltage (100-1000V) operation. This parameter change enables sufficient particle charging and collection efficiency while preventing microorganism damage and reducing power consumption, directly resolving the contradiction between capture efficiency and organism viability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a multi-electrode configuration where different electrodes perform different functions: ionizing electrodes create localized charge regions, collecting electrodes capture particles, and guard electrodes maintain field uniformity. This local differentiation of electrode functions allows efficient particle collection at low voltages without the need for single high-voltage electrodes that would damage microorganisms.
2Productivity
If existing electrostatic samplers use high voltages to achieve high collection efficiency, then particle capture efficiency is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the voltage parameter from high voltage (typically >10,000V) to low voltage (100-1000V) operation. This parameter change enables sufficient particle charging and collection efficiency while preventing microorganism damage and reducing power consumption, directly resolving the contradiction between capture efficiency and organism viability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the conventional single high-voltage electrode mechanical/electrical system with a multi-electrode system operating at low voltage. This substitution uses multiple lower-voltage electrodes working in concert to achieve the same collection efficiency, thereby reducing power consumption and enabling portable battery-operated operation.
3Productivity
If conventional electrostatic samplers are designed for high voltage operation, then collection efficiency is improved, but device size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the voltage parameter from high voltage (typically >10,000V) to low voltage (100-1000V) operation. This parameter change enables sufficient particle charging and collection efficiency while preventing microorganism damage and reducing power consumption, directly resolving the contradiction between capture efficiency and organism viability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the conventional single high-voltage electrode mechanical/electrical system with a multi-electrode system operating at low voltage. This substitution uses multiple lower-voltage electrodes working in concert to achieve the same collection efficiency, thereby reducing power consumption and enabling portable battery-operated operation.
4Productivity
If conventional electrostatic samplers use single high-voltage electrodes, then collection efficiency is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the electrode system into multiple functional components: ionizing electrodes for particle charging, collecting electrodes for particle capture, and guard electrodes for field control. This segmentation distributes the collection function across multiple simpler electrodes operating at low voltage, replacing the complex high-voltage insulation and single-electrode design with a more manufacturable multi-electrode system.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The miniaturized sampler achieves >90% collection efficiency for particles of 1-10 μm diameter at airflow rates of 60-1000 L/min, consuming less than 10 Watts, while maintaining the viability of collected organisms and allowing for portable and efficient analysis.
Implementation Method 1
an ionization electrode upstream of and near the air inlet
Implementation Method 2
a grounded, collecting electrode downstream of the ionization electrode
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is an electrostatic collector for low cost, high throughput, high efficiency sampling and concentration of bioaerosols. The device is small enough to be portable and can be contained within or placed on the wall of a typical office or hospital building. The collector comprises one or more collector modules, each having an ionizing electrode, a conical outer electrode, a wet collection electrode, and a liquid collection system. Airflow through a collector module may be partially blocked to enhance the collection of smaller particles and the collection electrode may comprise multiple, programmable electrodes to focus particle deposition onto a smaller area. Particles are collected into a small volume of liquid to facilitate subsequent analysis by an attached analyzer or at a remote site.