U.S. patent application number 13/646653 was filed with the patent office on 2013-02-21 for aerosol collection apparatus and methods.
This patent application is currently assigned to ENERTECHNIX, INC. The applicant listed for this patent is Enertechnix, Inc. Invention is credited to Peter C Ariessohn, Evan D Engler, Igor V Novesselov.
Application Number | 20130042893 13/646653 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46454182 |
Filed Date | 2013-02-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130042893 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ariessohn; Peter C ; et
al. |
February 21, 2013 |
Aerosol Collection Apparatus and Methods
Abstract
The lifetime of aerosol monitoring, concentration and collection
equipment is extended by acoustic cleaning of accreted particle
deposits from internal surfaces where fouling occurs by application
of acoustic energy to the particle accretion surface, optionally in
combination with a liquid wash or sampling volume. In one
application, acoustic cleaning or sampling of particle deposits for
analysis is triggered by a signal indicating changes in gas flow
associated with particle loading. In another application,
electro-acoustic transducers may be used to prevent particle
buildup without interruption of particle monitoring.
Inventors: |
Ariessohn; Peter C; (Lake
Tapps, WA) ; Novesselov; Igor V; (Seattle, WA)
; Engler; Evan D; (Seattle, WA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Enertechnix, Inc; |
Maple Valley |
WA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
ENERTECHNIX, INC
Maple Valley
WA
|
Family ID: |
46454182 |
Appl. No.: |
13/646653 |
Filed: |
October 5, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13099295 |
May 2, 2011 |
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13646653 |
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12364672 |
Feb 3, 2009 |
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13099295 |
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61026376 |
Feb 5, 2008 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
134/22.11 ;
137/560 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B03C 3/47 20130101; G01N
15/0266 20130101; B03C 3/12 20130101; G01N 1/2211 20130101; B03C
3/41 20130101; G01N 2015/0088 20130101; B03C 3/017 20130101; B08B
3/12 20130101; G01N 15/0606 20130101; G01N 2001/383 20130101; G01N
1/2208 20130101; G01N 1/2202 20130101; B03C 2201/04 20130101; B03C
3/08 20130101; G01N 2015/0038 20130101; B08B 7/026 20130101; Y10T
137/8376 20150401; G01N 2015/0096 20130101; G01N 2001/2223
20130101; G01N 2015/0261 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
134/22.11 ;
137/560 |
International
Class: |
F17D 1/00 20060101
F17D001/00; B08B 9/027 20060101 B08B009/027 |
Goverment Interests
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
[0002] The United States Government has rights in this invention
pursuant to Grant No. NBCHC060109 awarded by the Department of
Homeland Security, and Grant No. 1R43ES016390-01 awarded by the
National Institutes of Health.
Claims
1. An aerosol monitoring, concentration, or collection apparatus,
which comprises a) an internal channel for conveying aerosol
particles in a gas stream flow therethrough, said internal channel
having an inlet, an outlet, and a particle accretion surface
therein; b) a pressure source for driving the gas stream flow from
said inlet to said outlet; and c) an electro-acoustic transducer
operatively coupled to said particle accretion surface, said
electro-acoustic transducer having a power supply and control
circuitry for applying pulses of acoustic energy to said particle
accretion surface, said pulses having an on/off pulse duration,
repetition rate, duty cycle, amplitude or frequency.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pulses are actuated
intermittently during uninterrupted operation of said pressure
source.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said particle accretion
surface is an inside surface of a particle collector.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said particle accretion
surface is an inside surface of an air-to-air particle
concentrator.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said electro-acoustic
transducer is operatively coupled to said particle accretion
surface through a solid body enclosing said internal channel, and
said electro-acoustic transducer is a piezoelectric,
magnetostrictive, or capacitive electro-acoustic transducer, and
optionally wherein said solid body includes an acoustic waveguide
for directing said acoustic energy to said inside surface.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a) said on/off pulse duration,
repetition rate, duty cycle, amplitude or frequency is adjusted in
response to a change in said gas stream flow, wherein said change
in flow is associated with fouling of said particle accretion
surface, and wherein said change in flow is measured by a sensor
operatively connected to said control circuitry, or b) said on/off
pulse duration, repetition rate, duty cycle, amplitude or frequency
is adjusted in response to accretion of particles on said particle
accretion surface, wherein said accretion of particles is measured
by a sensor operatively connected to said control circuitry.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said sensor is selected from a
backpressure sensor, a gas flow sensor, an optical sensor, or an
electrometric sensor.
8. The aerosol collection or monitoring apparatus of claim 1,
further comprising: a) a sensor operatively disposed to monitor
said internal channel for accretion of particles on said particle
accretion surface, and for emitting a signal indicative thereof; b)
a pneumatic control system controlled by said control circuitry for
interrupting said gas stream flow through said internal channel in
response to said signal; and c) a liquid hydraulic system
controlled by said control circuitry, wherein said liquid hydraulic
system is configured for injecting a discrete liquid volume onto
said particle accretion surface and insonating said wetted particle
accretion surface in response to said signal.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising means for removing
or sampling particle deposits suspended or dissolved by said
acoustic pulses in said insonated liquid volume.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said liquid hydraulic system
comprises a liquid reservoir, a pump functionality, and an
injection duct fluidly connecting said liquid reservoir to said
particle accretion surface.
11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said liquid is aqueous, and
optionally further comprises a surface-active agent, an oxidizer, a
chaotrope, a microbubble suspension or a microbubble precursor
agent.
12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said liquid comprises a
non-aqueous solvent or a co-solvent, and optionally further
comprises a surface active agent or a chaotrope.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said solvent or co-solvent
is dimethylsulfoxide, N,N-dimethylformamide,
N-methyl-pyrrolidinone, 2-pyrrolidone, acetone, diethylene glycol
monoethyl ether, acetonitrile, acetone, methylethylketone, methyl
tert-butyl ether (MBTE), tetrahydrofuran, propylene carbonate,
ethyl acetate, chloroform, butyrolactone, or methanol, said
optional chaotrope is urea, thiourea, sodium perchlorate, guanidine
HCl, or guanidinium isothiocyanate.
14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said liquid hydraulic system
further comprises a hydraulic sampling subsystem for sampling said
particle deposits suspended or dissolved by said acoustic pulses in
said discrete liquid volume, wherein said hydraulic sampling
subsystem is configured with pump functionality and ducting for
withdrawing a liquid sample of said discrete liquid volume, and for
fluidly conveying said liquid sample for downstream collection or
analysis.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said signal is further
indicative of a targeted constituent in said accreted particles,
and triggers actuation of said hydraulic sampling subsystem.
16. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said control circuitry is
configured for operating in a dry cleaning mode, a wet cleaning
mode, and a wet sampling mode, wherein said dry cleaning mode
involves actuation of said electro-acoustic transducer without
liquid injection, said wet cleaning mode involves actuation of said
electro-acoustic transducer with liquid injection, and said wet
sampling mode involves actuation of said electro-acoustic
transducer with liquid injection and liquid sample withdrawal.
17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said dry cleaning mode is
actuated at regular intervals prophylactically; said wet cleaning
mode is actuated in response to a signal detecting persistent
accreted particles; and said wet sampling mode is performed in
response to a signal indicative of a targeted constituent in said
accreted particles.
18. A method for cleaning a particle accretion surface in an
internal channel of an aerosol monitoring, concentration, or
collection apparatus, which comprises: a) in dry cleaning mode, at
regular intervals insonating said particle accretion surface
without liquid injection while flowing a gas stream through said
internal channel and continuously over said particle accretion
surface; b) in wet cleaning mode, in response to a change in a
first signal, insonating said particle accretion surface after
stopping said gas flow and injecting a liquid; c) in wet sampling
mode, in response to a second signal, insonating said particle
accretion surface after stopping said gas flow and injecting a
liquid thereon, then withdrawing a liquid sample of said insonated
liquid volume; and d) monitoring said first and second signals and
repeating steps b and c in response to changes in said first and
second signals.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising a step for sonically
interrogating said flowing gas stream to sense a change in a flow
rate, a flow velocity, or a backpressure, and outputting a
sonometric signal indicative thereof.
20. The method of claim 19, comprising modulating said sonometric
signal by insonating said particle accretion surface according to a
feedback control loop.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is Continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/099,295, filed 2 May 2011, which is a
Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/364,672
filed 3 Feb. 2009, which claims the benefit of priority under 35
USC 119(e) to Provisional Pat. Appl. No. 61/026,376 filed on 5 Feb.
2008, said patent documents being incorporated herein in entirety
for all purposes by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Aerosols from natural, anthropogenic and industrial sources
have long been recognized as a potential threat to human health; to
that list of sources we now must add airborne chemical or
biological warfare agents as a source of potentially lethal
exposure or terrorist threat. Effective sampling and collection of
aerosol particles is a critical first step in the detection and
identification of these hazards. Identification methods such as
immunological or nucleic acid assays typically require the aerosol
sample to be suspended in a liquid medium. There is therefore a
need for a "front-end" device adapted to collect these aerosols and
prepare or deliver them in a concentrated suspension or solution
for analysis.
[0004] Higher concentration of aerosol particles in a liquid sample
achieves greater sensitivity for many analyses. Today's micro
analytical instruments require microliter or nanoliter sample
volumes, and larger volumes of liquid are difficult to process.
Moreover, currently available aerosol collectors cannot readily be
adapted to perform sample preprocessing prior to analysis, a
significant disadvantage for integrated sampling and detection
platforms. Sample preprocessing includes processes such as
dissolution of sample matrix, lysis of suspect cellular contents,
or preliminary screening to trigger more exhaustive analysis,
process steps which speed threat detection and avoid unnecessary
analyses.
[0005] Current aerosol collection devices that provide liquid
samples for analysis, such as wetted wall cyclones, wetted rotating
vane impactors, and liquid impingers, are inefficient and produce
large volume liquid samples, and are not well adapted to
concentrating an aerosol. Large sample volumes are suitable for use
with assays using 96- or 384-well plates, but the current trend is
towards smaller scale, more-automated procedures using
microfluidics, which demand much smaller sample volumes. Liquid
impingers and wetted wall collectors of the prior art cannot simply
be miniaturized because of the drying effects of evaporation during
operation and the difficulty in holding in place a small volume of
a liquid under a stream of high velocity gas.
[0006] For example, in US Pat. Appl. Doc. No. 2004/0232052 to Call,
a "liquid jet" (see FIGS. 19 and 20A of US 2004/0232052) is applied
so that samples are "blasted off the collection surface" (p. 22,
para. 0238) into a sample container. Such a procedure can only
result in losses of sample and increased dilution, and is likely
not workable.
[0007] Thus there remains a need for a collector capable of
efficiently concentrating an aerosol from a large volume of air
into a few microliters or nanoliters of a liquid sample. In this
regard, the field of microfluidics has revolutionized many aspects
of chemistry and microbiology and is an enabling technology for the
development of a wide range of detection and identification
methods. Following the pioneering work of Wilding (U.S. Pat. Nos.
5,304,487, 5,376,252, 5,726,026, 5,955,029, 6,953,676), continuous
and intermittent-flow microfluidic devices have been developed that
carry out nucleic acid and immunological analyses in integrated
devices fabricated on silicon or glass substrates. Digital
microfluidic devices employ technologies such as electro-wetting,
diaelectrophoresis, or microhydraulics to move, mix, combine and
split microliter and nanoliter volumes and allow chemical and
biological assays to be automated and carried out at very small
scales. These advances offer substantial advantages in speed and
accuracy while greatly reducing the need for operator involvement
and minimizing reagent volumes. However, the problem of developing
an effective "front-end" interface for ambient aerosol particle
concentration, collection, and delivery in a nano- or microvolume
to "back-end" analytical instrumentation has not been
addressed.
[0008] Aerosol pre-concentration, prior to sample collection,
offers a significant advantage when coupled to an analytical
method. Using a variety of devices known in the art as "virtual
impactors", aerosol particles to be sampled from a larger volume of
air are concentrated into a particle-enriched gas stream of smaller
volume (the "minor flow" or "particle-enriched flow") while the
bulk of the sampled air, depleted of particles, (also termed the
"major flow", "bulk flow", or "particle-depleted flow") is
discarded. Such an aerosol concentrating device is described in US
Pat. Appl. Doc. No. 2008/0022853, entitled "Aerodynamic Lens
Particle Separator", and is co-assigned to the Applicant. Other
air-to-air concentrators include virtual impactors such as the US
Army's XM2 virtual impactor, those described in U.S. Pat. Nos.
3,901,798, 4,670,135, 4,767,524, 5,425,802, 5,533,406 and
6,698,592, and others.
[0009] An aerosol-to-liquid collection and delivery system that
accepts raw or concentrated aerosols and delivers resuspended or
solubilized aerosol particles in small droplets of fluid will serve
as the front end to a number of biochemical or physical detection
platforms. Initial demand is expected to be primarily in the
security, military, and biomedical fields, but also in
environmental and industrial sampling and monitoring applications,
and will be driven to smaller sample volumes by technological
advances in the development and integration of detection platforms
and assays, including and not limited to both in situ and
downstream assays for particles and particle constituents.
[0010] However, particle traps become fouled with accreted deposits
when overloaded in extended use and typically are protected by
upstream filters that prevent entry of oversized materials such as
dust, fibers, or aerosolized salt crystals which would otherwise
block gas flow. Accumulation of micron- or submicron-sized
particles can also result in blockage. As a result, these devices
must be continuously monitored for performance, for example by
monitoring backpressure and/or continuity of flow. This problem has
adversely impacted the wider use of particle traps for a variety of
industrial and security applications in favor of particle
collection devices that rely on wetted wall or liquid impingement
technology, both of which are comparatively less sensitive and less
portable.
[0011] Similarly, "air-to-air aerosol concentrators" such as
aerodynamic lenses and virtual impactors, which are frequently used
to fractionate and concentrate particles in a gas flow prior to
collection or detection, are also hampered by fouling
considerations. For example, particle deposits can accumulate
around the mouth of a virtual impactor, often termed a "skimmer",
where the gas flow is split into a "minor flow" enriched in
particles and a "major flow" (sometimes termed "bulk flow")
depleted of particles. Particle accumulation on the surfaces of
these devices, particularly on surfaces and in channels around the
skimmer mouth, unacceptably alters device performance. These are
not the intended particle collection surfaces, but nevertheless
become progressively fouled. Unfortunately, deterioration of
performance accelerates over time: i.e., as deposits become larger
the fouling rate increases in a vicious cycle.
[0012] Removal of particle deposits can be technically difficult.
The channels used in inertial impactors may be looped and have
small dimensions. A mechanical arm such as a pipe cleaner inserted
into the channel to clean the channel must be thin and flexible,
and excess force in cleaning can result in formation of a packed
mass that cannot be physically removed. Disassembly for cleaning,
such as by removal of cathodic and anodic plates of an
electrostatic precipitator, can be inconvenient or not possible.
Aggressive chemical cleaning solutions can damage the smoothness of
the channel surfaces. Also, aggressive cleaning methods will likely
result in destruction of the structure and/or composition of the
captive particles, defeating a basic purpose of particle collection
and sampling for analysis, and hence are not satisfactory.
[0013] Call, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,938,777, describes a method for
removing concentrated "spots" of deposited particles from an
impactor surface, which involves first transporting the surface
bearing the spot from the collection device, and then subjecting
the spot to a blasting jet of fluid or using a mechanical scraper
to dislodge the spot. In practice, the impactor surface is formed
on a moveable solid support, for example in the form of a roll of
tape or a rotating disk, so that the impactor surface can be
translocated from the collection apparatus, and the method is thus
not generally applicable. Where the internal surface cannot be
removed from the aerosol collector, such as the internal surfaces
of particle traps or virtual impactors or for sampling of particles
entrapped within an enclosed particle trap, no solution is
provided.
[0014] In U.S. Pat. No. 7,578,973, Call goes on to point out that
particulate "wall loss," i.e. unintended deposition of particles on
various surfaces of virtual impactor structures (especially the
curved or bent portions) remains a challenging problem (Col 2,
lines 24-36).
[0015] Thus, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus
to clean particle traps and aerosol concentrators such as virtual
impactors, either in response to a change in gas flow associated
with accumulation of particles therein, or periodically as
prophylaxis against accumulation of particles. Preferably the
method also facilitates particle sampling.
SUMMARY
[0016] This invention addresses problems associated with
concentrating, collecting and microeluting captured aerosol
particles, or their constituents, from particle traps in very small
volumes and problems associated with operating aerosol
concentrator, collector and monitoring equipment without
deterioration of performance.
[0017] A first collector module of the invention is designed so
that aerosol particles are collected in a particle trap, which may
be an inertial impactor or an electrostatic precipitator, within a
collector channel, and a microdroplet or series of microdroplets
are then introduced so as to contact a correspondingly small
surface of the particle trap. The elution microdroplet is closely
confined within the collector channel, which may be of microfluidic
or near-microfluidic dimensions. The aerosol particles deposited in
the trap are eluted as a liquid suspension or solution in a
discrete microdroplet volume. In another aspect of the invention,
the sample material is reacted or treated in situ in preparation
for analysis or analyzed in situ by physical, chemical, biochemical
or molecular methods, "in situ" indicating that the reactions,
treatment or analysis of the liquid sample are conducted in the
particle trap.
[0018] Using these methods and apparatus, we have discovered that
an impacted aerosol particle sample can be eluted from
microfluidic-scale impactor surfaces in a constrained space with a
very small droplet or a series of droplets of elution fluid, even
nanoliter-sized droplets, enabling large concentration factors and
increased sensitivity and robustness in detection of aerosol
particles or their constituents of interest. The foremost technical
advantage is the ability to achieve extremely high concentration
factors and prepare the collected sample material for analysis in
extremely small droplets in near real time.
[0019] Impaction on an impactor surface is an attractive method of
capturing aerosol particles and aerosol particles from a
concentrated particle stream at high velocity. The velocity of
impaction may approach or exceed 50 m/s, depending on the desired
particle size cut-off, and sample materials impacted at such
velocities typically resist removal from the impactor. However,
unless first eluted from the impactor surface, these adherent
sample materials are not generally accessible for many kinds of
analyses. Inability to elute the sample material in a liquid volume
can result in failure to detect a bioaerosol, particulate toxin or
other aerosol particle of interest. Surprisingly, "micro-elution"
is successfully achieved by confining the elution fluid to a very
small volume in contact with a correspondingly small impactor
surface. This phenomenon is relevant to both inertial impactors and
electrostatic precipitators.
[0020] The ability of these devices to collect large numbers of
aerosol particles in a short time and deliver them in very small
fluid volumes offers the possibility to greatly enhance the speed
and sensitivity of existing detection methods. A method of this
approach includes (i) directing a concentrated gas stream
containing aerosol particles, typically received from a virtual
impactor or other air-to-air concentrator, into an enclosed
collector channel with small internal dimensions, (ii) impacting
the aerosol particles in a particle trap within the collector
channel, thereby reversibly adhering the particles to a small
impactor surface, (iii) periodically eluting captured aerosol
particles as a suspension or a solution from the surface in a
liquid sample by injecting a discrete microdroplet volume or a
series of microdroplet volumes of an elution reagent into the
particle trap and contacting the liquid with the impactor surface,
then (iv) optionally performing in-situ sample pre-treatment of the
collected particles, for example by mixing a reagent with the
liquid sample, (v) optionally performing in-situ analysis of the
sample by physical, chemical, biochemical, or molecular methods, or
(vi), optionally conveying the liquid sample out of the collector
channel to a sampling port. The microdroplet volume is a discrete
volume, indicating that the fluid is not a continuous stream of
flow. In one aspect, a discrete volume of ten microliters or less,
more preferably 1000 nanoliters or less, is applied to the impactor
surface. Impactor surfaces include centrifugal impactors, bluff
body impactors, and electrostatic precipitators. Forces responsible
for impaction of the particles include inertial forces and
electrostatic forces.
[0021] At least one internal cross-sectional dimension of the
collector channel proximate to the particle trap impactor surface
may be less than 1500 micrometers, thereby confining the
microdroplet in contact with the impactor surface. We demonstrate
elution here using very small droplet volumes of a liquid reagent.
Injection of precisely controlled discrete microvolumes of a
reagent fluid into the particle trap can be achieved using ink-jet
printing technology, for example.
[0022] Transporting or conveying the microdroplet through the
collector channel can be accomplished in a variety of ways. These
include "pump functionalities" as broadly encompassed herein.
Applying a pressure differential, such as a suction pressure
applied to the collector channel, is a simple approach. Pump
functionalities include microfluidic diaphragm pumps, syringe
pumps, piezoelectric pumps, inkjet printing pumps generally,
positive displacement pumps, magnetostrictive diaphragm pumps,
electrostatic pumps, thermopropulsive pumps, electrokinetic or
electroosmotic pumps, and Gibbs-Marangoni pumps, such as are useful
for applying a pumping force to a liquid sample in the collector
channel, and may be mounted in or on the collector body or placed
remotely in a larger apparatus of which the collector module is
part. These technologies will be discussed further below.
[0023] In various embodiments of the invention, the collector
module comprises an inertial impactor, including centrifugal
impactors and bluff body impactors. Centrifugal impactors include
"u-tubes" and concavoconvexedly curving channels in general. Bluff
body impactors divert gas streamlines around an unstreamlined
obstruction in the path of the gas stream. In other embodiments,
the collector module comprises an electrostatic precipitators.
[0024] Also disclosed are integrated detection and identification
modules wherein a sampling injector duct is connected at a first
end to a "tee" in the collector channel or particle trap and at a
second end to a microfluidic assay circuit for further processing
and analysis. In one embodiment, the particle trap is an integrated
component of a microfluidic analysis circuit. In other embodiments,
the particle trap is fitted with an optical window, lightpipe, lens
flat, or waveguide for in situ analysis of said discrete liquid
sample. In certain embodiments, a sacrificial layer of a soluble
substrate is applied to the surfaces of the particle trap before
use, so that by dissolving the sacrificial layer in an elution
reagent, any aerosol particles captured on the surface of the
sacrificial layer are released into the elution reagent. In situ
analysis may be for screening purposes, so that samples can be
tagged for more in-depth analysis subsequently. Liquid samples
collected as described herein may be archived for later use.
Apparatus and methods are disclosed, including combinations of
aerosol collector modules with aerosol collector modules and liquid
sample analysis modules.
[0025] The invention addresses the problem of collecting aerosol
particles from large volumes of air in very small particle traps,
and eluting the captive sample material in very small volumes of a
liquid reagent, thus achieving extremely high concentration factors
relative to the dispersed aerosol and improving sensitivity and
robustness of analyses of the captive aerosol particles and their
constituents in an air-to-liquid aerosol concentrator and
collector.
[0026] An unsolved problem in the field of aerosol analysis and
aerosol hazard detection relates to aerosol monitoring equipment
that has become blocked or fouled and must be replaced or rebuilt,
which can result in down time of critical monitoring systems. We
have found that acoustic cleaning "on the fly" removes buildup of
particle deposits without the need to interrupt ongoing monitoring.
Devices that benefit from acoustic cleaning in response to particle
accumulation and fouling include aerosol concentrators, aerodynamic
lenses, virtual impactors, inertial impactors, centrifugal
impactors, bluff body impactors, and electrostatic
precipitators.
[0027] Particles in a flowing gas stream are typically concentrated
in a part of the gas stream and separated from the gas flow by
impaction or precipitation onto a solid surface. During this
process, some particles are inadvertently deposited on other
internal surfaces of the equipment. The net effect of excessive
accumulation of particles on internal surfaces is a deterioration
of performance efficiency in capturing particles from the gas
stream. Of interest here is the use of acoustic energy to excite
the internal solid surface or surfaces of the aerosol monitoring
equipment and thereby dislodge particle deposits for cleaning or
sampling.
[0028] In a first embodiment, acoustic energy is applied to the
internal solid surfaces while a gas flow is directed across the
surfaces of interest. In this "dry" cleaning method, particles that
are dislodged are entrained in the flowing gas and removed from the
equipment. Deterioration in performance associated with
accumulation of particles can be corrected in most instances. In
the case of particles that cannot be cleared in this way, the gas
flow direction may be reversed and dry application of acoustic
energy repeated.
[0029] Surprisingly, periodic application of acoustic energy may
also be used preventatively so that performance is not affected
during extended use without interruption of monitoring. The
benefits of "on the fly" prophylactic insonation treatments can be
achieved with very low power consumption and without down time.
Intermittent pulsatile application of acoustic energy can prevent
fouling over an extended lifetime of use, for weeks or months, and
in fact improves particle collection efficiency by routine
intermittent application of dry acoustic treatments.
[0030] For those instances where particle deposits are resistant to
routine dry acoustic treatment, acoustic cleaning may be augmented
by injecting a liquid into the internal works. The liquid is
contacted with the deposits and acoustic energy is applied to
stimulate release of the deposits from the surface or surfaces.
Aqueous or non-aqueous liquids and mixtures may be used, optionally
in combination with surface active agents. If desired, a
liquid-acoustic cleaning cycle may be applied periodically. This
"wet" cleaning method requires interruption of the gas flow.
However, we have found this disadvantage is offset by the synergy
achieved in acoustically sampling accreted particles during a
cleaning cycle, which when concentrated in small, discrete volumes
of a liquid, are more readily subjected to analysis. The samples of
liquid cleaning fluid can be assayed in situ for particles or
particle constituents by optical or by radiological methods, or can
be conveyed downstream for more complex analyses. Thus the particle
monitoring or collection equipment may be configured as a
gas-to-liquid concentrator by incorporation of acoustic transducers
and a liquid injection capability.
[0031] Acoustic energy may be applied to a solid substrate
directly, using contacting transducers, or indirectly, using
non-contacting air-coupled transducers, and any particles dislodged
into a liquid contacting the substrate may be sampled by collecting
the liquid. Contacting and/or gas-coupled electro-acoustic
transducers may be used, either one or the other, or together.
[0032] In a preferred embodiment, the initial cleaning event is a
"dry cleaning" treatment, where the equipment is treated with
acoustic energy without wetting; then if performance is not
restored or residual particle buildup is not acceptable, a
secondary "wet cleaning" treatment may be performed. This
combination of steps is used to clean the equipment of any particle
load that would interfere with subsequent detection events. In this
way, a next particle sample can be collected without the need to
replace the particle accretion surface, and without damage to the
workings of the apparatus. This apparatus can be cycled through dry
cleaning, wet cleaning, and wet sampling modes semi-continuously,
or a wet cleaning cycle and sampling cycle can be triggered only in
response to a signal. The apparatus is otherwise cleaned on the fly
using dry ultrasound without interruption of gas flow, an advance
in the art.
[0033] Where cleaning or sampling is triggered by a change in
performance or particle loading, a buildup of particle mass on an
internal surface of a particle collector or concentrator may be
detected by a change in gas flow in the apparatus, such as a change
in velocity or backpressure, or by monitoring a change in light
transmittance, absorbance, or reflectance of an internal surface;
and a positive signal output from a sensor or detector triggers the
acoustic cleaning or sampling treatment. A particular constituent
of a particle mass, such as a radioactive emission or a
fluorescence may trigger a sampling cycle. If the particle mass is
not of interest, it may be cleaned away using dry ultrasound so
that the unwanted particle mass is discarded while continuing to
monitor gas flow and collect or focus particles. If it is desired
to capture a sample of an accumulated particle mass, a liquid is
applied to a surface where particles have been deposited and an
application of acoustic energy results in release of the captive
particulate material into the liquid. The liquid may then be
analyzed in situ, conveyed to a downstream analysis module of the
apparatus, or exported and captured for remote analysis or
archiving.
[0034] Any suitable signal can be used to trigger a cleaning cycle.
In one embodiment, an ultrasonic flow velocity sensor is used,
where increases in flow velocity are associated with stenotic
buildup of particle deposits in a particle trap or around a
collector channel. The sensor may be the acoustic transducer used
to apply acoustic energy for cleaning. In yet another embodiment, a
backpressure sensor or densitometer is monitored on the feed side
of the inlet port, and increases in backpressure or density are
associated with a downstream constriction or blockage. In another
embodiment, transmitted, attenuated or reflected light, or
fluorescent emissions, are used to monitor particle buildup on an
internal surface. Various in situ means for monitoring constituents
of particle deposits are known in the art.
[0035] Instead of having to replace or service aerosol monitoring
and particle collection equipment that has become blocked or
fouled, captive particles that are trapped on and fouling aerosol
concentrator or collector surfaces may be periodically mobilized
and removed by application of a brief pulse of acoustic energy,
essentially eliminating the progressive deterioration of
performance resulting from fouling as is commonly seen with
equipment of this type--with only a very low increase in power
consumption. In more severe cases of fouling, wet acoustic cleaning
may also be used by supplying a liquid injection system in
combination with an acoustic transducer. The hydraulics of this
system can be adapted so that particle:liquid concentrates in
smaller liquid volumes are conveniently sampled for downstream
analysis. In combination, dry acoustic cleaning can be used to
routinely clear and discard particulate material that is not of
interest, but when the particulate material merits further
analysis, as when the particulate material meets certain
preliminary analysis characteristics, the wet cleaning cycle
functions synergically as a gas-to-liquid particle concentrator,
generating a concentrated sample in a discrete liquid volume for
further study.
[0036] Thus in a first aspect, the invention relates to an aerosol
monitoring or particle collection apparatus with an
electro-acoustic transducer for on-the-fly dry cleaning of
equipment having inside surfaces subject to particle impaction and
fouling. These include air-to-air particle concentrators (such as
aerodynamic lenses, virtual impactors, skimmers, inlet particle
separators, or cyclones) and particle traps (such as inertial
impactors, centrifugal impactors, vortex separators, barrier
filters, or electrostatic collectors).
[0037] An aerosol monitoring or particle collection apparatus of
the invention comprises a) an internal channel for conveying
aerosol particles in a gas stream flow therethrough, said internal
channel having an inlet, an outlet, and a particle accretion
surface therein; b) a pressure source for driving said gas stream
flow from said inlet to said outlet; and c) an electro-acoustic
transducer operatively coupled to said particle accretion surface,
said electro-acoustic transducer having a power supply and control
circuitry for applying pulses of acoustic energy to said particle
accretion surface, said pulses having an on/off pulse duration,
repetition rate, duty cycle, amplitude or frequency.
[0038] Generally, the electro-acoustic transducer is operatively
coupled to the particle accretion surface through a solid body
enclosing the internal channel, and the electro-acoustic transducer
is a piezoelectric, magnetostrictive, or capacitive
electro-acoustic transducer. Optionally the body of the device
includes an acoustic waveguide for directing said acoustic energy
to the particle accretion surface. However, air coupling may also
be used.
[0039] Transducers may be ultrasonic or sonic. The acoustic pulses
may be modulated, having bandwidth, resonance, harmonics, and soft
start characteristics selected for extending the service life of
the apparatus for sampling particle deposits. Carrier frequencies
may also be used to improve penetration or to carry sensor
information in reflective or time of flight sensing systems.
[0040] Using control circuitry and sensors, feedback control loops
are realized. The on/off pulse duration, repetition rate, duty
cycle, amplitude, frequency or other characteristics of the
acoustic pulse may be adjusted in response to a change in the gas
stream flow or upon direct detection of particle accumulation on a
surface. Where the change in flow is associated with fouling, and
where the change in flow is measured by a sensor operatively
connected to the control circuitry, sensor feedback is used to
adjust insonation on the fly. Similarly, where accretion of
particles on the particle accretion surface is detected by a sensor
operatively connected to the control circuitry, sensor feedback may
be used to adjust insonation on the fly.
[0041] In a second aspect, the apparatus is also supplied with a
hydraulic system for liquid injection and wet acoustic cleaning or
sampling. An aerosol monitoring or particle collection apparatus
having a wet cleaning mode generally includes a) a sensor
operatively disposed to monitor the internal channel for accretion
of particles on the particle accretion surface, and for emitting a
signal indicative of particle fouling, b) a pneumatic control
system under control of control circuitry for interrupting the gas
stream flow in response to the signal; and c) a liquid hydraulic
system controlled by said control circuitry, wherein said liquid
hydraulic system is configured for injecting a discrete liquid
volume onto said particle accretion surface and insonating said
wetted particle accretion surface in response to said signal. The
hydraulic system is supplied with means for removing particle
deposits suspended or dissolved by the acoustic pulses in said
insonated liquid volume.
[0042] While unwanted particle suspensions can be blown out of the
apparatus in the gas stream, analysis of particles or particle
constituents from time to time is also contemplated.
Advantageously, in a third aspect, termed here "wet sampling mode",
hydraulic sampling subsystems of the invention are adapted for
sampling particle constituents that are suspended or dissolved by
insonation in the presence of an injected liquid volume, where the
hydraulic sampling subsystem is provided with a pump functionality
and ducting for withdrawing a liquid sample of the particle mass
and for fluidly conveying the liquid sample for downstream
collection, archiving or analysis.
[0043] In another aspect, a sensor can be used in situ to detect a
target constituent of interest in deposits in a particle trap and
the wet sampling mode can be actuated in response to the
signal.
[0044] Control circuitry is provided in the invention, and may be
configured for operating in a dry cleaning mode, a wet cleaning
mode, and a wet sampling mode, where the dry cleaning mode involves
actuation of said electro-acoustic transducer without liquid
injection, the wet cleaning mode involves actuation of said
electro-acoustic transducer with liquid injection, and the wet
sampling mode involves actuation of said electro-acoustic
transducer with liquid injection and liquid sample withdrawal.
Functionalities for dry and wet acoustic cleaning cycles may be
combined in a single apparatus by providing for the appropriate
analog actuators, including any valving, pumps, fluid reservoirs
and so forth. Optionally, a wet cleaning mode can be combined with
a wet sampling mode. Or wet sampling mode can be combined with dry
cleaning mode. The capacity to flexibly maintain, clean, and sample
particles from particle collection equipment without interruption
or disassembly is an advance in the art.
[0045] In one embodiment, dry cleaning is performed regularly at
intervals as experience demonstrates are sufficient to prevent
particle build-up. In yet another aspect, the invention
incorporates a sensor or sensors and control circuitry to trigger
dry and/or wet acoustic cleaning in a feedback loop where operating
parameters are continuously sensed and cleaning is performed to
maintain or restore optimal efficiency: first by dry acoustic
cleaning without interruption of gas flow, then if desired by wet
acoustic cleaning to remove more stubborn deposits, or to obtain a
liquid sample. Wet sampling may be initiated in response to an
accumulation of a particle mass or by detection of a target
particle constituent, for example by spectroscopic or fluoroscopic
characterization of the particle mass in situ in the particle trap
prior to sampling. In this way, unnecessary down time and
exhaustion of time or resources on uninteresting or
information-poor samples are avoided.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0046] FIG. 1 is a schematic of a first collector module with
particle trap.
[0047] FIG. 2 is a schematic of a second collector module with
particle trap.
[0048] FIG. 3 is a schematic of a collector apparatus with
centrifugal inertial impactor and droplet injection and elution
mechanism.
[0049] FIGS. 4A through 4D illustrate a process of operating a
collector apparatus having a centrifugal inertial impactor and
on-board elution fluid reservoir.
[0050] FIG. 5A demonstrates the effect of collector channel
diameter on particle capture at a gas flow rate of 0.5 L/min.
[0051] FIGS. 5B and 5C describe particle traps with radius of
curvature R.sub.c equal to one-half and two-thirds the internal
diameter of the collector channel, respectively.
[0052] FIG. 6A demonstrates the effect of gas flow rate on particle
capture in a larger collector channel.
[0053] FIG. 6B is a table showing the effect of collector channel
diameter on volume of a particle trap.
[0054] FIG. 7A shows experimental data for recovery of bacterial
cells in a centrifugal impactor using 500 nanoliter droplets of
saline as an elution reagent.
[0055] FIG. 7B shows experimental data for recovery of bacillus
spores in a centrifugal impactor using 500 nanoliter droplets of
0.1% Tween-20 as an elution reagent.
[0056] FIGS. 8A to 8D are four views of centrifugal impactor
configurations.
[0057] FIG. 9A shows by dashed line the particle trap having
features referenced in FIGS. 9B-D.
[0058] FIGS. 9B-D show embodiments of a centrifugal-impactor type
particle trap configured with a microfluidic injector duct,
injector/sampling duct, or tandem injector and sampling ducts with
valving.
[0059] FIG. 10A shows a particle trap impactor configured with a
injector/sampling duct and a sacrificial substrate overlayer lining
the collector channel.
[0060] FIG. 10B shows a centrifugal-impactor particle trap
configured with tandem injector and sampling ducts and having a
regenerated sacrificial substrate overlayer lining the trap.
[0061] FIGS. 11A and 11B show a two-part diagram of a method for
preparing a centrifugal-impactor particle trap with sacrificial
substrate overlayer lining the trap.
[0062] FIG. 12 illustrates improvement in bacterial elution
efficiency for E. coli using a sacrificial substrate overlayer.
[0063] FIG. 13 is a schematic representation of a collector channel
with bluff body impactor.
[0064] FIGS. 14A and 14B show collection and elution of aerosol
particles from a bluff body-type particle trap.
[0065] FIGS. 15A and 15B represent an alternative bluff body
embodiment using tandem microfluidic ducts.
[0066] FIGS. 16A and 16B show collection and elution of aerosol
particles from a bluff body-type particle trap, the bluff body
having a sacrificial substrate overlayer.
[0067] FIG. 17 shows a modified bluff body member with sacrificial
substrate overlayer on the impactor surface and embedded heating
element.
[0068] FIG. 18 shows a bluff body member with impactor surface
modifications for processing and treating an aerosol sample.
[0069] FIG. 19 is a schematic of a collector module with
electrostatic particle trap.
[0070] FIGS. 20A and 20B illustrate operation of an electrostatic
particle trap.
[0071] FIG. 21 is a schematic view of an integrated aerodynamic
lens (ADL) with skimmer and centrifugal impactor. The ADL is a
multistage aerosol concentrator.
[0072] FIG. 22 depicts schematically an apparatus with integrated
microfluidic particle trap and nucleic acid amplification and
detection cartridge interfaced with a single stage ADL with skimmer
and adaptor.
[0073] FIG. 23 shows how modular construction with a collector body
of the invention can be used to build an aerosol analytic apparatus
integrating various combinations of modules.
[0074] FIG. 24 shows how modular construction with a collector body
of the invention can be used to build an aerosol analytic apparatus
integrating a centrifugal particle trap.
[0075] FIG. 25 shows how modular construction with a collector body
of the invention can be used to build an aerosol analytic apparatus
integrating an electrostatic particle trap.
[0076] FIG. 26 is an example of a microfluidic card with integrated
particle trap and microfluidic circuitry for amplifying and
detecting a nucleic acid.
[0077] FIG. 27 is typical data showing nucleic acid amplification
by PCR with real time detection by molecular beacon technology as
applied to detection of an aerosol particle in a microfluidic
cartridge having an integrated particle trap collector and
associated microfluidic circuitry for PCR amplification of a
nucleic acid.
[0078] FIGS. 28A and 28B depict use of a contacting
electro-acoustic transducer in combination with a stream of a
flowing gas to clean an air:solid surface, dislodging particles
resident thereon.
[0079] FIGS. 29A and 29B depict use of a non-contacting
"air-coupled" electro-acoustic transducer in combination with a
stream of a flowing gas to clean an air:solid surface, dislodging
particles resident thereon.
[0080] FIGS. 30A and 30B depict schematically a skimmer junction
with open vestibule or window aligned transversely through the
skimmer, perpendicular to the exposed face of the intersecting
channels, and provision for directing dry or wet acoustic energy
onto particle accretion surfaces along the skimmer junction. The
same view is rendered with perspective in FIG. 30B.
[0081] FIGS. 31A and 31B show a cross-section through a skimmer
with upstream aerodynamic lense and depicts locations of openings
where transducers may be aimed for dry or wet cleaning cycles.
[0082] FIG. 32 shows a cross-section through a skimmer with
upstream aerodynamic lenses and schematically depicts a
piezoelectric, magnetostrictive, or electrostatic transducer
element contactingly coupled to the lateral faces of the skimmer
body.
[0083] FIG. 33 shows a cross-section through a skimmer with
upstream aerodynamic lenses and depicts an interface with an array
(dashed lines) of piezoelectric, magnetostrictive, or electrostatic
transducer elements.
[0084] FIG. 34 is a plot monitoring backpressure in an aerosol
concentrator with and without periodic application of ultrasonic
acoustic energy to the concentrator body.
[0085] FIGS. 35A and 35B depict chimney pressure drop and collector
pressure drop respectively, comparing performance parameters of a
skimmer and a particle trap assembly under particle loading with
and without pulsed application of ultrasonic acoustic energy.
[0086] FIG. 36 shows schematically a particle trap with
electro-acoustic transducer element and driving circuitry coupled
to a lateral face of a particle trap assembly.
[0087] FIG. 37 illustrates a centrifugal impactor ("U-shaped"
curved section) with provision for attachment of an acoustic
cleaning element (dashed line).
[0088] FIG. 38 depicts a contacting electro-acoustic transducer in
combination with a liquid hydraulic system to inject a fluid and
sonically clean particles from a particle trap.
[0089] FIG. 39 depicts a contacting electro-acoustic transducer in
combination with a hydraulic sampling system for liquid injection
and sample recovery to acoustically clean particles from particle
trap and to obtain liquid samples for analysis.
[0090] FIG. 40 depicts a combination of an electro-acoustic
transducer with a simplified liquid injection system for wet
acoustic cleaning of a particle trap.
[0091] FIGS. 41A through 41D depict schematically a cyclical method
for cleaning a particle trap and obtaining a sample of the particle
concentrate.
[0092] FIGS. 42A and 42B depict first a skimmer mouth that has been
fouled by progressive accretion of particle deposits over time and
next a corresponding skimmer mouth treated preventatively with
periodic application of pulsed ultrasound.
[0093] The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale. Certain
elements, features, steps or components herein are shown in
somewhat schematic form and some details familiar to those skilled
in the art might not be shown in the interest of clarity and
conciseness.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0094] Throughout the following description and claims, certain
terms are used to refer to particular elements, features, steps or
components and are defined here as intended by the inventors, i.e.
they are intrinsic meanings. As one skilled in the art will
appreciate, different persons may refer to the same element,
feature, step or component by different names. This document does
not intend to distinguish between elements, features, steps or
components that differ in name but not in function, action or
result. Other words and phrases used here take their meaning as
consistent with usage as would be apparent to one skilled in the
art.
DEFINITIONS
[0095] An "aerosol particle" is a generally diminutive or
lightweight body of solid, liquid or gel-like matter suspended or
dispersed in a gas volume. This can include, without limitation
thereto, dust motes, exfoliated skin cells, fibers, spores,
vegetative cells, mists, condensates, virus particles, bacteria,
yeasts, mucous droplets, microdroplets of saliva and bronchial
secretions, pollen grains, fly ash, smog condensate, smoke, fumes,
dirt, fogs (as in industrial or agricultural spray application),
salt, silicates, metallic particulate toxins, tar, combustion
derived nanoparticles, particulate toxins, and the like. The
aerosol particle may be a composite, containing both solid and
liquid matter. Such particulate bodies can remain suspended in a
column of air for long periods of time, can be carried on currents
in the air, or can settle onto surfaces from which they may be
resuspended by agitation.
[0096] Aerosol particles ranging from 0.01 to 25 microns are
particularly hazardous. Particles less than 10 microns in apparent
aerodynamic diameter pose a respiratory threat, and those less than
2.5 microns are of particular concern, as these can be inhaled deep
into the lung. Aerosols include bioaerosols and particulate
toxins.
[0097] "Aerosol"--refers to a population of small or lightweight
bodies termed "aerosol particles" suspended or dispersed in a gas
volume. An aerosol is composed of both a gas and a suspended or
dispersed solid phase; the solid phase material is sometimes
referred to herein as either an aerosol or as an aerosol particle,
as will be apparent to be one skilled in the art.
[0098] Aerodynamic Diameter--is defined as the diameter of a sphere
of unit density (1 g/cm.sup.3) that attains the same terminal
settling velocity (v.sub.s) at a low Reynolds number as the actual
particle under consideration. For mathematical modeling purposes,
it is convenient to express the behavior of an irregularly shaped
particulate specimen as if it were a spherical particle, making it
easier to predict, compare and correlate various materials.
Typically, the density of a particulate sample is not known during
field sampling and calculations are generally performed assuming
unit particle density (1 g/cm.sup.3).
[0099] "Cut size"--The cut size parameter of an inertial impactor,
D.sub.p.sup.50, is defined as the aerodynamic particle diameter at
which 50% of the particles entering the impactor are captured on an
internal impactor surface. The cut size particle size of a virtual
impactor, Dp.sup.50, is defined as the aerodynamic particle
diameter at which 50% of the particles entering the virtual
impactor follow the minor flow stream. Similarly, a D.sub.p.sup.100
would refer to a 100% cutoff.
[0100] The behavior of the impactor requires consideration of the
Stokes number (Stk), which is the ratio of the particle stopping
distance at a mean throat velocity to the throat width, and the
Reynolds number (Re) since they govern particle and gas phase flow
behavior, respectfully, in the impactor or virtual impactor.
Taking
Stk Lc = [ .rho. p D p 2 C c U o ] [ 18 .mu. f L c ] , and
##EQU00001## Re Lc = [ .rho. f U o L c ] / [ .mu. f ]
##EQU00001.2##
where: [0101] D.sub.p=particle diameter [0102] .rho..sub.p=particle
density [0103] .rho..sub.f=fluid density [0104] C.sub.c=slip
correction factor [0105] U.sub.o=mean velocity at critical
dimension [0106] .mu..sub.f=fluid kinematic viscosity [0107]
L.sub.c=critical throat or slit dimension, [0108] and Re is a
Reynold's number for a throat having dimension L.sub.c.
[0109] Stk is the ratio of the particle stopping distance at a mean
throat velocity to the throat or slit width and governs the
collection efficiency in impactor theory. The stopping distance is
defined as the maximum distance a particle can travel with an
initial velocity in still air without any external forces. For Stk
>>1, particles should follow a straight line as the gas turns
and for Stk <<1, particles should follow the gas streamlines.
These operating parameters are degraded by the accumulation of
particulate material in the orifices and channels of the aerosol
monitoring, concentration, or collection equipment.
[0110] "Critical dimension"--by example, a critical dimension
(L.sub.c) is associated with proximate fouling conditions include
the throat or slit of a virtual impactor (where the width or
diameter is a critical dimension) and the most narrow dimension of
a centrifugal impactor (where the concavoconvexedly bending tube or
slit has a critical diameter or depth proximate to the impactor
surface). Also critical dimensions are inside clearances between
opposing aerodynamic lens elements, entrances to chimney passages,
and constrictions in collector manifolds, internal dimensions where
fouling is most detrimental to performance.
[0111] "Aerosol concentrator module"--includes aerodynamic lens
concentrators, aerodynamic lens array concentrators, and
micro-aerodynamic lens array concentrators, when used in
conjunction with a virtual impactor, skimmer or other means for
separating a gas flow into a particle-enriched core flow (also
termed "minor flow") and a "bulk flow", which is generally
discarded. Also included are cyclone separators, ultrasound
concentrators, and air-to-air concentrators generally for
generating a flow split, where the "flow split" refers to the ratio
of the minor flow to the bulk flow or total flow. The
particle-enriched gas stream is delivered to an outlet of the
aerosol concentrator module and may be conveyed to an aerosol
collector module.
[0112] "Aerodynamic lens" (ADL)--is a device having a passage for a
gas stream characterized by constrictions (lenses) that have the
effect of focusing the particle content of the gas into a core flow
region or "particle beam" surrounded by a sheath of particle
depleted air. An ADL can further be configured with a virtual
impactor (also termed a "skimmer") for separating the
particle-enriched core flow (also termed "minor flow") from the
sheath flow (commonly termed "bulk flow") which is generally
discarded.
[0113] "Virtual impactor"--is an air-to-air aerosol concentrator
which separates a particle fraction of an aerosol having a higher
inertia from a surrounding air mass having a lower inertia, thereby
concentrating the particle fraction in a smaller fraction of the
gas. In operation, particles in the gas stream are first focused
into a particle-rich core flow surrounded by a particle-poor sheath
flow. The gas stream is then directed at an obstructing surface,
where the obstructing surface includes a smaller orifice at the
precise point where the particle rich core flow is targeted to
impact the surface, and thus the "particle beam" or "particle
ribbon" is admitted through the orifice without impact while the
sheath flow is diverted by the obstruction on a new vector away
from the core flow. The bulk of the gas stream (sometimes termed
the "major flow") is diverted by the obstruction while a smaller
fraction of the gas stream (typically termed the "minor flow")
containing the particle is admitted through the orifice. Heavier or
denser particles exceeding a "cut size" fail to change direction
and pass through the virtual impactor mouth. Finer particles remain
entrained in the deflected major flow. Particulate "wall loss,"
i.e., unintended deposition of particles on various surfaces of
virtual impactor structures, especially at curved or bent portions
and around the mouth of the virtual impactor, remains an unsolved
problem because this unwanted particle deposition leads to fouling.
Examples of virtual impactors and virtual impactor arrays include
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,901,798; 4,670,135; 4,767,524; 5,425,802;
5,498,271; 5,533,406; 6,062,392 and 7,875,095. ADLs and virtual
impactors are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,704,294 and in U.S.
patent application Ser. Nos. 12/964,700 and 13/069,618, which are
co-assigned.
[0114] "Skimmer"--a virtual impactor device for separating a bulk
flow from a particle-enriched core flow, generally used in
conjunction with an aerodynamic lens to form an aerosol
concentrator.
[0115] "Particle trap"--as used here, refers to a surface of a
collector channel (a particle accretion surface) having the
property of reversibly capturing aerosol particles by virtue of
their size, inertia or electrostatic charge. Particles are captured
by inertial inpaction or electrostatic precipitation, or by
filtration on an internal surface or surfaces of the particle trap.
Examples of particle traps and particle trap arrays include U.S.
patent application Ser. Nos. 12/364,672, 12/833,665 and 13/069,618,
which are co-assigned.
[0116] "Inertial Impactor"--a particle collector with a body or
member having an impactor surface (a particle accretion surface)
which is disposed in a gas flow such that streamlines of the gas
flow are deflected around the impactor surface but particles with
inertia exceeding the cut size of the device collide with the
impactor and are captured on it. Inertial impactors of interest
here include two classes, "centrifugal impactors" and "bluff body
impactors". "Plate impactors" are considered here as a sub-class of
bluff body impactors.
[0117] "Centrifugal Impactor"--describes a family of particle
collectors in which an internal channel or throat for conducting
the gas flow is bent or curves. Where the concavedly curving inner
wall intersects or impinges on the long axis of gas flow, inertial
force will cause more dense aerosol particles to impact what is
termed here an "inertial impactor surface" or "centrifugal impactor
surface" (i.e., a particle accretion surface), the area of the
inside wall surface crossing or impinging on the long axis of flow.
In a collector channel, an impactor surface is formed wherever an
internal wall of the concavoconvex passage intersects or impinges
the long axis of gas flow, deflecting the gas streamlines. The
channel geometry for an inertial impactor is generally of tubular
geometry (with circular, ovoid, or rectangular cross-section, and
may be tapered or complex as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,704,294
and in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 12/364,672 and 12/833,665.
More broadly, centrifugal impactors may also include vortex
particle collectors.
[0118] "Bluff Body Impactor"--Inertial impactors are also formed by
flowing a gas stream around an obstacle in the path of the stream
so as to cause a sharp change in the direction of the gas stream.
In some cases, the gas flow is "split" around the obstacle. The
obstacle, which is termed a bluff body, is not streamlined. The
bluff body may be for example a pillar or a plate positioned to
intersect the gas stream. Higher momentum particles do not deviate
with the gas stream around the bluff body and instead collide with
the windward surface of the obstacle, termed here an "inertial
impactor surface" or "particle accretion surface".
[0119] "Electrostatic Precipitator"--refers to a particle collector
having a pair of capacitively electrified plates for capturing
charged aerosol particles on the plates. The plates are thus
particle precipitators. Positive and negatively charged plate
surfaces attract and bind oppositely charged particles. Particles
may be natively charged or may acquire charge by contact with a
source of ions, such sources including but not limited to a "corona
wire," a source of ionizing radiation, or a radio-frequency
discharge. Surfaces accumulating particles during operation are
termed "particle accretion surfaces."
[0120] "Particle accretion surface"--an inside surface of a
particle concentrator, collector or monitor which is sensitive to
fouling by accumulated particles. The inside surface is generally
not readily accessible for cleaning without disassembly of the
aerosol monitoring, concentration, or collection apparatus.
[0121] "Aerosol Collector Module"--refers to an apparatus or
subassembly of an apparatus for collecting and eluting captured
aerosol particles or constituents thereof in a liquid volume.
Aerosol collector modules may contain inertial impactors,
centrifugal impactors, liquid impingers, bluff body impactors, or
electrostatic precipitators. Fluidic systems are provided for
microelution of the captured material as a liquid sample. The
aerosol collector module is thus an "air-to-liquid" converter.
Combinations of aerosol concentrator modules and aerosol collector
modules are also "air-to-liquid" converters, having greater
concentrative power than aerosol collector modules alone.
[0122] Inelastic collision--a collision with an impactor surface in
which the colliding particle retains no kinetic energy after the
collision, i.e., the particle is captured on the impactor surface.
Inelastic collisions may be irreversible or reversible.
[0123] Radius of curvature--(R.sub.c) or "bending radius" as
defined here is taken along the centerline of a centrifugal
inertial impactor and is generally in the range of greater than 0.5
to about three or ten times the characteristic dimension of the
collector tube or channel. A radius of curvature of 0.5xID, where
ID is the "characteristic dimension" (height or internal diameter)
of the channel, is not generally possible because the septum
separating the arms of the channel at the bend would have no
thickness. See also FIGS. 5B and 5C.
[0124] Elution--the meaning taken here is from the latin verb root
"luere, to wash out", and refers to a process in which a fluid is
used to remove a substance from a location on which it is
deposited--and to suspend, or solubilize, the concentrated
substance in a liquid sample for analysis. To state that "the
aerosol was eluted," indicates that an aerosol deposited in a
particle trap was then taken up as a concentrate in a volume of a
fluid for analysis. Broadly, as used herein, elution can also refer
to the related process of leaching, where a component of a
deposited material is solubilized to form a liquid sample. Elution
may be enhanced by in situ insonation with a volume of a liquid. We
may refer to "micro-elution" to indicate that elution takes place
preferably in a "microvolume" of a liquid.
[0125] Pump functionality--or member, refers to any utility for
pumping a fluid, such as are commonly known in the art.
[0126] Microfluidic--by convention, an adjective referring to
apertures, channels, chambers, valves, pumps, and other hydraulic
components having a cross-sectional dimension of less than 500
microns. Here microfluidic and near-microfluidic features are taken
as inclusive of features with a dimension less than 2 mm, more
preferably less than 1 mm, or less than 500 micrometers, where
changes in flow behavior of liquids becomes obvious.
[0127] Microdroplet volume--refers to a discrete volume of a fluid,
generally of 10,000 nanoliters or less. May also be termed a
"microdroplet", although such volumes are not limited to volumes in
the form of free-falling "droplets" per se and are frequently
confined in a channel or contacted with a surface.
[0128] Nanodroplet--refers to a discrete volume of a fluid,
generally of 1000 nanoliters or less, more preferably a few hundred
nanoliters. May also be termed a "nanodroplet volume", although
such volumes are not limited to volumes in the form of free-falling
"droplets" per se and are frequently confined in a channel or
contacted on a surface.
[0129] The prefix "micro-" generally refers to any component having
a sub-millimeter-sized feature and any volume measured in
microliters.
[0130] The prefix "nano-" generally refers to any component having
a sub-micrometer-sized feature and any volume measured in
nanoliters.
[0131] Glass--a wholly or partially amorphous solid having a glass
transition temperature T.sub.g: the temperature at which an
amorphous solid, such as glass or a polymer, becomes brittle on
cooling or soft on heating, and a melt temperature T.sub.m. Below
the glass transition temperature, T.sub.g, amorphous solids are in
a rigid glassy state and most of their joining bonds are intact. In
organic molecules, particularly polymers, secondary, non-covalent
bonds between the polymer chains become weak above T.sub.g. Above
T.sub.g glasses and organic polymers become soft and capable of
plastic deformation without fracture. Above T.sub.m, the solid
becomes a liquid. Preferred here are glasses that have a solubility
in a liquid.
[0132] Means for amplifying--includes the "polymerase chain
reaction" (PCR) which is described in detail in U.S. Pat. Nos.
4,683,195, 4,683,202 and 4,800,159; in Ausubel et al. Current
Protocols in Molecular Biology, John Wiley and Sons, Baltimore, Md.
(1989), and in Innis et al., ("PCR Protocols", Academic Press,
Inc., San Diego Calif., 1990). Polymerase chain reaction
methodologies for nucleic acid amplification require thermocycling
and are well known in the art. As means for amplifying also
considered are isothermal amplification methods. By adding
fluorescent intercalating agents, molecular beacons, and so forth,
nucleic acid amplification products, known in the art as
"amplicons", can be detected as reaction endpoints or in real
time.
[0133] Liquid sample analysis module--refers to an apparatus or
subassembly of an apparatus having means for detecting an aerosol
particle or constituent of an aerosol particle, and having the
purpose of detection and/or characterization of the particle or
constituent thereof.
[0134] Means for detecting--as used herein, as used herein, refers
to one or more functionalities for detecting, analyzing and/or
characterizing a particle, a particle constituent, or a mass of
particles as are generally well known in the art. Means for
analyzing may include a) means for performing a liquid
chromatographic step; b) means for performing a gas chromatographic
step; c) means for performing an affinity binding step; d) means
for performing an ionization step; e) means for performing an
electrophoretic step; f) means for performing a spectrometric,
fluorometric, or photometric step; g) means for performing a mass
spectroscopic step; h) a means for performing an electrometric
step; i) means for in situ detection; j) a combination of one or
more of the above means; or k) other analysis and detection means
known in the art. Analytical means can involve visual detection,
machine detection, manual detection or automated detection.
[0135] "Acoustics" is an interdisciplinary science that deals with
the study of sound, ultrasound and infrasound, more generally
"sonics". Acoustic waves propagate in solids, fluids or gases as
waves or disturbances in the ambient pressure level, and consist of
alternating waves of compression and rarefaction. The periodicity
of the waves may lead to resonance. "Acoustic energy" is associated
with the amplitude and the frequency of the waves or wave pulses.
"Acoustic cleaning" as used here refers to the use of acoustic
energy (i.e., "insonation") to clean an inside surface of aerosol
monitoring, concentration, or collection equipment.
[0136] Acoustic waves carry energy. Carrier waves having a
frequency of 2 to 15 KHz may be used where human hearing is not an
issue. "Ultrasound", sound above the range detected by the human
ear, is defined as having a frequency of greater than about 15-20
KHz, but for practical purposes is generally practiced in the 20
KHz to 20 MHz range. Acoustic waveforms may be continuous or
intermittent.
[0137] "Electro-acoustic transducer"--a device for conversion of
electrical to acoustic energy or vice versa. These transducers may
be used to generate a waveform for carrying acoustic energy,
generally by consumption of electricity. A first class of
electro-acoustic transducers are formed of a piezoelectric material
such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT), barium titanate or a
polymeric materials such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). Another
class of electro-acoustic transducers may be formed of
magnetostrictive materials such as domain-microstructured materials
containing terbium, dysprosium, or gallium in a nickel or ferrite
crystalline base. Capacitive electro-acoustic transducers
(ultrasonic transducers of this variety are termed "CUTs") are also
known and are used for non-contact inspection. These devices are
composed of a thin pliant membrane film and a rigid conducting
backplate to form an electrostatic capacitor. Cyclically applied
voltages cause the membrane to vibrate, and hence can generate
ultrasound, whereas a change in voltage across the membrane can be
used for detection. Metallic or ceramic backplates can be used; the
backplate may be machined to improve the acoustic properties of the
transducer. The ultrasonic emission may be collimated or focused to
a point as desired, for example as described in US Pat. Appl. Doc.
No. 2009/0158851. Microfabricated, layered structures having a
resonant cavity or cell formed between a thin metallized membrane
and a backplate electrode may be formed, the cell having a charged
state and a relaxed state and the membrane capable of rapid flexion
in the manner of a diaphragm (U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,331).
[0138] PZT transducers also may be coupled in air by applying a
quarter-wavelength thick impedance matching layer to the front
surface, but with loss of bandwidth and with generally poorer
efficiency.
[0139] Hybrid cells in which the conductive membrane is driven
simultaneously in both piezoelectric and electrostatic modes are
known, as are resonant cavities having varied depth to achieve
broader operating bandwidths (U.S. Pat. No. 6,775,388).
Electro-acoustic transducers may be formed as rectilinear slabs, as
arrays of elements, as annular arrays, as cylinders, as coin-like
disks, as membranes, and so forth. In one class, concavedly
spherical transducers are formed having the property of emitting
focused acoustic waves, so that energy density of the propagated
wave increases to a peak at a point away from the surface of the
transducer.
[0140] Acoustic waves can be amplitude modulated or frequency
modulated. A frequency sweep within the transducer's harmonic
bandwidth is particularly useful in mobilizing particles from
surfaces. Arrays of transducers having different bandwidths may be
used to increase the frequency range.
[0141] "Ultrasound"--generally is defined as an acoustic wave
having a frequency of greater than about 15-20 KHz, but may
usefully extend into the megahertz range, up to perhaps 20 MHz.
Ultrasound is a form of energy consisting of alternating waves of
compression and rarefaction.
[0142] "Couplant"--a medium for transmitting ("coupling") a sound
wave from a transducer to a solid surface, often a gel or a
liquid.
[0143] "Conventional"--refers to a term or method designating that
which is known and commonly understood in the technology to which
this invention relates.
[0144] Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the
specification and claims which follow, the word "comprise" and
variations thereof, such as, "comprises" and "comprising" are to be
construed in an open, inclusive sense--that is as "including, but
not limited to".
[0145] The appended claims are not to be interpreted as including
means-plus-function limitations, unless such a limitation is
explicitly recited in a given claim using the phrase "means
for."
[0146] Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment"
or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure or
characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is
included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus,
the appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an
embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not
necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the
particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined
in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
[0147] Collector Module for Micro-Elution of Captured Aerosol
Particles
[0148] Turning now to the figures, FIG. 1 is a generic schematic of
a collector module 10a for micro-elution of captured aerosol
particles. Shown in block form are the functional components of a
first embodiment of a particle collection and elution apparatus 1.
A particle trap (block 4) is disposed in a collector channel 9, the
collector channel, represented here figuratively, consisting of a
receiving arm 3 with intake orifice 2 and an outlet arm 5 with
outlet orifice 8. A gas stream 6 with aerosol particles enters the
collector channel through the intake orifice and transits the
particle trap 4. The particle trap may be an inertial impactor,
such as a centrifugal inertial impactor or a bluff body impactor,
or may be an electrostatic precipitator. The gas stream 7, depleted
of particles, exits the collector channel 9 at the base of the
module through outlet orifice 8. Aerosol particles accumulate as a
mass or sample in the particle trap.
[0149] The elution apparatus of module 10a comprises a pump
functionality or member (block 21) with associated fluid reservoir
22. The functional components of apparatus 1 with dashed outlines
may be mounted within module 10a or may optionally be mounted
externally and associated through fluidic connections with module
10a. Fluid from reservoir 22 is injected via microfluidic ducts 13
and 11, optionally with valve 14, into particle trap 4, in the form
of a discrete microdroplet volume. Microfluidic duct 11 is termed a
microfluidic injection duct. Generally the volume injected is
small, and may be less than 10,000 nanoliters, more preferably less
than 1000 nanoliters. In the particle trap, the microdroplet volume
is contacted with the impactor surface or surfaces of the trap and
captive aerosol sample is eluted in the confined structure of the
particle trap 4, thereby forming a liquid sample.
[0150] The reagent fluid reservoir 22 may be contained in the
collector module, or may be in fluidic communication with the
injection duct 11 and pump functionality or member 21 but mounted
externally.
[0151] Reagent fluids include elution reagents, analytical
pre-processing reagents, and detection reagents. Elution reagents
are formulated to resuspend and solubilize the captured aerosol
particle mass. These reagents are generally aqueous, but may
include co-solvents such as dimethylsulfoxide,
N,N-dimethylformamide, N-methyl-pyrrolidinone, 2-pyrrolidone,
acetone, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, acetonitrile, acetone,
methylethylketone, methyl tert-butyl ether (MBTE), tetrahydrofuran,
and so forth. The co-solvent is generally miscible with water but
if not may be formulated as an emulsion or microemulsion or used
without water. Surfactants and wetting agents as are generally
known in the art are also suitable for formulation in an elution
reagent. Such surfactants may include Tween 20, Brij-72, Triton
X100, Pluronic F68 (BASF, Florham Pk, N.J.), n-acyl-glutamate
(Amisoft.RTM., Ajinomoto, JP), Envirogem.RTM. 360 (Air Products,
Allentown Pa.), Eccoterge.RTM. AEP-20 (Eastern Color, Providence
R.I.), sodium lauryl sulfate, and so forth. A more comprehensive
list of surfactants, co-surfactants and wetting agents may be found
in McCutcheon's Emulsifiers and Detergents (2008 Edition). Also
useful for eluting biological samples are salts and buffers.
Analytical pre-processing reagents include for example chaotropic
salts or urea, such as described by Boom (U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,809),
or alkaline SDS lysis solution containing 200 mM NaOH and 1% SDS,
as are known to aid in the lysis of bacterial cells, and also
enzymes such as lysozyme, chitinase or mucopolysaccharidases. These
reagents serve to prepare the sample in situ for analysis and to
release any bioaerosol material from a sample matrix. Detection
reagents include antibodies, probes in general, nucleic acid
intercalating agents, chromogenic reactants, dyes, hydrogen
peroxide for detection of catalase, NADH or NADPH for the detection
of dehydrogenases, ATPases, pyrophosphatases, and so forth.
[0152] Reagents can be injected into the device in sequence, for
example an elution reagent can be injected first, followed by an
analytical pre-processing reagent, followed by a detection reagent,
or other permutations as are effective in achieving the desired
result. In some cases, one reagent serves multiple functions. In
some instances, a dry reagent can be placed in the collector
channel or particle trap prior to collection of a sample, having
the purpose of later being rehydrated by contact with a liquid
reagent so as to react with the aerosol sample or a constituent of
the sample. While not limiting thereto, dry reagents include a
hydrolytic enzyme such as lysozyme or chitinase for digesting a
sample, a chromogenic or fluorogenic dye such as ethidium bromide
or tetrazolium blue for staining a sample, or an antibody with
fluorescent probe conjugate, for example.
[0153] Microelution of aerosol particles by dispensing an elution
reagent onto the impactor surfaces as provided in the present
invention is achieved by any of several species of small pumps or
pump functionalities which can deliver fluids through microfluidic
channels at very low volumetric flow rates and useful linear
velocities. These micro-pumps include piezoelectric dispensors,
inkjet printer heads generally, positive displacement pumps,
syringe pumps, microfluidic diaphragm pumps, magnetostrictive
diaphragm pumps, electrowetting devices, electrokinetic and
electroosmotic pumps, thermopropulsive pumps, Gibbs-Marangoni
devices, and hybrid devices such as piezoelectric dampeners or
diffuser-nozzle heads on a syringe pump. Also contemplated are
binary droplet devices.
[0154] In one embodiment, piezoelectric microdispensors such as are
known in the inkjet printing industry are used to inject measured
volumes of a fluid onto the impactor surface. The dispensers are
compatible with a broad range of liquids from acetonitrile to 7M
urea and have good solvent resistance. Because the responses to a
voltage across a PZT wafer, for example, are very reproducible,
extremely precise microdroplets or nanodroplets are expelled with
each current pulse, which can be supplied as a square wave across
the wafer electrodes. By supplying fluid from a reservoir to the
pump body, the process can be repeated indefinitely, and results in
a stream of droplets. The dispensers thus act as pumps. The volumes
achievable are micro-, nano-, and subnano-liter sized droplets. By
joining a pair of piezoelectric microdispensors to a common
aperture, filling only one with a fluid and then activating the
dispensers in alternation, a train of droplets separated by bubbles
can be dispensed. Single aperture and multi-head devices of 3 mm OD
or less are readily obtained in OEM configurations (Gesellschaft
Silizium Mikrosysteme mbH, Groserkmannsdorf DE), for example.
[0155] Inkjet printer heads suitable for the present invention also
include "Micro Piezo" MEMS microtechnology developed by Seiko Epson
(Tokyo JP). See for example US Pat. Appl. Doc. Nos. 2007/0007860
and 2007/0048191. Newer PZT films used in the ink cavities have a
displacement of 400 nm depthwise per 55 micron cavity width,
acceptable for the requirements of the current invention. Also of
interest are bubblejet printer heads described in U.S. Pat. Nos.
6,561,631 and 6,926,386 to Shin. The resulting inkjet heads are so
small that it becomes feasible to embed the printer head in the
collector module body or in a microfluidic channel in fluid
communication with the collector channel, as will be discussed
further below.
[0156] Piezoelectic actuators may also be used to control syringe
pumps to produce the required microvolume flow. Kar (Kar, S et al.
1998. Piezoelectric mechanical pump with nanoliter per minute
pulse-free flow delivery for pressure pumping in microchannels.
Analyst 123:1435-1441) discloses diffuser/nozzle heads capable of
adapting a syringe pump for continuous flow of nanoliter volumes
without need for reloading the syringe pump. Syringe pumps,
diaphragm pumps, and positive displacement pumps more generally,
can be adapted to pump microvolumes of a fluid and can be installed
or formed in the collector body or positioned remotely with fluidic
connections to the collector channel and to a reagent
reservoir.
[0157] Magnetostrictive pumps for handling nanoliter volumes are
known. Examples are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,795,317,
4,795,318, 4,815,946, 5,129,789, and 7,316,336. U.S. Pat. No.
7,316,336 to Kaartinen is assigned to Fluilogic Oy (Espoo, FI);
Fluilogic's Electromagnetic Bellows (EMB) Pump Module is
distributed by ViaFlo (Hudson, N.H.) and has no seals or moving
parts, dispensing discrete volumes 10 nanoliters to 1450
microliters per actuation and is thus well suited for incorporation
in the devices and apparatus of the present invention.
[0158] Small pneumatic and electric diaphragm pumps adapted for
microfluidic circuits are also known, as for example disclosed in
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,836,750 (therein termed "mesopumps") and 6,729,856
and US Pat. Appl. Doc. No. 2007/014522. Passive pumping systems
such as by capillary action, bibulous wetting, and so forth are
also contemplated.
[0159] Thermopropulsive differential heating can also be used to
propel micro droplets in microfluidic channels, as described by
Handique in U.S. Pat. No. 6,130,098.
[0160] "Electrowetting", in which small currents are passed through
a droplet containing a conducting ion, is also suitable as a means
to propel a droplet, and is a well known and established
technology, for example as illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,174,675
to Chow, 6,749,407 to Xie, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,565,727, 6,773,566
and 7,255,780 to Shenderov. This principle forms the basis of
fluidic pumps and valves under development by Advanced Liquid Logic
(Research Triangle Park NC).
[0161] In another aspect of the invention, the microfluidics of the
microdroplet in the collector channel or on the surface of the
impactor is controlled by electrical voltage pulses applied to a
grid of electrodes embedded under a hydrophobic dielectric surface.
Droplets have been shown to move from lower voltage to higher
voltage in the range of 40 to 300 V, as described by Pamula in U.S.
Pat. No. 6,911,132 and US Pat. Appl. Doc. Nos. 2006/019433 and
2007/0267294. The force acting on the liquid is a
potential-dependent gradient of adhesion energy between the liquid
and a solid insulating hydrophobic surface. The operating principle
of the devices is a modification of "electrowetting" but avoids
electroconduction in the sample liquid. If a droplet of polar
liquid is placed on a hydrophobic surface, application of an
electric potential across the liquid-dielectric interface reduces
the contact angle, effectively converting the surface into an area
of lower free surface energy toward which the droplet moves. A
droplet of a polar liquid will seek out the lowest free surface
energy (also termed the most "hydrophilic surface") and move toward
it so as to maximize the contact area overlap with the electric
field.
[0162] A particle trap having embedded circuit elements or an
impactor surface having a microchip treated with a silane such as
parylene, a perfluoromer such as Teflon.RTM., a polyxylene polymer
such as Lotusan.RTM. (Sto Corp, Atlanta Ga.) are suitable for
demonstration of this effect, which can be adapted to move a
microdroplet along the surface of the impactor, eluting impacted
particles like a sticky roller, for example. By design of a track
of closely spaced electrode pairs, each activated in turn, a
droplet can be rapidly moved across the impactor surface and then
collected or analyzed as preferred.
[0163] The tendency of a fluid to move to reduce the free energy of
interfacial tension has been termed the "Gibbs-Marangoni effect"
(the mass transfer of a fluid on or in a liquid layer along a
surface tension gradient) and we thus term these devices
"Gibbs-Marangoni devices", which include binary droplet devices
such as described by Bico and Quere (Bico, J and D Quere. 2002.
Self-propelling slugs. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 467:101; Bico J
and D Quere. 2000. Liquid trains in a tube. Europhysics Letters,
51:546).
[0164] Applying a pressure differential across the collector
channel is one simple approach that can be accommodated by
providing a suction pressure to a sampling duct in fluidic
communication with the collector channel and particle trap.
Pressure in the collector channel may be used to draw or push fluid
onto the small impactor surface. Thus, also within the sense of
"pump functionality" is any application of suction pressure,
hydraulic pressure, or pneumatic pressure.
[0165] While not shown, pump functionalities may be bidirectional
and self-priming, thereby eliminating the need for two pumps. A
single, bidirectional pump functionality may be used to both inject
a liquid reagent and withdraw a liquid sample from particle trap
4.
[0166] Microfluidic valves are also known in the art. Fluid flow
may be unidirectional or bidirectional through valves or channels.
Microvalves and checkvalves are known and may be adapted to control
fluid direction and switching. These include ball valves, pinch
valves, drum valves, flap valves, and peanut valves. Such valves
and pumps are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,498,392, 5,304,487,
5,296,375, 5,856,174, 6,180,372, 5,939,312, 5,939,291, 5,971,355,
5,863,502, 6,054,277, 6,261,431, 6,240,944, 6,418,968, 6,431,212,
6,440,725, 6,581,899, 6,620,273, 6,729,352, 6,748,975, 6,767,194,
6,901,949, 6,901,949, 5,587,128, 5,955,029, 5,498,392, 5,639,423,
5,786,182, 6,261,431, 6,126,804, 5,958,349, 6,303,343, 6,403,037,
6,429,007, 6,420,143, 6,572,830, 6,541,274, 6,544,734, 6,960,437,
6,762,049, 6,509,186, 6,432,695, 7,018,830, US Pat. Appl. Doc. Nos.
2001/0046701, 2002/0195152, 2003/0138941, 20050205816, and
International Patent Publications WO1994/05414, WO 2003/004162,
WO2002/18823, WO2001/041931, WO1998/50147, WO1997/27324, and so
forth, which taken cumulatively describe various microfluidic
devices for fluid processing and analytical operations. These
microfluidic fluid control devices are well suited for
incorporation in the collector modules and associated particle
collection apparatus of the present invention and for directing and
controlling elution, pre-processing or detection fluid reagents
injected into and liquid sample withdrawn from the collector.
[0167] Returning to FIG. 1, the elution apparatus of module 1
further comprises a second pump utility or member 23 and associated
microfluidic circuitry for conveying a liquid sample 30 to a sample
port 19. The liquid sample contains any eluted aerosol particles or
constituents thereof in the microdroplet volume injected into the
particle trap. The liquid sample may be a suspension or a solution
of the captured aerosol particles or constituents thereof.
[0168] The liquid eluate in the particle trap is conveyed via
microfluidic ducts 11 and 15, with optional valve 16, to sampling
duct 16, where liquid sample 30 is delivered at sample port 19 for
analysis or archiving.
[0169] As will be discussed further below, delivery of a liquid
sample to sample port 19 is optional; analysis may occur in situ
prior to delivery, or may substitute for delivery of the liquid
sample from the collector module.
[0170] Liquid sampling efficiency may be enhanced with the
application of ultrasound to the particle trap during injection and
withdrawal of fluid reagents, as will be described below.
[0171] Downstream analysis may be by physical, chemical,
biochemical or molecular means for analysis. Samples collected from
the collector module may optionally be archived in individual
containers for that purpose, or stored in the collector module.
Using networks of microfluidic channels, sample pre-processing by
reagent addition may be performed continuously or in batch mode.
With increased complexity, sample collection devices may be
fabricated with partial or full integration of detection and/or
identification capabilities, as will be discussed further
below.
[0172] Turning now to FIG. 2, a second generic schematic of an
aerosol collector module 10b for micro-elution of captured aerosol
particles is shown. Illustrated in block form are the functional
components of a second embodiment of a particle collection and
microelution apparatus 25. A particle trap (block 4) is disposed in
a collector channel 9, the collector channel, represented here
figuratively, consisting of a receiving arm 3 with intake orifice 2
and an outlet arm 5 with outlet orifice 8. A gas stream 6 with
aerosol particles enters the collector channel through the intake
orifice and transits the particle trap 4. The particle trap may be
an inertial impactor, such as a centrifugal inertial impactor or a
bluff body impactor, or may be an electrostatic precipitator. The
gas stream 7, depleted of particles, exits the collector channel 9
at the base of the module through outlet orifice 8. Aerosol
particles accumulate as a mass or sample in the particle trap.
[0173] The elution apparatus of module 10b comprises a pump
functionality or member (block 21) with associated fluid reservoir
22. The functional components of apparatus 25 with dashed outlines
may be mounted within module 10b or may optionally be mounted
externally and associated through fluidic connections with module
10b. Fluid from reservoir 22 is injected via microfluidic ducts 31
and 26, optionally with valve 27, into particle trap 4, in the form
of a discrete microdroplet volume. Microfluidic duct 26 is termed a
microfluidic injection duct. In the particle trap, the microdroplet
volume is contacted with the impactor surface or surfaces of the
trap and captive aerosol sample is eluted in the confined structure
of the particle trap 4, thereby forming a liquid sample.
[0174] The liquid sample may be either analyzed in situ, treated
for further analysis in situ, or delivered for downstream analysis.
For in situ interrogation of the sample, an optical or acoustic
window 20, lens flat, or waveguide in the collector body is
optionally provided. Techniques that may be used to interrogate the
liquid suspension include fluorescence, light absorption, and light
scattering measurements of the liquid sample containing the eluted
particles inside the collector, for example. Optical or acoustic
window 20 may also be used to interface the collector body with an
ultrasound transducer so that the liquid sample may be treated to
disrupt and release its contents for analysis. The ultrasonic
transducer, typically a PZT crystal laminate, may be integrated
into the collector body in one embodiment.
[0175] For delivery of the liquid sample for downstream analysis,
optional pump functionality or member 23 is provided. Sampling
ducts 28 and 18, with optional valves 29 and 24 are used to convey
the liquid sample from the particle trap to a sampling port 19,
where liquid sample 30 is delivered for analysis or archival
storage.
[0176] Other combinations are conceived. The liquid sample, for
example, may be conveyed from the collection module via outlet arm
5. While not shown, pump functionalities may be bidirectional and
self-priming, thereby eliminating the need for two pumps. A single,
bidirectional pump functionality may be used to both inject a
liquid reagent and withdraw a liquid sample from particle trap
4.
[0177] Alternatively, the treatment or analysis of the liquid
sample may require introduction of additional reagents and the use
of additional pumps. These techniques may require more sample
manipulation (thermal cycling, mixing with additional reagents, and
so forth). A microfluidic network with valve, channels and pumps to
conduct these reactions may be incorporated in the collector module
or as part of an associated apparatus. A branched microfluidic
pathway may be provided so that air bubbles may be interjected
between a train of microdroplets. A downstream debubbler may be
desired to separate the liquid sample from any injected air, and so
forth. Various embodiments containing inertial impactors and
electrostatic precipitators will be described in more detail
below.
[0178] Methods of Use
[0179] The apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2 are essentially
representative devices for accomplishing a series of steps and can
be described by listing the series of steps performed by the device
or apparatus. The cycle of steps may be repeated. Thus in another
aspect, the invention is a method. The method can be described in
general terms as: (i) directing a concentrated gas stream of
aerosol particles through a collector channel, (ii) deflecting that
gas stream (inertially or electrostatically) so that aerosol
particles are impacted and adhere to an impactor surface, (iii)
periodically eluting the aerosol particles from the surface in a
liquid sample by contacting a small liquid droplet volume or a
series of droplet volumes with the impactor surface, (iv)
optionally conveying the resuspended or solubilized aerosol
particles to a sampling port for analysis, v) optionally preparing
the liquid sample for analysis by treating the liquid sample in
situ, and/or vi) optionally analyzing the liquid sample in
situ.
[0180] The first step is to deliver concentrated aerosol particles
to a collector. A complete sampling system may include an upstream
aerosol concentrator module incorporating a virtual impactor and
aerodynamic lens, or other air-to-air concentrator, and an adapter
for sealedly connecting the concentrator module to the downstream
collector.
[0181] The second step is to impact the particle beam on an
impactor so that the particles are captured on the impactor
surface. Either centrifugal inertial impactors, bluff body
impactors, or electrostatic precipitators may be used for this
purpose. These will be discussed in more detail in sections
below.
[0182] The third step is to inject a small (ie. nanoliter- to
microliter-sized) droplet into the collector channel and contact it
with the impactor surface or surfaces so that the droplet
effectively scavenges the deposited particles (or their chemical
constituents) from the collection surface.
[0183] Approaches for particle microelution from the impactor
surface in an elution droplet include surface modification to alter
the surface energy of the collector walls, use of elution fluids
containing surfactants, co-surfactants, wetting agents, solvents,
co-solvents, or dissolution reagents to enhance the release of
particles from the collector walls, or use of an ultrasonic field
can be used to assist in dislodging the particles from the
collector walls. The collector module bodies of the present
invention are readily adapted to be interfaced with a small
transducer horn of an ultrasound generator, for example. For
biological aerosols in situ lysing is possible via physical,
electrical, chemical or thermal treatment of the organisms to
release their DNA/RNA.
[0184] Dissolution of the aerosol particle to release a
constituent, can be achieved, for example, with a chaeotrope such
as guanidinium HCl or concentrated urea, optionally with a
surfactant such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and alkali.
Chemical compounds and toxins of non-biological origin in an
aerosol [for example excipients used to weaponize a bioaerosol] can
be eluted for analysis by using a solvent such as methanol or
acetone (for gas chromatography), aqueous ethanol or acetonitrile
(for liquid chromatography), or acid (for inductively coupled
plasma mass spectroscopy) as the elution and transport liquid, for
example.
[0185] Optionally the method can comprise a step in which the
liquid sample is conveyed to a sampling port for downstream
analysis or archiving. Pump functionalities previously discussed
may be used for this purpose.
[0186] Optionally, the method can comprise performing a
pre-processing step for preparing the sample for analysis, for
example by lysis of microbial cells or by release of nucleic acid,
or by dissolving a sample matrix such as a mucous particle. Various
optional chemical or physical pre-processing treatments are
envisaged, including thermal treatments, ultrasonic treatments,
particle digestion treatments, hydrolysis treatments, and so forth.
These treatments can comprise a chemical treatment contacting said
aerosol particle with a second reagent having the purpose of
chemically modifying a constituent of the liquid sample; a thermal
treatment or an ultrasonic treatment having the purpose of eluting
or lysing the captured aerosol particle in the liquid sample; a
radiological treatment with microwave or other radiation treatment
having the purpose of lysing any captured aerosol particle in the
liquid sample; a mechanical treatment with mechanical manipulation
(such as mixing or moving) of a liquid sample with captured aerosol
particle within the collector channel, in short treatment means for
preparing the sample for analysis or for performing pre-analytical
processing steps.
[0187] Optionally, a step for in situ detection may be employed. In
one instance, a biochemical, physical, or molecular
characterization of the recovered aerosol contents is undertaken in
situ. Various means for detecting a particle or particle
constituent are used for this purpose. This may involve determining
whether a measurable characteristic of a sample exceeds a threshold
value before subjecting the liquid sample to more thorough
analysis. A screening step, as would differentiate a sample that is
a potential threat from a sample that is a non-threat, is also
contemplated in the invention. Analytical procedures can involve
various technologies, and include without limitation steps for:
[0188] 1. inducing fluorescence of specific constituents of the
liquid suspension, detecting emitted fluorescent radiation, having
the purpose of identifying those constituents of interest based on
the spectrum of the emitted light; [0189] 2. measuring optical
absorption of the liquid suspension at various wavelengths; having
the purpose of identifying those constituents of interest, such as
tryptophan, NADH or Vitamin B, based on the spectrum of the
absorbed light; [0190] 3. measuring light scattered from the sample
in various directions; having the purpose of quantitating or
identifying those constituents of interest based on the spectrum of
the scattered light; [0191] 4. subjecting the sample to nucleic
acid amplification and real-time PCR; having the purpose of
identifying those constituents of interest based on the
fluorescence of a molecular beacon or probe; [0192] 5. subjecting
the sample to an immunological assay; having the purpose of
identifying those constituents of interest based on an
antigen:antibody reaction; and/or, [0193] 6. subjecting the sample
to at least one spectroscopic measurement technique such as Raman
spectroscopy (RS), surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS),
laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), spark-induced
breakdown spectroscopy (SIBS), surface plasmon resonance (SPR), or
methods using fluorescence of particle constituents, having the
purpose of identifying those constituents of interest.
[0194] This process of analysis may also involve a step for saving
the droplet or droplets, or a part thereof, in a container or an
array of containers for later analysis. In one instance, the
collector is a disposable module and is removed from the apparatus
and transported or saved for analysis off line.
[0195] More generally, the method may involve either a) releasing
the particles into a liquid to form a suspension, or b) releasing
all or some constituents of the aerosol particle, airborne agent,
or excipient therein, into a liquid volume to form a solution, and
then either a) analyzing the collected liquid sample inside the
collector or b) transporting the liquid sample to an off-line
detector for further analysis.
[0196] Once the aerosol sample, or the desired chemical or
biological constituents of the sample, is solvated in the liquid
droplet they can be processed in a number of ways. These include
steps for: [0197] 1. optionally pre-processing the sample fluid in
preparation for a subsequent detection step; [0198] 2. optionally
performing an in situ analysis; [0199] 3. optionally performing an
in situ assay for detecting a signal above a threshold level that
will trigger further analysis; [0200] 4. optionally conveying the
droplet via a sampling port and pumping means to a detector in
fluidic communication with the collector body and performing an
analysis downstream; [0201] 5. optionally analyzing the liquid
sample in an integrated device, the device comprising the collector
and a microfluidic circuit with on-board analytical module or
modules such as a self-contained microfluidic circuit for
performing PCR on nucleic acid extracted from the liquid sample or
for performing an ELISA assay on constituents of the liquid sample;
[0202] 6. optionally archiving the liquid sample, or a part
thereof, in a container or an array of containers for later
reference; and/or, [0203] 7. optionally delivering the entire
collector assembly as a aerosol collector module containing the
liquid sample to an off-line detector.
[0204] The analysis of the captured aerosol particles may be
performed inside or outside the collector. The captured aerosol
contents may be interrogated in liquid suspension or solution in
situ or conveyed to a downstream site for analysis. Techniques that
may be used to interrogate the liquid suspension include
fluorescence, light absorption, and light scattering measurements
of the liquid sample containing the eluted particles inside the
collector. An optical window, lens flat, or waveguide in the
collector body is provided for this purpose. The detection and
analysis of the eluted sample may be performed downstream of the
collector by a number of methods which require delivery of aerosol
or its chemical constituents in liquid solution or suspension, for
example surface plasmon resonance, high performance liquid
chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS), FABS, ICP/MS
(Perkin-Elmer), GC/MS, and so forth. PCR, nucleic acid
amplification, antibody techniques, and molecular biological,
immunobiological techniques and other means for detection more
generally may also be used.
[0205] Centrifugal Inertial Impactors
[0206] FIG. 3 is a schematic of an embodiment 40 of a collector
apparatus or module of the invention, where the particle trap 41 is
configured as a "centrifugal inertial impactor" having impactor
surface 42. While not limited thereto, the collector module 40 is
shown as having a plastic solid body 48.
[0207] Collector body 48 contains or encloses a collector channel
43 consisting of intake orifice 2, receiving arm 3 and outlet arm
5. A gas stream 6 flows through the collector channel in response,
for example, to a suction pressure applied to the outlet arm.
Disposed in the collector channel is inertial impactor 42, formed
here by a concavoconvex "trap-like" curvature of the collector
channel.
[0208] In operation, a gas stream 6 with entrained aerosol
particles enters the collector channel at the top of the collector
body. Aerosol particles not deflected with the gas streamlines in
the bending portion of the channel are captured by inelastic
impaction on the inertial impactor surface 42. The aerosol-depleted
gas stream 7 or "bulk flow" exits the collector body at outlet arm
5. A liquid reagent injected through injection duct 44 and valve 45
contacts and elutes any deposited aerosol particles or constituents
thereof in particle trap 41. The resultant liquid sample,
containing a solution or suspension of the aerosol particles, is
optionally analyzed or treated in situ or is conveyed to an
external microfluidic circuit or other analytical means via a
sample port 19.
[0209] As shown, injection duct 44 joins the collector channel at
an injection port (46) or "tee" in the particle trap. It may be
preferable to locate the tee downstream from or upstream of the
impactor surface. The tee is generally proximate to the inertial
impactor surface.
[0210] To collect the liquid sample, if desired, an auxiliary pump
may be used, or the pump utility may be configured to be
bidirectional. In another embodiment, the sample liquid 30 can be
conveyed under differential pressure out of the collector body
through outlet arm 5. During the sampling process, the gas stream
and suction pressure is turned off or redirected using valves or
stopcocks. Liquid sample 30 may be analyzed or retained for future
analysis. Alternatively, the highly concentrated sample liquid can
instead advantageously be analyzed in situ in the collector channel
with a suitable analytical apparatus, such as spectroscopic
analysis of the sample via an optical window in the collector
body.
[0211] The collector channel 43 and particle trap 41 are designed
so that collision with the impactor surface 42 is substantially an
inelastic collision. General expressions for the mathematics of
inertial particle impact are well known (see Hinds, W C, "Aerosol
Technology: Properties, Behavior and Measurement of Airborne
Particles", 1982, Wiley-Interscience). Slip coefficients may be
used for calculating cut-off parameters for sub-micron particles.
Cut-off size is a useful parameter in comparing inertial impactors.
In the collectors of the present invention, we achieve "cut-off
sizes" of less than 0.5 microns aerodynamic diameter and sampling
flow rates in the range of 0.05 to 10 L/min range, depending on the
size of the channel and the application. While this discussion is
directed principally to channels with a characteristic dimension of
less than 1500 microns, we have also seen that the width of the
channel, in the case of a rectangular channel for example, permits
flow rates to be increased without modifying the physics
substantially.
[0212] Collector module 40 can be fabricated by a number of
methods, including carefully bending glass capillaries or plastic
tubing, by molding mating halves of a plastic body, by lamination
of stenciled and laser-cut films, or by what is termed
three-dimensional photolithography, in which shapes containing
internal structure are built layer-by-layer by laser-patterned
photoactivated polymerization of a liquid monomer. The collector
channel may be round or rectangular in cross section. In some
instances the collector channel is a bent glass capillary impactor.
Fabrication of a micro-U-tube of a glass capillary requires
achieving a small radius of bending without breaking the capillary
or collapsing its inner bore. Good results for bending fused silica
capillary are obtained using a technique reported for fabricating a
capillary spectrometer vessel (as described in U.S. Pat. No.
5,469,061 to Linehan). The bending is accomplished by holding the
capillary upright, slightly inclined from plumb, heating the
capillary with a torch, and letting it bend due to the force of
gravity. This method produces tight, repeatable bends, for example
a capillary (300 microns ID/665 microns OD) can be bent with
heating into a U-shape with a radius of curvature of about 1 mm
(R.sub.c=0.66xID, where ID is the internal diameter). The capillary
does not collapse in the process and can optionally be potted in an
epoxy collector body after fabrication. Another approach is to use
plastic tubing bent in around a cylindrical peg in a jig. In a
preferred method of fabrication, molded parts with mating female
"half-channel" or recessed features are joined together to form the
collector channel and associated microfluidic ducts.
[0213] FIGS. 4A through 4D describe use of a collection module 50
with on-board reagent reservoir 56. Dispensing of the reagent
occurs by action of a pressurizable diaphragm over the reagent
chamber and valve 55. As shown in FIG. 4A, an aerosol stream 6 is
drawn in at the top of the collector channel 53 via intake orifice
2, receiving arm 3 and particle trap 51, where aerosol particles
are deposited according to the cut-off characteristics of the
inertial impactor. Particle-depleted outlet stream 7 exits the
outlet arm 5 at an orifice, which is connected to a suction
pressure. Outlet arm 7 is provided with a stopcock 59, for turning
on and off the vacuum connection. Aerosol particles form a particle
deposit 61 on the inside of the particle trap 51 by centrifugal
impaction.
[0214] To elute captured particles and collect a liquid sample from
the impactor, stopcock 59 is closed (FIG. 4B), valve 55 is opened,
and a microdroplet volume 60 of an elution fluid from reagent
reservoir 56 is injected into the collector channel via
microfluidic injection duct 54 and tee 57. Valve 55 is then closed.
The microdroplet 60 is moved onto the impactor surface, thereby
contactingly eluting the deposited particles 61 from the impactor
(FIG. 4C). A remote micro-syringe pump (not shown) fluidly attached
to sampling duct 64 is used, for example, to supply air 65 to push
the droplet 60 through injection duct 54, tee 57, and onto the
impactor surface. The syringe pump is then reversed, drawing the
microdroplet volume 60 out of the collector channel via tee or
"injection port" 57 and sampling duct 64 (FIG. 4D), where the
liquid sample 30 is collected for analysis or archiving. In this
way a highly concentrated aerosol suspension or solution is
obtained in a microvolume of liquid sample 30. While not limited by
particularities of detail, this method is generally applicable.
[0215] By extensive experimentation, we have discovered working
inertial impactors that can be designed and fabricated with
dimensions and features ranging from 200 to 1500 microns in the
collector channel and impactor while operating at sub-sonic gas
stream linear velocities. Aerosol particle deposition on the walls
of the collector, depending on the nature of the particles, need
not occur solely due to inertial forces acting on the particles;
the deposition may be forced or aided by electrostatic forces.
[0216] FIG. 5A describes the results of calculations showing the
effect of collector channel diameter on cut-off size for
centrifugal inertial impactors. The cut-off size (r.sub.p)
corresponds to a collection efficiency of 50% for that particular
particle size.
[0217] For comparison, all curves are constructed at constant flow
rate of 0.5 L/min at STP; shown here are plots for 0.5 L/min in
tubular collector channels having, from left to right, diameters of
500, 600, 750, 1000, 1500 and 2000 microns, respectively.
[0218] The radius of curvature (R.sub.c) for all the illustrated
impactors of FIG. 5A is 0.66xID, a constant; ie. a bending radius
of 2/3 the characteristic dimension (channel height or diameter
ID). Because the minimum theoretical bending radius is 0.5xID,
these figures represent generally optimized collector geometry for
tubular and rectangular channels. Shown in FIGS. 5B and 5C are
centrifugal impactor structures having a radius of curvature of
0.5xID and 0.66xID respectively. The radius R.sub.c is taken from
the axial center of the bend to the centerline of the channel,
while maintaining a constant characteristic dimension or internal
diameter ID of the channel. Comparison reveals that for an impactor
with R.sub.c less than 0.66xID, the "septum" 105 between the two
arms of the impactor is nearing impracticably thin and as R.sub.c
approaches 0.5xID (FIG. 5B), the thickness of the septum 105
approaches zero, a limit that cannot be overcome. Also labeled on
the diagram are the receiving arm of the collector 102 and the
centrifugal impactor or "particle trap" 101.
[0219] The dimensions of the collector and centrifugal impactor are
characteristically microfluidic or near-microfluidic dimensions.
The dimensions of the particle trap 101, are such that at least one
cross-sectional dimension of the collector microchannel and
impactor surface is generally smaller than 1500 microns and the
radius of curvature as measured along the centerline of the
collector channel is generally 0.5 to three or about ten times the
height or diameter of the channel. Typically, the "trap" portion of
the collector channel forming the centrifugal impactor surface has
at least 120 degrees of bending arc, more preferable 180 degrees,
although 360 degree loops are also conceived and is generally less
than 1500 microns in one dimension. The trap portion may have a
radius of curvature which is greater than 0.5 and is generally less
than 10. The volume in the trap portion is thus generally less than
10 microliters, and volumes of liquid reagent satisfactory for
"microelution" are less than 10 microliters, preferably less than 1
microliter.
[0220] Returning to FIG. 5A, the corresponding average gas
velocities V.sub.dot were calculated to be 42.4, 29.5, 18.9, 10.6,
and 4.7 meters per second. The corresponding particle cut-offs (as
aerodynamic diameter) were found to be about 0.63 micron for the
500 micron ID trap, 0.81 micron for the 600 micron ID trap, 0.96
micron for the 750 micron ID trap, 1.74 micron for the 1.0 mm ID
trap, and 3.31 micron for the 1.5 mm ID trap.
[0221] The significance of these figures for capture of bioaerosols
is clear. Bacteria such as E. coli have an aerodynamic diameter in
the range of 0.7 to 1.0 microns, Bacillus anthracis spores are in
the range of 0.8 to 1.5 microns, and viruses are in the range of
perhaps 20 to 120 nm (although viruses are typically aerosolized as
larger composite particulates such as bronchial secretions or
weaponized particulates containing excipients). Therefore, the
ability to detect particles in the sub-micron range, down to 0.7
microns, is critical. As can be seen, centrifugal particle traps
having diameters in the range of 200 to 750 microns ID are shown to
meet the required criterion for cut-off size at flow rates in the
range of 0.5 to 1.0 L/min. It should be recalled that the collector
throughput is frequently a minor flow received from an upstream
concentrator array, and taking 1000:1 or 2500:1 as maximal
reasonably achievable flow splits in air-to-air concentrators at
present, suitable collection efficiency and throughput are
obtained. Happily then, a useful sub-micron particle size cutoff
and flow throughputs of 1250, 2500 L/min, or greater, are obtained
with the inertial impactor collectors described in the figure.
[0222] In fact, particle traps having an ID or characteristic
dimension (typically the height) of the channel of 0.2 mm were also
operable in our hands, and achieve sub-micron cut-off sizes with
flow rates as low as 0.07 to 0.1 L/min. Larger flow rates may be
achieved by widening the channel while maintaining the radius of
curvature, as in a rectangular channel having width greater than
height. Thus, for practicing the invention, we conceive as useful
channels having a characteristic dimension of 50 to 1500 microns
and mean flow rates in the collector module of 0.05 to 10 L/min.
With wider channels in the collector, and using flow splits of
2500:1 in an upstream air-to-air concentrator, sampling rates of 25
cubic meters per min of air are possible.
[0223] In contrast, at 2 mm ID, the performance is reduced. It can
be seen from FIG. 5A that the cut-off size in a 2 mm tube at 0.5
L/min is greater than 5 microns; not satisfactory for many
applications. Increased velocity V.sub.dot does not correct this
deficiency. Shown in FIG. 6A is the effect of increased velocity on
particle collection efficiency as a function of particle size. It
can be seen that as velocity of the gas stream is increased from
0.5 to 8.0 L/min, the particle size cut-off still does not reach
the desired sub-micron range. Certain technical difficulties are
expected in configuring a 2 mm tube for higher throughput
velocities. In contrast, although mean linear velocity of a 0.5 mm
impactor trap operated at 0.5 L/min and a 2 mm impactor trap
operated at 8 L/min are essentially equal (about 40 m/s), the
particle cut-off in the 0.5 mm device is 0.63 microns versus 1.15
microns in the 2 mm device due to the faster maximum linear
velocity and laminar velocity profile. These figures assume optimal
collector bend radius for each device. Interestingly, for a 300
micron collector channel, the mean linear velocity in the trap is
almost 120 m/s at a V.sub.dot of only 0.5 L/min, indicating that
smaller, sub-millimeter collector channels are qualitatively
superior over the 2 mm channel, successfully capturing the required
range of particles at split fractions which more efficiently use
the upstream capabilities of a compatible aerosol concentrator.
Taking 3.times.ID as the length of the centrifugal trap, where ID
is the internal volume of the channel, the volume of the trap
segments are readily compared as a function of diameter (here
considering only tubular channels). The data is tabulated in FIG.
6B. The volume of the particle trap for channels of 100, 200, 300,
500, 600, 750, 1000, 1500, and 2000 microns ID shifts dramatically
from 20 microliters for a 2 mm particle trap to 2 nanoliters for a
100 micron particle trap, essentially a 10,000-fold decrease in
volume for a 20-fold decrease in diameter. Thus the synergy of use
of a particle trap having microfluidic or near microfluidic
dimensions extends not only to the success in capturing sub-micron
particles, but also resuspending or solubilizing those particles in
a dramatically smaller volume, a microliter volume, and in some
cases a nanoliter volume.
[0224] Again the technical advance is that with combinations having
an inertial collector of the present invention, aerosol particles
in a cubic meter of air or more can be reduced to a liquid volume
of a few microliters, or even a few nanoliters! The invention is
thus a very highly concentrative air-to-liquid converter,
generating microdroplet liquid samples of concentrated aerosol
particles. What is surprising is that the microfluidic-sized or
near-microfluidic sized particle traps can be successfully
operated--as demonstrated by the following data is taken from
actual experimentation.
[0225] FIG. 7A shows the results of an experiment in which
particles trapped in a centrifugal impactor were eluted with
microvolume droplets of a fluid. The particles used in the
experiment are viable bacteria of a species (Methylobacterium
extorquens AM1) not characteristic of ambient air. After
aerosolizing and collecting a sample, a series of microvolume
droplets was used to elute the bacteria from the impactor surface.
In this case, aqueous 0.1% Tween 20 was used as the elution fluid.
The volume of each droplet was 500 mL. Each 500 nanoliter droplet
was injected into the collector channel and collected separately
for analysis by culture. Bacteria per microdroplet represent the
number of viable cells recovered in each droplet. As can be seen,
after an initial wet out, most of the bacterial cells appear in the
second droplet passed through the collector channel. Thus most of
the viable bacteria were collected in a single drop! This
surprising result demonstrates feasibility of the process
conceptualized generally in FIG. 4.
[0226] A similar result is shown in FIG. 7B, in which the target
particles were bacterial spores (Bacillus subtilis) of a
non-pathogenic cousin of the Anthrax pathogen. Again, 500 nanoliter
droplets of an elution reagent were injected into a micro-U-tube
collector channel containing spores captured from a gas stream.
Each droplet was recovered and analyzed by culture. Spores per
microdroplet are plotted cumulatively. Surprisingly, it can be seen
that by the fourth droplet, substantially all of the viable spores
were recovered, corresponding to a total eluate volume of 2
microliters and a cumulative elution efficiency of almost 70%.
Estimates of total spores in the system are based on spore counts
from filter membranes blocking the outlet stream 7.
[0227] Variants of centrifugal impactor particle trap geometry
(120,121,122,123) are contemplated, as shown in FIGS. 8A-D. The
exact shape is chosen for efficiency and convenience, and the
internal bore may be variable in diameter. Each impactor is shown
with a receiving arm 124 and an outlet arm 125. Shown in brackets
(126,127,128 and 129) are the trap-like concavoconvexedly curved
portions of the collector channel which form the centrifugal
impactor surfaces. These bent tubular channels are generally
configured with bending segments having more than 120 degrees of
bending, optionally up to 360 degrees of bending.
[0228] In FIG. 9A, modifications of a centrifugal "particle trap"
are shown. The detail (dashed circle) highlights the centrifugal
impactor surface or "trap" (130), which is formed of a
concavoconvex bend in the collector channel, the concavoconvex bend
of the channel having a windward wall and a leeward wall. As gas
streamlines break away from the linear direction of flow and follow
the leeward wall, particles with more momentum collide with the
windward wall in the bend. Particles captured in the trap 130 are
eluted for analysis by injecting a liquid reagent into the
collector channel. As can be seen in FIGS. 9B-9D, where the
detailed view area selected in FIG. 9A (dashed circle) is magnified
in three embodiments of the invention (138,139,140) these
embodiments also include at least one microfluidic duct
(131,132,133,134,135) for injection or collection of a liquid
reagent. The ducts are generally in fluidic connection with a pump
functionality or member for pumping a sample or a reagent, and
optionally in fluidic connection with a reservoir (not shown) for
dispensing a reagent or receiving a sample. The duct can serve as a
common duct for injection of one or more reagents, and the pumping
means can be configured to provide reversible pumping so that the
liquid sample can be withdrawn from the trap 130 after the captured
aerosol material trapped therein is suspended or solubilized.
Alternatively, as previously noted, a liquid reagent is used to
resuspend or solubilize the aerosol, and if desired the sample is
then analyzed in situ in the trap. In FIG. 9B, an embodiment 138
with optical or acoustic window 137 or light pipe is shown. The
optical window or light pipe is used to examine the liquid contents
of the eluted aerosol sample in place in the trap 130. Waveguides
mounted centrally in a microfluidic channel in communication with
the liquid sample may also be used for in situ analysis, as has
been described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,082,185 and 6,136,611. In FIG.
9D, an embodiment 140 with three microfluidic ducts (133,134,135)
is shown. One duct serves as an injection duct, one as a sampling
duct, and another for introducing at least one reagent.
Alternatively, fluid or air can be introduced in two ducts, for
example 133, 134, so as to alternate the direction of motion of a
microdroplet or droplets in the trap 130. By injecting trains of
droplets separated by pulses of air from another duct, an interface
between the droplets is created that facilitates mixing and plug
flow. Branched duct 135 may also be used so that multiple fluids
can be added stepwise, as in performing an assay, and the ducts can
be valved 136 as desired.
[0229] In another aspect, a liquid dispensed by the microvolume
pump means is itself the inertial impactor surface. In this
configuration, a low melt glassy matrix is deposited on the surface
of the inertial impactor. A glass soluble in a liquid is chosen for
the matrix. Once aerosol particles are collected, the glass layer
is dissolved in a liquid is then transferred to a microfluidic
circuit for processing downstream in an analytical module, which
may be integrated or separate from the collector body.
[0230] FIGS. 10A and 10B describe embodiments (160, 170) in which
the impactor surface 16, of a centrifugal impactor 15, is coated
with a glassy matrix material prior to collection. In FIG. 10A, the
collector channel 43 has an inside undersurface 162 and the inside
surface is coated with an overlayer 163, termed herein a
"sacrificial substrate overlayer" because the layer is intended
dissolve on exposure to an elution agent, thus aiding in the
elution of aerosol material captured its surface. As before, a gas
stream 6 with particle concentrate moves through the collector from
receiving arm 3 to outlet arm 5 and is depleted 7 of aerosol
particles in trap 15 according to the cut-off characteristics of
the impactor. Elution fluid is injected through injection duct 161
and is directed onto the impactor surface 42 of the trap 41, where
the sacrificial substrate overlayer 163 and any particulate
material trapped on the overlayer is dissolved. The concentrated
liquid sample or "eluate" thus prepared may be further reacted in
situ and analyzed or may be conveyed to a sampling port for
downstream or remote analysis.
[0231] In FIG. 10B, collector channel 43 has an inside undersurface
162 and within the trap 41 the inside surface 162 is coated with an
overlayer 173, termed herein a "sacrificial substrate overlayer"
because the layer is intended dissolve on exposure to an elution
agent, thus aiding in the elution of aerosol material captured its
surface. As before, a gas stream 6 moves through the collector from
receiving arm 3 to outlet arm 5 and is depleted 7 of aerosol
particles in trap 41 according to the cut-off characteristics of
the impactor. In this illustration, the sacrificial substrate
overlayer 173 is injected as a glassy melt 178 above the T.sub.m
for the substrate through a reagent injection duct 177 and is
directed onto the impactor surface 42 of the trap 41 where it may
be allowed to harden and subsequently, after particle loading, be
remelted for collection via sampling duct 179. The sacrificial
overlayer 173 thus can serve as an elution reagent. Or a continuous
flow process is envisaged in which the liquid reagent 178 is
continuously injected into the trap at injection port 177 and
continuously withdrawn as a particulate concentrate 180 at sampling
port 179a. By controlling the rate of flow of the liquid reagent,
the concentration of particulate in the sample can be raised or
lowered. The liquid sample or "eluate" thus prepared may be further
reacted in situ and analyzed or may be conveyed to a sampling port
for downstream or remote analysis. Various combinations of the
embodiments 160 and 170 are also envisaged.
[0232] In FIGS. 11A and 11B, a process for regenerating a glassy
sacrificial substrate overlayer is described. The glassy matrix 201
is an amorphous solid when solidified and a liquid when melted.
Liquid glass is first injected via warmed injection duct 207 to
fill the lower bending portion of the trap 41 (FIG. 11A). The lake
of material then drained as shown in FIG. 11B, leaving a thin
overlayer 203 lining the inside undersurface 162 of the collector
channel 43.
[0233] As before, a particle concentrate in a gas stream 6 moves
through the collector from receiving arm 3 to outlet arm 5 and is
depleted 7 of aerosol particles in centrifugal impactor trap 41
according to the cut-off characteristics of the impactor. An
elution fluid may then be injected via injection duct 208 and the
sacrificial substrate overcoat 203 is dissolved or melted into the
liquid sample, eluting with it essentially all of the captured
aerosol material and airborne agents, if any.
[0234] Alternatively, glass layer 163,173,203 may be coated on a
"primer" layer of a hydrophobic or fluorophilic substance such as a
silane, parylene, or perfluorocarbon lining the collector channel
so that upon dilution with an aqueous reagent, the eluate beads up
as a microdroplet. In this case, binders are used that improve the
adherence of the glass to the underlying primer.
[0235] In another aspect, the glass layer 163,173,203 contains dry
reagents such as enzymes or chromogens for treating or analyzing
the liquid sample when hydrated or dissolved. Some biological
reagents such as enzymes are advantageously stabilized during
storage by a glass matrix as described here.
[0236] Microelution with Soluble Glass Sacrificial Substrate
Overlayer
[0237] Sacrificial glass substrate overlayers on the inside of the
particle trap impactor surface or surfaces is advantageous for
microelution of captured particles. Basic formulations for use as
glass sacrificial overlayers are now discussed and are applicable
to all classes of particle traps. The sacrificial substrate layer
is preferably a glass, having a T.sub.g and a T.sub.m in the range
of 0 to 200.degree. C., more preferably melting at 10 to 20.degree.
C. above a setpoint. Glasses, including arabinose, erythritol,
fructose, galactose, glucose, lactose, maltitol, maltose,
maltotriose, mannitol, mannobiose, mannose, ribose, sorbitol,
sucrose, trehalose, xylitol, xylose, dextran, or a mixture thereof,
formed as an amorphous glass, are suitable. Other glasses may also
be suitable and the above list is not intended to be limiting. For
example, lactic acid and capric acid are candidate glasses when
used with a suitable eluant. In some cases, eutectic mixtures are
used to lower the melting temperature as desired. Optionally,
mixtures formed of one or more of the above glass-formers and a
plasticizer are prepared so as to adjust the melting temperature
and the viscosity as desired. Plasticizers may include but are not
limited to glycerol, dimethylsulfoxide, lower molecular weight
poly-ethyleneglycol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene
glycol dimethylether, triethylene glycol dimethyl ether,
tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether, N,N-dimethylacetamide,
N,N-dimethylformamide, tetramethylurea, water, or a mixture
thereof. Plasticizers also serve to prevent formation of any
crystalline domains if necessary. Binders are used to strengthen
the glass, which must resist the forces associated with the gas
stream, and to aid in adhesion of the glass sacrificial layer
(163,173,203; see also FIGS. 16-18) to the collector body
undersurface (162). Suitable binders include but are not limited to
polyvinylpyrrolidinone, higher molecular weight
poly-ethyleneglycol, a block copolymer of poly-propyleneglycol and
poly-ethyleneglycol, polyacrylate, poly-methylmethacrylate,
poly-(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide), triethylene glycol dimethyl ether,
butyl diglyme, chitosan, a cellulose, methylcellulose, an alginate,
an albumin, or a dextran. Less useful are relatively insoluble
binders such as starch and gelatin. Thus the sacrificial substrate
overlayer can consist of a glass or a glassy matrix comprising a
mixture of a glass with a plasticizer or a binder, or a glass with
a plasticizer and a binder. A suitable solvent is used to dissolve
the sacrificial layer, thereby releasing any captured aerosol
particles resident thereon. Heat may be used to facilitate melting
of the glass.
[0238] Prior art teachings teach away from formulations of this
nature. Various modifications of the inertial impactor surface,
such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,068 and use of greases
such as described by Marple in U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,822, and in U.S.
Pat. Nos. 4,764,186, 4,827,779 and 5,693,895 have been proposed as
means to reduce elastic collisions which result in retrainment of
aerosol particles in the gas flow and losses from the impactor
surface. U.S. Pat. No. 6,363,800 to Call forming a coating on the
impactor surface with parylene (a hydrophobic polymer) or
tetraglyme (a polyol) for enhancing capture of aerosols, but do not
teach use of a substrate layer which is substantially eroded and
dissolved in the elution fluid. Ta Won Han of Rutgers Univ has
proposed using Lotusan.RTM., a superhydrophobic paint (see U.S.
Pat. No. 6,660,363), to improve aerosol elution efficiency from
inertial impactors, but has not, to our knowledge, reported success
with bacteria. Thus the prior art teaches hydrophobic or sticky
surfaces, but does not teach erodible sacrificial surface layers to
improve elution efficiency from inertial impactor surfaces. Also
not disclosed are surfaces that are solubilized by melting or by a
combination of melting and addition of a solubilizing reagent or
diluent.
[0239] FIG. 12 shows how a sacrificial substrate overlayer improves
elution efficiency of Escherichia coli B impacted on an inertial
surface. Elution of E. coli is surprisingly successful using this
approach in spite of the disruptive shearing impaction and its
effect on gram negative bacteria. Elution efficiencies of E. coli
from untreated impactor surfaces are in some instances less than
35% in aqueous solutions. Happily, upon use of a sacrificial
substrate overlayer, we have discovered that elution efficiency
increases to essentially 100% (column labeled "w/SSL" on plot), a
surprising finding and a contribution that makes a distinct
technological advance. For example, 80% trehalose with 10% glycerol
and 10% polyvinylpyrrolidinone in aqueous ethanol may be applied as
a thin layer within a trap in a plastic collector body. By
application of this technique, elution in liquid sample
microvolumes is achieved for a gram negative rod, but the technique
is applicable to a variety of bioaerosols and particulate toxins,
including spores and virus particles, and for example bioagents
trapped in a mucous matrix, which are typically adherent to
impactor surfaces and difficult to elute. Similar results are also
obtained with bluff body impactors and electrostatic precipitators
modified with a sacrificial substrate overlayer, as will be
described below.
[0240] Bluff Body Inertial Impactors
[0241] We now turn to bluff body impactors. The design of a
collector module is not limited to the bending channel geometry of
a centrifugal impactor. The collector module may employ a bluff
body with a windward surface facing a gas stream in a collector
channel such that the gas flow streamlines are deflected but
particles impact on the surface of the bluff body. A schematic of a
bluff body impactor 250 is shown in FIG. 13. This class of
impactors includes cascade impactors and liquid impingers. Micro
droplet elution as described below is readily adapted to various
members of the class.
[0242] In FIG. 13 we see the gas stream 6 in a receiving arm 252 of
a collector channel is divided and flowing in lateral channels to
the left and right (253,254) of a central bluff body 255. The
windward surface (in this case the uppermost surface) of the bluff
body is the impactor surface 256. Aerosol particles (dashed line)
are impacted by inertia on the impactor surface 256. A particle
depleted exhaust 7 exits the bluff body impactor 250 at an outlet
arm 258 of the collector.
[0243] The dimensions of the collector and bluff body impactor are
characteristically microfluidic or near-microfluidic dimensions.
The dimensions of the bluff body impactor surface, also sometimes
termed a "micro fluidic particle trap", are such that at least one
cross-sectional dimension of the collector microchannel and
impactor surface is generally smaller than 1500 microns. The
collection volume of elution reagent applied to the windward
impactor surface is generally less than 10 microliters and
preferably less than 1 microliter, and is sometimes only a few
nanoliters to a few hundred nanoliters. Microfluidic pumps and
valves as previously described for centrifugal impactors may be
used to form bluff body impactors interfacing with microfluidic
circuits.
[0244] The bluff body impactor can be assembled within a channel
fabricated (etched, milled, or molded) on a surface and sealed by
another mating surface, or fabricated as a monolithic solid using
3D photolithography.
[0245] In another aspect of the invention, as shown in FIGS. 14A
and 14B, a three-dimensional bluff body impactor 260 is shown. The
central bluff body member 261 is a freestanding pillar or
supporting column, the head of which is an inertial impactor
surface 262. The column 261 is provided with an internal first
microfluidic channel 263 in fluid communication with the impactor
surface 262 via injection port 265 and with a pumping means 264 and
fluid reservoir (not shown). A gas stream 6 entering the receiving
arm 271 of the collector 260 is depleted of aerosol particles by
impaction on bluff body impactor surface 262 and exits the
collector at outlet arm 272 as a depleted gas stream 7. When a
useful mass of aerosol particles are collected on the impactor
surface 262, the first microfluidic channel is used to dispense a
liquid reagent 266 onto the impactor surface. As shown in FIG. 14B,
any eluted particulate material is then collected by withdrawing
the fluid back through the first microfluidic duct 263. Liquid
sample 30 is collected at a sampling port, although it should be
understood that the invention is not limited to this option and
that in situ analytical techniques are also contemplated. Aerosol
particle suspensions or solutions obtained in this way can be
highly concentrated in a very small volume of a liquid reagent.
[0246] Pump functionality 264 is for example a small syringe pump
and is capable of switching direction of flow. A bidirectional pump
means is useful both for wetting the impactor to elute captured
aerosol particles and for withdrawing the liquid sample containing
the aerosol particle suspension or solution for further analysis.
Other pump utilities as described earlier may also be used.
[0247] In FIGS. 15A and 15B, a related bluff body impactor 280
having two microfluidic channels in a cylindrical support pillar or
column 282 is shown. As before, aerosol particles are captured by
impaction from a gas stream 6; impacted aerosol particles collect
on impactor surface 281, and elution fluid 290 is injected onto the
impactor surface via injection duct 284. The liquid sample is
pre-processed (FIG. 15B) by adding analytical pre-processing
reagent 291 via microfluidic duct 285, the reaction mixture 292
filling moat 287 and held in place by dike 286. The liquid sample
is optionally withdrawn through microfluidic sampling duct 284 if
desired. In a related embodiment, the second channel 285 is used to
periodically add a detection reagent 291 such as a chromogen,
antibody, or a substrate of an enzyme which reacts with a
particular species of aerosol particle if present on the impactor.
Using this apparatus, an ELISA assay may be run in situ on
entrapped particles, for example. Liquid samples 30 positive by
ELISA are then drawn off for further analysis.
[0248] According to another aspect of the invention, as shown in
FIGS. 16A and 16B, a three-dimensional bluff body impactor 300 is
shown. The center bluff body 261 is a freestanding pillar or
supporting column, the head of which 262 is coated with a
sacrificial substrate overlayer 303 (the thickness is exaggerated
for clarity), the surface of the glass layer 303 forming the
inertial impactor surface. The bluff body impactor support column
261 is provided with an internal microfluidic channel 263 in fluid
communication with the impactor surface 262 and with a pumping
means 264 and fluid reservoir (not shown). A gas stream 6 entering
the receiving arm 271 of the collector 300 is depleted of aerosol
particles by impaction on bluff body impactor glass surface 303 and
exits the collector at outlet arm 272 as a depleted gas stream 7.
When a useful mass of aerosol particles are collected on the glass
layer 303, resistive heating element 310 mounted in the head is
used to melt the glass. Hot liquid reagent 311 is then pumped onto
the impactor surface where it dissolves the glass layer 303. As
shown in FIG. 16B, the melted glass 303a containing eluted aerosol
particles is then withdrawn via microfluidic duct 263 and
reversible pump 264, and is collected as liquid sample 30. The
liquid sample can be conveyed to an external analytical station or
can be analyzed in place.
[0249] In a variant of this embodiment, a glassy matrix layer on
the impactor surface forms a sacrificial substrate overlayer 303 on
the windward surface of the impactor 262, so that particles
colliding with the impactor directly contact and adhere to the
glass layer. The sacrificial substrate overlayer 303 is injected as
a liquid melt onto the impactor surface through microfluidic duct
304 and hardened in place. A resistive heating element 310 is used
to melt the glass, which has a low T.sub.m. As shown in FIG. 16B,
the liquid sample 30 (ie. the melted glass 303a) is then withdrawn
from the impactor surface through microfluidic duct 263 for
downstream analysis. Thus the glass is both impactor surface and
elution reagent.
[0250] In another aspect, the glass 303 contains dry reagents such
as enzymes or chromogens for treating or analyzing the liquid
sample when hydrated or dissolved.
[0251] More complex variants are envisaged, as shown in FIG. 17.
Impactor resistive heating element 310 may be combined with bluff
body impactor support member 321. An impactor surface formed of a
sacrificial glass layer 322 is cast in place by injection of the
low melt glass as a liquid 322a through warmed micro fluidic duct
324 onto the windward surface of the impactor body 320 and allowed
to harden in place. After collection of a suitable mass of aerosol
particles from impinging gas stream 6, the solid glass 322 is
melted by applying a current to resistive heating element 310
(circuit not shown) and is withdrawn through microfluidic duct 324.
Liquid reagent 326 injected through a second microfluidic duct 325
is used to facilitate rinsing of the glass from the injector
surface. A glass coated impactor surface of this sort can be
regenerated for a subsequent cycle. Thus this embodiment 320 may be
used in a regenerative cycle.
[0252] According to another embodiment of the invention, the glassy
matrix 322 is held above its melting point during particle
impaction, providing a viscous, sticky, but readily soluble
material for capturing particles in an inertial impactor. The
molten glassy matrix 322 is stable to a high velocity gas stream
and resists evaporation, unlike aqueous reagents conventionally
used in liquid impingers.
[0253] As shown in FIG. 18, the impactor cap element 331 forming
the impactor surface on top of bluff body pillar member 332 may a)
contain a piezoelectric crystal for ultrasonic treatment of the
collected sample; may b) contain microelectrodes for electrowetting
and electropumping of microdroplets on the impactor surface; may c)
contain MEMS components such as an inkjet printer head for
injecting a liquid reagent; may d) contain a flat plate capacitor
or an electrode, such as would be used in an electroprecipitator,
for example. As before, any aerosol particles are first collected
by inertial impaction from gas stream 6. Following collection,
reagents may be injected via microfluidic ducts 333 and 334 and a
liquid sample 30 eluted. Chemical, physical or biological
treatments may be applied directly to the liquid sample. The liquid
sample may be withdrawn from the impactor cap surface 331 if
desired, or an analysis may performed on the surface in situ. Thus,
bluff body impactor assembly 330 is an active component with
capabilities for aerosol pre-processing, sample micro fluidics, and
for instrumental in situ analysis in an integrated package.
[0254] Referring again to FIG. 18, in another embodiment, the cap
element 331 of the pillar member 332 may be modified using
microassembly or MEMS techniques. In one case, the cap surface is a
specially fabricated electrode coated on its upper aspect with a
silane layer and used to reversibly adhere a liquid droplet to the
impactor by electrowetting. When voltage is removed, the
liquid/surface interaction becomes hydrophobic and the contact
angle becomes negative, facilitating withdrawal of the full
microvolume. The microdroplet can be moved from side to side and
across the surface of the silane layer using pairs of electrodes as
described by Pamula in U.S. Pat. No. 6,911,132. As employed in the
present invention, this technology is used to harvest aerosol
particles from the surface of the impactor. Wiring and circuit
elements are not shown, but are readily accommodated within a
silicon chip supported on the pillar 332 with associated leads
extending down the pillar to a power supply.
[0255] The invention should not be construed as limited only to the
depicted configurations, and includes various combinations of the
elements configured for particle elution in a microvolume from any
centrifugal or bluff body impactor. Bluff body impactors as know in
the art are not limited to pillar elements with top-mounted
impactor plates, but may also be side mounted impactors adapted
from those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,321,822, 6,110,247, and
others as would be known to those skilled in the art.
[0256] Electrostatic Precipitators
[0257] Electrostatic interactions are particularly effective in
entraining sub-micron particles, which may be captured in a
particle trap formed, for example, by mounting a pair of charged
plates so that a gas stream flowing between the plates is exposed
to an imposed electrostatic field, one plate having a positive
charge and the other a negative charge. The plates are used to trap
charged aerosol particles. Particles may be natively charged or may
acquire induced charge by contact with a source of ions, such
sources including but not limited to a "corona wire," a source of
ionizing radiation, and a radio-frequency discharge. Ionization may
be achieved, for example, by a plasma discharge from a corona array
disposed in the path of the gas stream.
[0258] A schematic of an electrostatic collector module 340 is
shown in FIG. 19. Collector channel 341 is configured for receiving
a gas stream 6 in receiving arm 3 via intake orifice 2. The gas
stream and entrained particles are ionized by contact with corona
wire 343. A pair of charged plates 344,345 trap oppositely charged
particles. Particle depleted gas stream 7 exits the collector
module via outlet arm 3 and outlet orifice 8. Corona wire 343 and
the inside surfaces 344a,345a of the pair of charged separation
plates make up electrostatic particle trap 342. Microfluidic
injection duct 346 with injection port 348 and optional valve 347
is used to inject a microdroplet volume of an elution fluid and to
withdraw a liquid sample 30 at sampling port 19.
[0259] The dimensions of the collector channel and electrostatic
precipitator are characteristically microfluidic or near-micro
fluidic dimensions. The dimensions of the electrostatic particle
trap, are such that at least one cross-sectional dimension of the
collector channel and impactor surface is generally smaller than
1500 microns. The collection volume of elution reagent applied to
the plate surfaces is preferably less than 10 microliters and
preferably less than 1 microliter, and is sometimes only a few
nanoliters to a few hundred nanoliters. Microfluidic pumps and
valves as previously described for centrifugal and bluff body
impactors may be used to form electrostatic precipitator
interfacing with microfluidic circuits.
[0260] FIGS. 20A and 20B depict a second electrostatic
precipitator. A gas stream is received and ionized in front
collector body member 351 and passed between charged plates 355 and
356. Charged particles 352 (dots) are captured electrostatically by
oppositely charged plate 356, marked here as positively charged
(+). Depleted gas stream 7 exits the module to the right. In FIG.
20B, a detail of the elution process is shown. Captured particles
(dots) blanket the upper surface 358 of plate 356. A fluid volume
359 (shown with convex menisci) fills the space between plates 356
and 355. Microfluidic injection duct 357 is used to inject the
fluid and to collect eluted particles in a liquid sample at a
sampling port. A sacrificial glass overlayer may be used on the
charge separation plates as a thin dielectric layer to improve
elution efficiency as previously described for inertial
impactors.
[0261] Integrated Devices
[0262] The technical advantage achieved by reducing a dimension of
the collector channel and particle trap to microfluidic or
near-microfluidic dimensions on the order of 1500 microns or less
is that a very small volume of fluid reagent can be used to collect
and process the aerosol particles, or constituents thereof,
captured on the impactor surface--generally a discrete microvolume
of 10,000 nanoliters or less, more preferably a microvolume of less
than 1000 nanoliters--resulting in a very high concentration factor
and improved analytical sensitivity. While it would initially
appear that collector channels of this diminutive size would be
undesirable because of limitations on the throughput flow rate that
can be achieved at sub-sonic gas stream velocities, surprisingly,
by coupling the impactors of the present invention with upstream
aerosol concentrators or arrays such as those of co-assigned US
Pat. Appl. Doc. No. 2008/0022853, overall processing throughputs of
10, 20 or even 25000 L/min are readily achieved at sub-sonic gas
jet velocities in the coupled concentrator/collector apparatus
because only the particle-enriched minor flow from the aerodynamic
concentrator is routed through the collector. This combination
happily was found to quickly reduce the aerosol mass found in a
cubic meter of air or more to a nanoliter volume of liquid sample
30 in less than a minute. The collectors of the present invention
thus serve as aerosol-to-liquid conversion modules with
microfluidic or near-micro fluidic dimensions.
[0263] By resuspended captured particles in nanoliter-sized
droplets, potentially up to a 3.times.10.sup.9-fold concentration
factor over particle density in the ambient air sample may be
achieved. Actual results to date in prototypes have achieved a
5.times.10.sup.6-fold concentration of microbial cells trapped on
the particle trap impactor surfaces of the present invention and
eluted in a liquid droplet volume of 500 nanoliters.
[0264] To achieve this synergy, the collectors of the present
invention may be used in combination with aerosol concentrators
such as a virtual impactor, aerodynamic lens (ADL), skimmer,
venturi, nozzle, or other type of concentrator. Typically, ADLs are
used in combination with skimmers and the collector would be
sealedly fitted to the minor flow outlet of the skimmer. For a
description of the art, the reader is referred to co-pending US
Pat. Appl. Doc. Nos. 2008/0022853, U.S. patent application Ser. No.
12/125,458, and to the works of Marple and others (cf. Chen, B T
and H C Yeh (1985) A Novel Virtual Impactor: Calibration and Use, J
Aerosol Sci 16: 343-354; in Novick V S and J L Alvarez (1987)
Design of a multi-stage virtual impactor, Aerosol Sci Tech 6:63-70;
in Loo B W and C P Cork (1988) Development of high efficiency
virtual impactors, Aeros Sci Techn 9:167-176; in Marple V A et al
(1980) Virtual Impactors: a theoretical study, Environ Sci Tech
14:976; and in Goo, J (2002) Numerical simulation of aerosol
concentration at atmospheric pressure by a cascade of aerodynamic
slit lenses, J Aerosol Sci 33:1493-1507) and to a representative
selection of virtual impactor designs found in U.S. Pat. Nos.
3,901,798, 4,301,002, 4,670,135, 4,767,524, 5,425,802, 5,533,406,
5,788,741, 6,062,392, 6,386,015, and 6,402,817.
[0265] As shown in FIG. 21, an aerosol concentrator module 371 in
combination with an aerosol collector module 373 of the present
invention is depicted. Combination 370 of a two-stage ADL array,
with first skimmer, first stage adaptor 374, second ADL and skimmer
372, second stage adaptor 375, and centrifugal aerosol collector
373 is illustrated. Also shown is a pump functionality or member
(376) with tee for injecting a liquid reagent and for eluting
particles deposited in the particle trap 373, here shown as a bent
capillary tube which forms the collector body. Liquid sample 30 is
collected at the base of the apparatus. Two-stage ADL aerosol
concentrator modules having a flow split of 2500:1 (bulk flow
divided by minor flow) or more are compatible with the inventive
collector modules.
[0266] While outside the scope of this discussion, the upper
5.times.ADL array (377) in FIG. 21 is used in combination with the
first stage skimmer with exhaust manifold 378 to separate a
particle-enriched core flow (also termed the `minor flow`) from a
bulk flow (marked "B") that is depleted in particles. The
particle-concentrated gas stream is then conveyed to the collector
373 through first stage adaptor 374, and optionally as shown here,
passed through a second stage ADL/skimmer 372, resulting in a
second bulk flow split and further concentration of the particle
content of the gas stream, which is routed into the collector via
adaptor 375.
[0267] The purpose of this combination 370 is to provide a virtual
impactor/inertial impactor combination which is capable of a)
sampling ambient aerosols at high sampling flow rates and
concentrating those aerosols as a concentrated particle beam; b)
impacting the particles from the particle beam in a collector and
capturing them; and c) solubilizing or suspending the particle
deposit in a microdroplet volume for analysis. The upstream
concentrator module delivers a concentrated aerosol stream ("minor
flow") that is injected into the collector channel. In this way,
total system throughput can be increased to 20, 30 or even 25000
L/min while retaining the ability to sample impacted aerosol
material in microdroplet volumes. This is a distinct technological
advantage, increasing detector sensitivity and assay speed.
Happily, this combination 370 was found to quickly reduce the
aerosol mass found in a cubic meters of air or more to a few
nanoliters of liquid sample 30 in less than a minute.
[0268] As shown, the collected particles can be eluted from the
capillary wall with a very small droplet or a series of droplets of
elution fluid, even nanoliter-sized droplets, enabling large
concentration factors and affording significant technical and cost
advantages relative to current devices. In the case of biological
particles, analysis of the collected particles may be performed
using a variety of detection methods such as immunological or
nucleic acid assays or culturing. The ability of this device to
collect large numbers of particles in a short time and deliver them
into small fluid volumes offers the possibility to significantly
enhance the speed and sensitivity of existing detection and
identification methods.
[0269] Thus in one aspect the invention is a combination of an ADL
and skimmer module (or other air-to-air concentrator) and an
"aerosol collector module", for example as exemplified by collector
with microelution features 10a, 10b, 40, 50, 250, 260, 280, 300,
320, 330, 340, 370, 450a, 450b, 450c and the variant collector
devices and apparatus described herein. Collector modules comprise
a receiving arm 3, 102, 124, 252, 271 for receiving a gas stream 6,
an outlet arm 5, 125, 258, 272 for discharging a particle depleted
exhaust 7, and a particle trap 4, 41, 51, 101, 126, 127, 128, 129,
130, 250, 256, 262, 281, 303, 322, 331, 342, 350, 358 with
microfluidic injection/sampling duct 11, 26, 28, 44, 54, 64, 131,
132, 133, 134, 135, 161, 177, 179, 207, 208, 263, 284, 285, 324,
325, 333, 334, 346, 357, 444a, 444b, 444c for injecting a reagent
and eluting a liquid sample 30 in a microdroplet volume. These
"collector modules", as termed herein, are optionally combined in a
single integrated body or assembled on an apparatus scaffold so
that disposable elements can be speedily replaced.
[0270] In addition to the collector module, a complete aerosol
sampling apparatus may include an upstream aerosol concentrator
module, plumbing and flow control components, and remotely mounted
microfluidic components for eluting the particles from the
collector. The detection and analysis of the eluted sample may be
performed downstream of the collector body by a number of methods
which require delivery of aerosol or its chemical constituents in
liquid suspension e.g.: surface plasmon resonance, high performance
liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS), ICP/MS
(Perkin-Elmer), MALDI/MS, FABS, GC/MS, PCR, ELISA, etc, or may be
performed in situ in the collector body, for example via an optical
window through the particle trap or a waveguide mounted in a
microfluidic sampling duct.
[0271] The collector module can be a disposable component of the
system, whereas the pumps, flow meters, flow controllers, other
hardware for in-situ sample analysis will be multi-use components.
However, if the detection technique requires the use of small
channel cavities formed in expensive materials (e.g. etched
channels in quartz) such a collection device can be reusable.
Regenerated impactor surfaces 203,322 are envisaged.
[0272] FIG. 22 is an illustration of a combination 400 of a
single-stage aerosol concentrator aerosol and a collector module
integrated inside a microfluidic card 410, the microfluidic card
having partially integrated on-board detection and identification
capability. An aerosol-laden gas stream (P) enters an aerosol
concentrator module 401 at inlet 402. A bulk flow (B) is separated
from a minor flow (M) in an aerodynamic lens array 371. The bulk
flow is diverted to waste through manifolds 403 and outlet port
404. The particle-enriched minor flow from the ADL array enters a
funnel-like adaptor 374, the adaptor having means for sealedly
joining 409 the adaptor to microfluidic cartridge 410. Receptacle
411 is part of the joining means 409 and serves to convey the minor
flow (M) from the aerosol concentrator module 401 to the collector,
which is integrated in microfluidic cartridge 410. The collector is
a centrifugal impactor, bluff body impactor, or electrostatic
precipitator integrated inside the microfluidic cartridge 410 and
is not shown here, but representative collectors in various
embodiments are shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5B, 5C, 8, 9, 10, 11,
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23. Inside the
microfluidic cartridge 410, particles are captured in a particle
trap as previously described. A vacuum is used to pull the minor
flow through the collector. Depleted particle exhaust 7 exits the
cartridge at outlet port 416. This concentrator/collector/detector
combination 400 illustrates a modular aerosol concentrator with
fluidic connection to an integrated micro-collector and
microfluidic analysis cartridge.
[0273] Turning now to FIG. 23, a schematic is presented showing how
modular elements of a concentration-collection-analysis apparatus
may be interfaced as a fully functional aerosol concentrator/liquid
sample collector/and analytical apparatus 490a. Modules 440a, 450a,
and 460a are fluidly connected and are configured to function as an
aerosol-to-liquid converter. Module 440a, an aerosol concentrator
module, is capable of processing 20, 30, 1000 or more liters per
minute of a gas at intake 441 and diverting a major fraction of
that gas, depleted of particles, to bulk flow exhaust 442. The
"particle-enriched gas stream" 6 is then routed into module 450a,
an aerosol collector module with particle trap and micro-elution
capability via microfluidic duct 444a which is adapted for
interfacing with analysis module 460a. Particle trap components
(not shown) of module 450 include inertial impactors and
electrostatic precipitators. While not limiting, microfluidic duct
444a is part of a fluid handling system for eluting particles
collected in the particle trap and conveying solubilized or
suspended liquid sample 30 for downstream analysis in module 460a,
a "liquid sample analysis module". Liquid sample analysis module
460a is an integrated microfluidic analytical workstation for
performing one or several analytical subroutines, such as liquid
chromatography, lateral flow chromatography, ELISA, nucleic acid
amplification and detection, PCR, fluorescence spectroscopy, and
other means for detecting as are desired.
[0274] Integration in construction may be advantageously
accomplished by joining modules 440a and 450a in an integrated
solid body 470a consisting of an aerosol concentrator and an
aerosol collector. Integration of modules 450a and 460a into a
single solid body 480a may also be advantageous if desired. All
three modules, 440a, 450a and 460a may also be joined in a single
integrated device 490a. Conversely, it may be advantageous to
supply each of the three modules separately, so that, for example,
the aerosol collector module 450a and the liquid sample analysis
module 460a are disposable.
[0275] According to another embodiment of the invention, the
aerosol concentrator module 440a and liquid sample module 460a are
framed in an apparatus with supporting pumps, fans, vacuum pumps,
waste sinks, reagent reservoirs, electrical supplies, temperature
controls, spectrophotometers, analytical instrumentation, and so
forth, and the aerosol collector module 450a is a disposable part
that is fluidly plugged in for each analytical run.
[0276] According to another embodiment of the invention, the
aerosol collector module 450a is fluidly plugged into an apparatus
containing the aerosol concentrator module 440a for an analytical
run, and following the run, the aerosol collector module 440a,
which is for this embodiment a small block of plastic with embedded
collector channel and particle trap, is then removed and forwarded
to a separate workstation for sample preparation and analysis.
[0277] In FIG. 24 a modular aerosol-to-liquid converter 490b with
centrifugal impactor 41 is shown. Modules 440b, 450b, and 460b are
fluidly connected and are configured to function as an
aerosol-to-liquid converter. Module 440b, an aerosol concentrator
module, is capable of processing 20, 30, 1000 or more liters per
minute of a gas at intake 441 and diverting a major fraction of
that gas, depleted of particles, to bulk flow exhaust 442. The
particle-enriched gas stream 6 is then routed into module 450b, an
aerosol collector module with collector channel 9, receiving arm 3,
centrifugal impactor 41, impactor surface 42, outlet arm 5, and
micro-elution capability via a microfluidic duct 444b which is
adapted for delivering liquid sample 30 to liquid sample analysis
module 460b. Liquid sample analysis module 460b is configured with
means for detecting as desired.
[0278] Integration in construction may be advantageously
accomplished by joining modules 440b and 450b in an integrated
solid body 470b consisting of an aerosol concentrator and an
aerosol collector. Integration of modules 450b and 460b into a
single solid body 480b may also be advantageous if desired. All
three modules, 440b, 450b and 460b may also be joined in a single
integrated device 490b. Conversely, it may be advantageous to
supply each of the three modules separately, so that, for example,
the aerosol collector module 450b and the liquid sample analysis
module 460b are disposable.
[0279] According to another embodiment of the invention, aerosol
collector module 440b is a small block of plastic with embedded
collector channel and particle trap, which is removed so that the
liquid sample 30 may be forwarded to a separate workstation for
sample preparation and analysis.
[0280] In FIG. 25 a modular aerosol-to-liquid converter 490c is
shown. Modules 440c, 450c, and 460c are fluidly connected and are
configured to function as an aerosol-to-liquid converter. Module
440c, an aerosol concentrator module, is capable of processing 20,
30, 1000 or more liters per minute of a gas at intake 441 and
diverting a major fraction of that gas, depleted of particles, to
bulk flow exhaust 442. The particle-enriched gas stream 6 is then
routed into module 450c, an aerosol collector module with collector
channel 341, receiving arm 3, corona wire 343, electrostatic
particle collector 342, and micro-elution capability via a
microfluidic duct 444c, which is adapted for delivering liquid
sample 30 to liquid sample analysis module 460c. Liquid sample
analysis module 460c is configured with means for detecting as
desired.
[0281] Integration in construction may be advantageously
accomplished by joining modules 440c and 450c in an integrated
solid body 470c consisting of an aerosol concentrator and an
aerosol collector. Integration of modules 450c and 460c into a
single solid body 480c may also be advantageous if desired. All
three modules, 440c, 450c and 460c may also be joined in a single
integrated device 490c. Conversely, it may be advantageous to
supply each of the three modules separately, so that, for example,
the aerosol collector module 450c and the liquid sample analysis
module 460c are disposable.
[0282] According to another embodiment of the invention, the
aerosol concentrator module 440c and liquid sample module 460c are
framed in an apparatus with supporting pumps, fans, vacuum pumps,
waste sinks, reagent reservoirs, electrical supplies, temperature
controls, spectrophotometers, analytical instrumentation, and so
forth, and the aerosol collector module 450c is a disposable part
that is inserted so as to be fluidly and electrically connected for
each analytical run.
[0283] Analysis by PCR is an embodiment of a means for detecting an
aerosol particle or aerosol constituent comprising a nucleic acid.
In FIG. 26, the workings of an illustrative microfluidic cartridge
500 with integrated particle trap for analyzing a liquid sample by
molecular biological techniques are shown in more detail. Gas
stream 6 enters the cartridge through receptacle 501 and any
aerosol particles and nucleic acid constituents are trapped in a
particle trap 502 (although the workings of a centrifugal impactor
are shown, the principle of operation is not limited to centrifugal
impactors) before the depleted gas stream 7 is drawn to waste by a
downstream vacuum source coupled to the cartridge at outlet 506.
The analytical process is performed within the plastic body 509 of
microfluidic cartridge 500.
[0284] When the vacuum is shut off, inkjet printer head 512 injects
elution fluid 513 from an off-card reservoir into particle trap
502, eluting the aerosol sample material. Plunger 520, a
micro-syringe pump 521, draws the liquid eluate from the impactor
trap and reversing the plunger stroke forces the liquid sample into
an in-line chamber 522 which is fitted externally with an
ultrasonic PZT transducer (not shown) and a diaphragm made of
polyethylene terephthalate, or some suitable material. The action
of the ultrasonic transducer is brief, but results in disruption of
cellular structures and spores in the sample, releasing nucleic
acids. A lysis solution 514 is added to augment the disruptive
force of the ultrasound in chamber 522. The material is then
transferred to a solid state extraction chamber 523 which functions
as an affinity column for nucleic acid, as first described by Boom
(U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,809). Following rinse with ethanol 515 to
remove cellular lipids, sugars and other detritis, and a brief
exposure to air 524 to vent the ethanol to an external trap 525, a
low-ionic strength PCR buffer 516 is used to elute nucleic acids
adsorbed to the solid state extractant in column 523. By opening
valves and actuating plunger 531 of micro-syringe pump 532, the
eluted nucleic acids are moved into a denaturation chamber 530 and
heated to a denaturation temperature by first heating element 533.
While not shown, an intermediate temperature could be used in
combination with reverse transcriptase so that ssRNA could also be
analyzed by this method. The denaturation chamber 530 (or
microfluidic channels joining the chamber) contains dried reagents,
including a heat-stable polymerase, primers and essential cofactors
and NTP nucleotides required for PCR. The denatured material is
then moved to the annealing chamber 540 by action of a second
plunger 541 and syringe pump 542. Temperature in the annealing
chamber is controlled by a second heating element 543. In the
annealing chamber, primers hybridize and chain elongation continues
until the products are returned to the denaturation chamber 530 by
reciprocal action of the plungers. This heating, annealing and
elongation cycle is repeated multiple times. An entire PCR reaction
may be performed with a few microliters total volume in a micro
fluidic device on a sample of aerosol particles eluted from an
impactor integrated in a microfluidic card 500. Upon completion of
a required number of PCR amplification cycles, 15 to 50 cycles
perhaps, the products are transferred to a FRET detector chamber
550 with variable heating element 551 and dried fluorescent
molecular probes and observed using an external light source and
detector (not shown) for a characteristic fluorescence melt
signature of the sought-after target as a function of temperature
in the FRET chamber. Upon completion of the assay, the material is
contacted with a waste chamber 560 containing a disinfectant, and
the entire microfluidic cartridge body 509 may be uncoupled from
the reagent lines and any upstream aerosol concentrator and
discarded.
[0285] In an alternate embodiment, a skimmer is also integrated
into the disposable plastic body 509 of the microfluidic cartridge
500.
[0286] According to another aspect of the invention, therefore, we
conceive integrated systems for analyzing an ambient air sample for
an aerosol particle. The integrated systems are illustrated
conceptually in the embodiments of FIGS. 21 through 25. Collector
modules include centrifugal impactors, bluff body impactors, and
electrostatic precipitators.
[0287] In one aspect, the present invention is practiced by
integrating an aerosol collector module as defined herein into a
body of a microfluidic cartridge with microfluidic sub-circuitry
designed to enable nucleic acid amplification and detection.
Aerosol particles collected on an impactor surface are conveyed in
a liquid sample into a microfluidic circuit for analysis. Disclosed
are illustrative details of microfluidic circuitry for integrated
nucleic acid analysis, such as by PCR.
[0288] Teachings which may be relied upon for construction of a PCR
sub-circuit of the device of FIG. 26 include, for example, Nakano H
et al. 1994. High speed polymerase chain reaction in constant flow.
Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 58:349-52; Wilding, P et al. 1994. PCR in
a silicon microstructure. Clin Chem 40(9):1815-18; Woolley A T et
al. 1996. Functional integration of PCR amplification and capillary
electrophoresis in a microfabricated DNA analysis device. Anal Chem
68:4081-86; Burke D T et al. 1997. Microfabrication technologies
for integrated nucleic acid analysis. Genome Res 7:189-197; Kopp et
al. 1998. Chemical amplification: continuous-flow PCR on a chip.
Science 280:1046-48; Burns, M A. 1998. An Integrated Nanoliter DNA
Analysis Device. Science 282:484-87; Belgrader P et al. 1999. PCR
Detection of bacteria in seven minutes. Science 284:449-50; Lagally
E T et al. 2001. Fully integrated PCR-capillary electrophoresis
microsystem for DNA analysis. Lab Chip 1:102-07; Tudos A J et al.
2001. Trends in miniaturized total analysis systems for
point-of-care testing in clinical chemistry. Lab Chip 1:83-95;
Belgrader P et al. 2002. A battery-powered notebook thermocycler
for rapid multiplex real-time PCR analysis. Anal Chem 73:286-89;
Hupert L M et al. 2003. Polymer-Based Microfluidic Devices for
Biomedical Applications. In, (H Becker and P Woias, eds)
Microfluidics, BioMEMS, and Medical Microsystems, Proc SPIE Vol
4982:52-64; Chartier I et al. 2003. Fabrication of an hybrid
plastic-silicon microfluidic device for high-throughput genotyping.
In, (H Becker and P Woias, eds) Microfluidics, BioMEMS, and Medical
Microsystems, Proc SPIE Vol 4982:208-219; Anderson R C et al. 2000.
A miniature integrated device for automated multistep genetic
assays. Nucl Acids Res 28(12):[e60,i-vi]; Yang, J et al. 2002. High
sensitivity PCR assay in plastic micro reactors. Lab Chip 2:179-87;
Giordano B C et al. 2001. Polymerase chain reaction in polymeric
microchips: DNA amplification in less than 240 sec. Anal Biochem
291:124-132; Khandurina J et al. 2000. Integrated system for rapid
PCR-based DNA analysis in microfluidic devices. Anal Chem
72:2995-3000; Chiou, J et al. 2001. A Closed-Cycle Capillary
Polymerase Chain Reaction Machine. Anal Chem 73:2018-21; Yuen, P K
et al. 2001. Microchip module for blood sample preparation and
nucleic acid amplification reactions. Genome Res 11:405-412; Zhou
X, et al. 2004. Determination of SARS-coronavirus by a microfluidic
chip system. Electrophoresis. 25(17):3032-9; Liu Y et al. 2002. DNA
amplification and hybridization assays in integrated plastic
monolithic devices. Anal Chem 74(13):3063-70; Zou, Q et al. 2002.
Micro-assembled multi-chamber thermal cycler for low-cost reaction
chip thermal multiplexing. Sensors Actuators A 102:224-121; Zhang C
et al. 2006. PCR Microfluidic devices for DNA amplification.
Biotech Adv 24:243-84, and Zhang, C and Xing D. 2007. Miniaturized
PCR chips for nucleic acid amplification and analysis: latest
advances and future trends. Nucl Acids Res 35(13):4223-37. Other
amplification protocols include LAMP (loop-mediated isothermal
amplification of DNA) reverse transcription polymerase chain
reaction (RT-PCR), ligase chain reaction ("LCR"),
transcription-based amplification systems (TAS), including nucleic
acid sequence based amplification (NASBA), "Rolling Circle", "RACE"
and "one-sided PCR". These various non-PCR and variant
amplification protocols have various advantages in diagnostic
assays, but PCR remains the workhorse in the molecular biology
laboratory and in clinical diagnostics. Embodiments disclosed here
for microfluidic PCR should be considered representative and
exemplary, but not limiting, of a general class of microfluidic
sub-circuits capable of executing one or various amplification and
detection protocols.
[0289] FIG. 27 shows representative data from a PCR assay performed
with an apparatus of FIG. 26 as modified for RT-PCR and outfitted
with an upstream aerosol concentrator module (440a,440b,440c). Such
a device as modified and outfitted is representative of a fully
integrated apparatus for aerosol sampling and analysis
(400,490a,490b,490c). As can be seen, real-time PCR is sensitive to
the "copy number" of nucleic acids in the captured bioaerosol, thus
for every copy of a nucleic acid sequence trapped in an inertial
impactor and amplified, there is a proportionate improvement in
time to detectable signal; 10000/m.sup.3 copies gives a detectable
signal by RT-PCR several cycles sooner than 1000 copies/m.sup.3.
Analyses of this time are possible only if the large aerosol volume
can be reduced to a small liquid sample. By use of an air-to-liquid
converter combinations (470a,470b,470c) as described here, the
bioaerosol content of one cubic meter or one hundred cubic meters
of air for example can be analyzed as a microdroplet sample of a
few microliters or less.
[0290] Referring now to the figures, FIGS. 28A and 28B depict use
of a contacting electro-acoustic transducer 601 in combination with
a flowing gas stream 600 to clean particles 602 from an air:solid
surface 603 in a device with body 603a, the acoustic energy
dislodging resident particles resident into the gas stream. As
shown in FIG. 28A, particles which are resident on a surface that
is subjected to a flowing gas stream alone are not dislodged
because of boundary layer conditions, but upon application of
acoustic energy (FIG. 28B), the particles are readily entrained in
the flowing gas, thereby cleaning the surface. In this case, the
contacting transducer is contacting the device body 603a or is
embedded in the device body and is a piezoelectric or
magnetostrictive transducer. The air:solid surface is generally a
wall or an impactor disposed in an internal channel in the body. A
couplant may be used to increase efficiency of propagation of sound
across the solid:solid interface between the transducer and the
solid body of the device if needed.
[0291] FIGS. 29A and 29B depict use of a non-contacting
electro-acoustic transducer 605 in combination with a stream of a
flowing gas 600 to clean an air:solid surface 606 in a device with
body 606a, dislodging particles 607 resident or accreted thereon.
Also known as an "air-coupled" transducer, acoustic energy may be
transmitted from the transducer 605 through a gas medium with
efficiency sufficient to excite an air:solid interface at a
distance. Efficiency of coupling can be increased by collimating or
focusing the acoustic beam and by operating the transducer in a
resonant mode. As shown in FIG. 29A, particles resident on surface
606 are subjected to a flowing gas stream, but because of unstirred
boundary layer conditions, remain in place. However, upon
application of gas-coupled acoustic energy, the re-aerosolized
particles are readily entrained in the flowing gas, cleaning the
surface (FIG. 29B).
[0292] Aerosol sampling from gas streams typically involves
particle concentrators such as that shown schematically in FIGS.
30A and 30B. The illustration depicts a skimmer assembly 610. An
intersection 611 of four channels is shown. Listing the arms
clockwise from topwise are an intake channel 612, a right chimney
arm 613, a collector channel ("conduit" or "duct") 614, and a left
chimney arm 615. This configuration is termed a "skimmer" because
it is configured to separate a gas stream 616 into a minor flow
617, which is particle enriched, from a major flow (618a,618b),
which is particle depleted. The major flow exits via the chimney
arms; the minor flow via the collector channel at the bottom.
[0293] Also shown is an open vestibule 619 (dashed circle)
perpendicular to the intersection of the channels. Skimmers 610 may
be constructed with an extended "slit" geometry to increase volume
throughput, and the vestibule runs the length of the skimmer. This
is seen in three dimensions in FIG. 30B, where a transducer 620 is
shown aimed into the skimmer assembly on the long axis of junction
611 illustrated as extending into the paper from front face 610a.
The inside lower "lips" 621 of the collector channel form a virtual
impactor aperture or "mouth", and particle deposition around this
mouth has been shown to be problematic during extended use. The
lips 621 of the virtual impactor are a particle accretion surface.
Particles adherent on the walls of the intake channel, collector
channel, or around the virtual impactor lips can build up, leading
to fouling and deteriorating performance. Application of acoustic
energy, using either directly coupled or air-coupled transducers,
has been found here to eliminate this buildup. Liquid in the
internal passages of the skimmer junction may be used to
acoustically couple the source of insonation to the surfaces to be
insonated. While a slit-type skimmer geometry is shown, cleaning of
skimmers having an annular, axisymmetrical geometry is also
realized using electro-acoustic transducers operatively coupled to
the nose of the skimmer.
[0294] FIGS. 31A and 31B show a cross-section through a skimmer 625
with upstream aerodynamic lenses (626a,626b) and again depicts
locations of target windows (627,628) where transducer energy may
be aimed. FIG. 31A illustrates the basic geometry in cross-section.
A particle-laden gas stream enters at the top through inlet 629.
Chimney arms (630a,630b) on the right and left bound the central
virtual impactor aperture 632 which forms the mouth of the
collector channel 633. The circle indicates the area of the
detailed view of FIG. 31B.
[0295] In FIG. 31B, flow 634 (dark arrow) at the bottom indicates
the direction of the minor flow, which is particle-rich. Arrows 635
represent major flow, which is particle-depleted. Particles that
are lost to the walls of the device from the particle rich flow on
the long axis of the device may be resuspended and recovered in the
minor flow by application of acoustic energy through one or both of
the windows shown (dashed circles 627, 628). The stepped ledges
forming the aerodynamic lenses (626a,626b) and the lips 636 of the
virtual impactor mouth are particle accretion surfaces.
Acoustically-powered devices for cleaning skimmers with this
profile are realized for both slit- and annular geometries.
[0296] FIG. 32 shows a cross-section through a particle
concentration device and skimmer 640 having chimneys 641 folded
back against the inlet channel 642. The direction of inlet flow of
the gas feedstream is downward through the skimmer; a minor flow
643 exits at the bottom of the device and can be routed to a
sampler, analytical device, or particle trap 644 before exiting at
645 to suction exhaust. Bulk flow 646 of the particle-depleted gas
(the major flow) is directed back and up inside the two chimneys,
which extend out of the plane of the image, and are fluidly
connected to a suction pressure source.
[0297] As shown, piezoelectric transducer elements (647a,647b) are
attached in pairs to the sides of the device body 648. Acoustic
energy is advantageously conducted through the solid body.
Optionally a couplant may be used to improve transmission
efficiency. Aqueous liquids are one such couplant. Acoustic energy
is propagated through the solid body and excites the internal
surfaces of the skimmer, dislodging any buildup of particles around
the virtual impactor aperture mouth 649 of the collector channel
650 and on the baffle surfaces 651 of any upstream aerodynamic lens
elements before performance-altering fouling can occur. The
dislodged particles are resuspended in the gas stream so as to be
cleaned from the skimmer and associated surfaces. Particle deposits
that have resulted in decrement in performance are cleaned away in
this manner.
[0298] By fabricating the solid body with volumes of higher density
material and lower density material, acoustic energy can be
directed along waveguides formed of higher density material.
Acoustic excitation may be conveyed to selected surfaces of the
apparatus using acoustic waveguides of the type described in US Pat
Doc No 2008/0237366 to Ehlert, for example.
[0299] A feedback control loop 652 is shown, demonstrating the
integration of the electro-acoustic transducers into operation of
an aerosol concentration and collection system, using a sensor
signal for measuring performance of a particle handling apparatus
to control activation and to modulate the acoustic energy emitted
by the transducers. As particles accumulate around the skimmer or
in the particle trap 644, the sensor detects the particle deposits
directly or indirectly by measuring gas velocity, backpressure,
reflectance, opacity, or other indica of particle deposition in the
trap, which is a particle accretion surface, and emits a signal to
a processor 653 and associated control circuitry which controls the
transducer driving circuit 654, shown here schematically. A power
supply 655 is also shown. In this way, the sensor signal results in
application of acoustic energy to the concentrator module body (or
to the particle trap body) which breaks up accreted particle
deposits and resuspends them in the gas stream, cleaning the inside
surfaces and restoring performance. The signal-actuator-sensor
circle thus functions as closed feedback loop to enhance and
prolong particle monitoring, concentration or collection function
without the need for service or disassembly. Signal transmitted to
the control circuit is processed to modulate transducer actuation,
which in turn regulates the degree of particle accretion inside the
particle trap. Similarly, as alternative or complementary
illustration, a pressure sensor mounted in the intake channel can
be monitored and used to control transducer actuation and
modulation of acoustic energy applied to a skimmer body, thereby
again forming a feedback loop.
[0300] In addition to sensors for detecting an increase in
backpressure or flow velocity associated with accretion of particle
deposits, direct examination of the inside surfaces of a particle
trap may include monitoring based on spectrophotometry,
fluorometry, conductivity, resistivity, electroimpedance
spectroscopy (more generally, spectrometric and electrometric
analysis means), and the like, without limitation thereto. It is
sufficient to determine that the particle trap 644 has accumulated
a volume of foreign matter in sufficient quantity or of a
suspicious nature such that further analysis is merited.
[0301] Programmable, low energy, transducer LC driving circuits 654
with sensor feedback circuitry and power supply may be constructed
as known in the art. These functions can be achieved with
electronic circuitry, such as with microprocessors with volatile
and read-only memory, and A/D and D/A converters. The
electro-acoustic transducer may be a piezoelectric,
magnetostrictive, or capacitive electrostatic transducer, or a
hybrid thereof. Transducers are for example Steiner & Martins
Inc SMUTK2500RS112 (2.5 MHz, 26 VDC, 800 mA), Nanhai Techsin
Electronic Co DK-24 (40 KHz, 24 VAC, 950 mA), or custom
piezoelectric transducers and driving circuits available from
Microflow Engineering of Sweden which run on AA batteries and are
the size of a postage stamp. Battery operated circuits using
piezoelectric driver circuits at 3600 Hz with peak currents of 20
mA at 36 mV are described in "Piezoelectric Transducer Driver
Circuit with Adjustable Output Level" by Gary Pace (Motorola Inc
Technical Developments, Vol 17 Dec. 1992). Ultrasonic driving
circuits are described for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,113,809,
4,632,311, 4,641,053, 4,689,515, 5,803,362, 6,361,024, RE39671, and
US Pat. Appl. Doc. Nos. 2007/0235555 and 2009/0095821. Such driving
circuits may include frequency control, resonance tuning, impedance
sensing, soft start, and solid state features. The electro-acoustic
transducer and associated circuitry produces acoustic waves to
dislodge particle deposits from internal surfaces.
[0302] FIG. 33 shows a cross-section through a skimmer device 660.
Again shown are upstream aerodynamic lenses disposed in an intake
channel, a skimmer junction 661 recognized by a "tee" junction of
four channels, and a downstream particle trap 662. Also shown is an
interface 663 containing a rectilinear array of piezoelectric,
magnetostrictive, or electrostatic transducer elements (dashed
lines). The array of transducers is viewed as acoustically coupling
with the body of the skimmer device. Acoustic energy is delivered
simultaneously to all particle accumulations surfaces of the
aerodynamic lenses, skimmer and particle trap through a couplant
medium or solid body, or may be selectively actuated or modulated
for particular target areas. Particles that have accumulated on the
internal surfaces of the device are readily dislodged and entrained
in the flowing gas stream 664 by the application of acoustic energy
using the array and are trapped in the particle trap 662 or
discharged to waste at 665. While not shown to scale, a variety of
array configurations are effective. Multiple parallel particle
concentrators and/or collectors in a single body may be treated in
this way.
[0303] Blockage or partial occlusion of internal surfaces may occur
almost any point in aerosol monitoring, concentration, or
collection equipment, but is more likely to occur around the mouth
of the skimmer 661 and in the particle trap 662. The
electro-acoustic transducers or array are configured so that these
surfaces are effectively excited by the acoustic energy.
Application of acoustic energy can be intermittent or triggered by
a signal from a sensor positioned to monitor performance of the
equipment.
[0304] Particle trap 662 is used for capturing particles on a solid
surface, such as by inertial impaction or electrostatic attraction,
and is optionally configured with in situ detection capability. The
particle trap may also be acoustically cleaned as required, either
on a regular schedule, for example as part of a dry cleaning
regime, or in response to a signal from a sensor that monitors
particle accumulation in the particle trap or indirectly monitors
gas flow resistance through the particle trap.
[0305] FIG. 34 is an experimental plot monitoring backpressure in
an aerosol concentrator with and without periodic application of
ultrasound to the concentrator body. Particle dust in a gas stream
was generated using a dry nebulizer and passed through the
concentrator. As evidenced by the increase in backpressure in the
chimneys and particle trap (665, 666 respectively), particle
fouling results in progressive deterioration of performance and
buildup of solid deposits in the equipment (see FIG. 42A). FIG. 34
is described experimentally in more detail in Example 3. With
periodic cleaning of the chimney passages around the skimmer and
particle trap, the problem is alleviated. Backpressure in the
chimneys 667 and in the particle trap 668 does not increase over
extended operation.
[0306] FIGS. 35A and 35B are plots calculating the effect of
cleaning during operation and monitoring over a timecourse of two
hundred days. The extrapolation is done by overloading the
equipment experimentally and then projecting the effect of a more
typical loading rate as described in more detail in Example 4. For
the virtual impactor, upper curve 669 is absent sonic cleaning, the
lower curve 670 with sonic cleaning. For the particle trap, upper
curve 671 is absent acoustic cleaning, lower curve 672 with
acoustic cleaning A significant gain in equipment life is achieved
by use of intermittent acoustic cleaning, extending to weeks and
months.
[0307] FIG. 36 is a schematic of a collector module 675 having a
particle trap 676 for collecting particles from a gas stream, shown
here as a minor flow 677 entering through an intake orifice 678 and
having a waste gas stream 679 exiting at an outlet. Particles
accumulate in the trap and may be periodically removed using
acoustic cleaning powered by electro-acoustic transducer 647. The
particle trap of the figure may be used in conjunction with a
sensor to detect particle accumulation in the trap or proximate to
the trap on inside surfaces and regulate insonation parameters via
feedback loop 652. Also shown schematically is a programmable, low
energy, transducer LC driving circuit 654 with control circuitry
653 and power supply 655 as described previously.
[0308] FIG. 37 is a schematic of another embodiment of a collector
apparatus 680, where the particle trap 681 is a "centrifugal
inertial impactor" and is cleaned when desired by application of
acoustic energy from a transducer (dashed circle) coupled to a
lateral face of the collector module body. The collector body 682
contains or encloses a collector channel 683 with intake orifice
684 and an outlet arm 685. A gas stream 686 (generally a minor
flow) flows through the collector channel in response, for example,
to a suction pressure applied to the outlet arm. Disposed in the
collector channel is an inertial impactor, formed here by a
concavoconvex curvature or bend of the collector channel walls.
[0309] As shown here, the electro-acoustic transducer with
footprint 687 is coupled to a face of the impactor body and
acoustic energy propagates through the solid. Any of a variety of
electro-acoustic transducers may be used, including ultrasonic and
sonic frequencies.
[0310] Optionally, miniature transducers may be embedded in the
solid body during fabrication. A driver circuit board is also
provided, accompanying the collector module body and including a
heatsink for drawing heat away from the power transistor and PZT
crystal, for example.
[0311] In operation, a gas stream 686 enriched in entrained aerosol
particles enters the collector channel 684 at the top of the
collector body 682. Aerosol particles not deflected with the gas
streamlines in the bending portion of the channel are captured by
inelastic impaction on the inertial impactor surface in the
particle trap 681. Particles having an inertia greater than a
critical limit (the cut size of the impactor) cannot round the bend
and are captured by impaction. The aerosol-depleted gas stream 688
exits the collector body at the outlet arm. Under influence of
acoustic energy applied with a transducer (dashed circle, 687)
contacting the body of the device or applied through an acoustic
window in the body, particles in the trap are re-aerosolized in the
gas stream to effect acoustic cleaning of the trap as needed.
[0312] FIG. 38 is a generic schematic of a collector module 690
with integral wet acoustic cleaning apparatus. Shown in block form
are the functional components of a first embodiment of a particle
handling apparatus configured for wet acoustic cleaning. A particle
trap 691 (or aerosol concentrator) is disposed in a collector
channel 692 in a solid body 693, often of metal or plastic. The
collector channel, represented here figuratively, consists of a
receiving arm with an intake orifice and an outlet arm with outlet
orifice. A gas stream containing one or more particles (here a
minor flow from a concentrative device) enters the collector
channel through the intake orifice and transits the particle
handling device. The particle trap may be an inertial impactor,
such as a centrifugal inertial impactor, a bluff body impactor, or
a filter member, for example. Also included (but not shown), may be
an upstream aerosol concentrator such as an aerodynamic lens or
skimmer for example. The gas stream, depleted of particles by
passage through the particle trap, exits the collector channel at
the base of the module through an outlet. Aerosol particles
accumulate by fouling on internal surfaces of the apparatus.
[0313] When wet cleaning is needed, gas flow is interrupted. The
cleaning apparatus of the module comprises a first pump
functionality 695 with associated fluid reservoir 696 and an
electro-acoustic transducer 647. The components of the apparatus
shown by dashed outlines may be mounted within the module 690 or
may be mounted externally with fluidic connections. A control
circuit 654 (generally under microprocessor control, with
non-volatile memory for storing instructions, RAM memory for
storing data, and A/D or D/A converters for processing data and
instructions) is used to coordinate actions of the various
subsystems. Fluid from the fluid reservoir is injected via an
injection duct 698, optionally valved, into an internal cavity of
the particle trap. The liquid volume contacts the inside surfaces
where particle deposits are resident so that when the
electro-acoustic transducer 647 is turned on, the wetted surfaces
are insonated. The volume of liquid is selected to ensure adequate
cleaning. The liquid reservoir may include a level sensor and a
mechanism for supplying liquid from an external source.
[0314] The liquid sample contains any loosened aerosol particles or
constituents. Or the liquid may simply be propelled out through the
outlet orifice by a blast of air when the gas stream flow is
resumed. Alternatively, the pump functionality may be bidirectional
and self-priming, thereby eliminating the need for two pumps. A
single, bidirectional pump functionality may be used to both inject
a liquid reagent and withdraw the liquid from the particle
trap.
[0315] Liquid reagents include wash and elution reagents. These
reagents are generally aqueous, but may include solvents or
co-solvents such as dimethylsulfoxide, N,N-dimethyl-formamide,
N-methyl-pyrrolidinone, 2-pyrrolidone, acetone, diethylene glycol
monoethyl ether, acetonitrile, acetone, methylethylketone, methyl
tert-butyl ether (MBTE), tetrahydrofuran, methanol, propylene
carbonate, ethyl acetate, chloroform, butyrolactone, and so forth.
Also useful are solvent mixtures and gradients thereof, as have
been described by D L Williams and others. The co-solvent is
generally miscible with water but if not may be formulated as an
emulsion or microemulsion or used without water. Surfactants and
wetting agents as are generally known in the art are also suitable
for formulation in a liquid wash or resuspension reagent. Such
surfactants may include Tween 20, Brij-72, Triton X100, Pluronic
F68 (BASF, Florham Pk, N.J.), n-acyl-glutamate (Amisoft.RTM.,
Ajinomoto, JP), Envirogem.RTM. 360 (Air Products, Allentown Pa.),
Eccoterge.RTM. AEP-20 (Eastern Color, Providence R.I.), sodium
lauryl sulfate, and so forth. A more comprehensive list of
surfactants, co-surfactants and wetting agents may be found in
McCutcheon's Emulsifiers and Detergents (2008 Edition). Also useful
for releasing biological samples are salts and buffers. Analytical
pre-processing reagents include for example chaotropic salts or
urea, such as described by Boom (U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,809), or
alkaline SDS lysis solution containing 200 mM NaOH and 1% SDS, as
are known to aid in the lysis of bacterial cells, and also enzymes
such as lysozyme, chitinase or mucopolysaccharidases. These
reagents serve to release any bioaerosol material. General cleaning
agents include oxidizers such as bleach, alkaline bleach and
hydrogen peroxide. Wash reagents may also contain or generate
microbubbles to assist in cleaning using where cavitational
excitation of the microbubbles is induced by application of
ultrasound.
[0316] As shown in FIG. 39, a wet cleaning apparatus may also
function as a wet sampling apparatus 700. After interrupting the
stream of gas flow through a particle trap 701, and then by
injecting a volume of liquid into inner works of the trap using a
first pump 702, for example, and by applying acoustic energy using
an ultrasonic transducer 647, for example, a concentrated particle
suspension is obtained. Particles are solubilized in the liquid
volume by insonation. The liquid sample 704 of the particle
concentrate may then be withdrawn from the trap using a second pump
functionality 705. Samples obtained in this way can be analyzed in
situ or conveyed to a downstream analytical workstation for further
study, or transported to a remote location for analysis or
archiving. These pumps and ducting are an example of a hydraulic
sampling subsystem.
[0317] Suspending the material in a liquid wash solution serves the
dual purposes of facilitating the cleaning of the trap and,
happily, forming a liquid:particle concentrate 704 that is more
readily sampled or conveyed downstream for analysis or archiving.
The apparatus thus serves as an air-to-liquid particle concentrator
configured for sampling accumulated particle mass in small volumes
of liquid.
[0318] Optionally, a single pump could perform both liquid
injection and withdrawal functions if it is self-priming and
capable of impelling bidirectional flow. Or the two systems may be
entirely isolated, so that separate microchannels are used for
injecting the wash liquid and for collecting a liquid sample. As
shown here, a shared injection channel 706 is used for obtaining
the liquid sample. The shared channel is valvedly branched to
effect this dual function. Various combinations are readily
apparent to one skilled in the art.
[0319] Activation of a wet sampling cycle can be directed by a
signal from a sensor which monitors the gas flow characteristics of
the collector, or by direct assay of solid particle deposit
residues in the particle trap, as by spectrophotometric analysis,
fluorometric analysis, or radiometry. Multiple signals may be
processed (707,708). Multiple transducers may also be used, as
indicated in FIGS. 31B and 33, for example. Following successful
sample acquisition, the particle trap is then thoroughly cleaned
and returned to service.
[0320] FIG. 39 also illustrates a method for cleaning a particle
accretion surface in an internal channel of an aerosol collection
apparatus 700, which comprises a) in dry cleaning mode, at regular
intervals insonating said particle accretion surface without liquid
injection while flowing a gas stream through said internal channel
and continuously over said particle accretion surface; b) in wet
cleaning mode, in response to a change in a first signal 707,
insonating said particle accretion surface after stopping said gas
flow and injecting a liquid; and c) in wet sampling mode, in
response to a second signal 708, insonating said particle accretion
surface after stopping said gas flow and injecting a liquid
thereon, then withdrawing a liquid sample 704 of said insonated
liquid volume. The first and second signals may be monitored, and
steps b and c (above) repeated in response to changes in the first
or second signals. The method may also include a step for
ultrasonically interrogating the flowing gas stream to sense a
change in a flow rate, a flow velocity, or a backpressure, and
outputting a sonometric signal indicative of any change, so that
insonation of the particle accretion surface is controlled
according to feedback from the ultrasonic transducer (such as time
of flight measurement used to measure flow velocity). Other signals
may also be used (such as backpressure as shown in FIG. 34) to
monitor fouling on particle accretion surfaces of aerosol
monitoring, concentration, and collection equipment.
[0321] FIG. 40 is a schematic of another embodiment of a collector
apparatus 710 useful in the method of the invention, where the
particle trap 711 is a "centrifugal inertial impactor" (with
characteristic inertial bend or loop forming the "trap"). The trap
may be an elongate slit or may be tubular or round in
cross-section. These particle traps are difficult to clean because
the critical dimension of the inside channel is necessarily narrow
to maintain velocity of the gas stream in the bending section. When
dry acoustic cleaning is not successful, use of wet acoustic
cleaning may be needed. While this requires that the gas flow be
interrupted or diverted, an advantage of an "auxiliary" liquid
cleaning system is that concentrated liquid samples of the
accumulated particles can be collected for downstream analysis. Dry
cleaning mode can be used to remove particulate deposits that are
not of interest; wet cleaning mode may be used to collect
particulate deposits wanted for further analysis.
[0322] The collector body contains or encloses a collector channel
712 having an intake end 713 and an outlet end 714. A
particle-enriched gas stream 715 flows through the collector
channel in response, for example, to a suction pressure applied to
the outlet arm 714. Disposed in the collector channel is a
centrifugal inertial impactor 711 with a particle accretion surface
(formed here by a concavoconvex "trap-like" curvature of the
collector channel walls).
[0323] As shown, an injection duct 715 joins the collector channel
at a "tee" in the particle trap. It may be preferable to locate the
tee downstream from or upstream of the impactor surface. However,
the tee is generally proximate to the inertial impactor surface.
The impactor surface is a particle accretion surface. To simplify
valving, the injection duct shown here is a common duct used for
both injection and removal of the liquid from the trap. The valve
716 is opened during injection and cleaning (or sampling) and is
otherwise closed. A volume of fluid may be injected into the
particle trap through the injection duct and withdrawn after
insonation.
[0324] An electro-acoustic transducer (717, dashed circle)
contacted with the body 718 is used to apply acoustic energy to the
wetted trap. A variety of electro-acoustic transducer
configurations are effective. If desired, a liquid sample with
particle concentrate can then be withdrawn from the trap through
the sample port 715. Otherwise the wash liquid is exhausted to
waste or can be ejected by restoring gas flow through the outlet.
When wash liquid will be discarded, larger volumes may be used,
such as a volume sufficient to fill the internal volume of a
particle concentrator and particle trap. Insonation is generally
directed at particle accretion surfaces but may be directed more
diffusely by the acoustic coupling action of the liquid.
[0325] A particle trap with acoustically-assisted liquid sampling
is realized in the embodiment illustrated schematically in FIG. 41.
Using serial volumes of liquid, cleaning can also be performed with
this apparatus. In operation, a gas stream with entrained aerosol
particles enters the intake orifice 721 of the collector channel or
duct at the top of the collector body in response to a downstream
vacuum applied at the outlet orifice (FIG. 41A). Aerosol particles
not deflected with the gas streamlines in the bending portion of
the trap 722 are captured by inertial impaction on the particle
accretion surface. The aerosol-depleted gas stream exits the
collector body through the outlet arm 723 and captured particles
724 accumulate in the trap. As shown in FIG. 41B, the gas stream is
turned off following capture by closing a valve at the outlet
orifice. A liquid volume 725 is then injected through a tee into
the trap from a fluid reservoir 726 in communication with the trap
via an injection duct 727. In FIG. 41C, the liquid is contacted
with the captured particles and subjected to acoustic energy
delivered via a transducer 728 operatively coupled to the collector
body. Impacted particles are dislodged from the particle accretion
surfaces of the trap and suspended in the liquid. The liquid is
then removed via a sampling arm 729 of the injection duct and
conveyed downstream as a concentrated liquid sample 730 of the
captured particles or discarded as waste, leaving the particle trap
clean and ready for another cycle (FIG. 41D).
[0326] The resultant liquid sample, containing the concentrated
solution or suspension of the aerosol particles, is conveyed to an
external fluidic circuit or other analytical means via a sample
port. Alternatively, the highly concentrated sample liquid can
instead advantageously be analyzed in situ in the particle trap
with a suitable analytical apparatus, such as spectrometric or
electrometric analysis via an optical window in the collector body
prior to downstream analysis or archiving of the sample.
[0327] The liquid sample and particle concentrate may be analyzed
for a physical, chemical or biological property. A variety of
analytical means are known in the art, and include without
limitation methods of:
[0328] 1. inducing fluorescence of specific constituents of the
liquid sample and detecting emitted fluorescent emissions;
[0329] 2. measuring optical absorption of the liquid sample at one
or more wavelengths;
[0330] 3. measuring light scattered from the liquid sample in
various directions, as by laser scattering;
[0331] 4. subjecting the liquid sample to at least one
spectroscopic measurement technique such as Raman spectroscopy
(RS), laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), spark-induced
breakdown spectroscopy (SIBS), or mass spectroscopy;
[0332] 5. subjecting the liquid sample to nucleic acid
amplification and real-time PCR;
[0333] 6. subjecting the liquid sample to an immunological assay;
or
[0334] 7. measuring radiation emitted from the liquid sample.
[0335] The analysis or analyses is for the purpose of detecting
and/or identifying those constituents of interest. In a first
instance, using optical means, analysis may be performed by
measuring light transmittance, light reflectance, fluorescence, or
luminescence of the liquid.
[0336] In another instance, using electrical means, the
conductance, impedance, or capacitance may be monitored. Affinity
impedance spectroscopy may also be applied. In yet other instances,
analysis may be performed by detecting an alpha-particle emission,
beta-particle emission, or gamma emission, or by detecting a
molecular species or fragment thereof in the liquid by an affinity
binding technique, an enzymatic reaction, or by electrospray mass
spectroscopy, and so forth, without limitation thereto.
[0337] Such analytical methods may benefit with improved
sensitivity and limits of detection by concentration of the
particle sample in a small volume of liquid, where a particle
population is first stripped acoustically from the particle trap
and concentrated in a liquid sample.
[0338] In one embodiment, the electro-acoustic transducer is
operatively coupled to the particle trap by the solid body and the
electro-acoustic transducer is a piezoelectric, magnetostrictive,
or electrostatic transducer. In another embodiment, the
electro-acoustic transducer is operatively coupled to the surface
through an acoustic window overlying the surface and the
electro-acoustic transducer is a gas-coupled electrostatic
air-coupled transducer or capacitive electro-acoustic transducer.
In some embodiments, acoustic energy is applied continuously; in
others acoustic energy is applied as a pulse or train of pulses
having a fractional duty cycle; and in others ultrasound is applied
only in response to a signal indicating fouling or blockage.
[0339] FIG. 42A is a representation of a particle concentrator
opened for inspection so that the channels of the skimmer are
exposed. In this view of the skimmer, the horizontal slit 735 and
collector channel 736 that are heavily laden with particles is the
entrance to a lateral chimney 737 (analogous to that depicted in
FIG. 32), and one half face of the structure is shown. Large
numbers of particles (black deposits) have accumulated in the
collector channel around the virtual impactor mouth of the skimmer
735, dramatically increasing resistance to flow through the
aperture to the chimney and on the collector channel walls. FIG.
42B shows the effect of periodic dry acoustic cleaning for
prophylaxis under equivalent operating conditions. Limited particle
residuals (ASHRAE dust) are noted on skimmer slit 735 or collector
channel face 736 and operational performance is nominal.
[0340] Accordingly, the invention is a method for dry cleaning
particle deposits from an internal surface of an aerosol
monitoring, concentration, or collection apparatus or for
preventing accumulation of particle deposits, which comprises steps
for:
[0341] a) applying acoustic energy to the surface, wherein the
acoustic energy is applied from an electro-acoustic transducer
operatively coupled thereto;
[0342] b) acoustically mobilizing any particle deposits from the
surface; and
[0343] c) removing the particle deposits in a flowing gas
stream.
[0344] Steps a)-c) may be repeated if desired to satisfactorily
clean the particle accretion surface. In a preferred method, the
cleaning cycle is performed "on the fly", where gas flow and
operation are not interrupted and the method is applied as needed
to prevent of particle buildup, either on a regular schedule or
when conditions indicate it is needed.
[0345] For cleaning, the surface to be treated may be an internal
surface of a particle trap or any internal surface of a gas-to-gas
particle concentrator subject to fouling or blockage. With respect
to the operation and cleaning of aerosol concentrators, in a
preferred method, the invention further includes a step for sensing
a flow rate, a flow velocity, or a backpressure with a sensor and
outputting a digital or analog signal from the sensor that is used
to initiate a cleaning cycle if the signal is consistent with an
undesirable level of accumulation of particles or deviates from an
acceptable value or range.
[0346] The sensor may be an electro-acoustic transducer, where the
transducer sonically interrogates the flowing gas stream to sense a
flow rate, a flow velocity, or a backpressure, and generates a
signal. Other sensors are also useful. Flow velocity for example
may be detected by Doppler shift methods. Backpressure may be
monitored using suitable pressure sensors, for example air-coupled
electro-acoustic transducers where energy output is highly
sensitive to gas density, or piezoelectric, microcantilever or
diaphragm-type pressure sensors. Alternatively, optical or
electrical characterization of the condition of the internal
surfaces is used to determine a need for cleaning. Optical sensors
include laser scattering detectors, spectrophotometers, and
fluorometers. Electrical sensors include circuits for measuring
capacitance, resistance or conductance of the inside surface
associated with fouling. Sensors may be used in combination to
detect an operating condition of the aerosol monitoring,
concentration, or collection apparatus and a composition of the
accreted particle deposit, if desired.
[0347] Dry acoustic treatment may be used to prevent or relieve
particle buildup without interruption of gas flow; liquid acoustic
cleaning treatment is used to clean more resistant deposits or to
sample the accumulated particles in a concentrated liquid sample
for further analysis.
[0348] Wet cleaning may be applied independently. In another
embodiment, the invention is a method for wet cleaning particle
deposits from an internal surface of an apparatus using a liquid
cycle, which comprises steps for:
[0349] a) fluidly contacting a particle accretion surface with a
liquid with gas flow stopped;
[0350] b) applying acoustic energy to the surface, wherein the
acoustic energy is applied from an electro-acoustic transducer
operatively coupled thereto;
[0351] c) acoustically mobilizing any particle deposits on the
surface in the liquid; and
[0352] d) removing the liquid and ultrasonically mobilized particle
deposits from the particle accretion surface, and then restarting
gas flow.
[0353] Optionally, the method may include a step for sensing a
performance parameter of the aerosol monitoring, concentration, or
collection apparatus and triggering the cleaning cycle when said
operational parameter deviates from an acceptable value or
range.
[0354] Advantageously, cleaning can be combined with sampling
particle residues by liquid injection with wet acoustic treatment.
By injecting a discrete volume of a wash liquid into a particle
trap and treating the particle trap with ultrasound, a concentrated
suspension or solution of particles or particle constituents is
obtained.
EXAMPLES
Example 1
Dry Acoustic Cleaning of an Aerosol Concentrator
[0355] An aerosol concentrator with ADL and skimmer of the type
shown in co-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 7,875,095 was set up with
flowing air and instrumented to monitor backpressure. ASHRAE dust
was then introduced into the feed and backpressure was monitored.
After a suitable interval, backpressure in the major and minor flow
channels had substantially increased. The skimmer assembly was then
subjected to acoustic energy using a piezoelectric horn contacted
to the body of the skimmer. Backpressure immediately returned to
pre-fouling levels. As shown in the table below, backpressure in
the major flow channels was seen to rise from 5.5 to 12 inches
H.sub.2O with increased narrowing due to accumulation of ASHRAE
dust in the channels. Upon application of ultrasound to the body of
the assembly, backpressure immediately returned to baseline.
Similarly, in the minor flow channel, backpressure rose from 0.3 to
1.8 inches H.sub.2O, but returned to 0.3 inches H.sub.2O upon
application of ultrasound to the device. Inspection showed that the
internal workings of the concentrator were essentially free of
particle deposits following this treatment.
TABLE-US-00001 Backpressure, Backpressure, Major Flow Minor Flow
Channels Channel State (inches H.sub.20) (inches H.sub.20) Initial
5.5 0.3 Fouled 12 1.8 Cleaned 5.5 0.3
Example 2
Prophylaxis
[0356] In a second example, prophylactic treatment was
demonstrated. Using the setup of Example 1, ASHRAE dust was again
introduced into an aerosol concentrator. A flow split of 40:1 was
used; with 10 Lpm flow rate in the chimneys and 0.25 Lpm in the
collector channel. Rather than permit fouling to occur, ultrasound
(33 KHz, 50 W) was applied for 1 second at 2 minute intervals.
Backpressure was again monitored.
[0357] After 30 minutes, no increase in backpressure was noted in
any of the channels of the device. Contrastingly, backpressure had
noticeably increased under control conditions without ultrasonic
prophylaxis of fouling. Visual inspection confirmed that particle
deposits were prevented by periodic ultrasonic treatments.
TABLE-US-00002 Backpressure, Backpressure, Major Flow Minor Flow
Channels Channel Experimental (inches H.sub.20) (inches H.sub.20)
Intermittent US 3 0 Treatment over 30 min Negative Control 3
0.3
[0358] The reduced duty cycle (1 sec ON at 2 min intervals) reduced
energy consumed in the ultrasonic treatment to less than a Watt.
Low power consumption is desirable for portable applications, for
example, such as where power is battery supplied or supplied by a
solar cell.
[0359] Rechargeable AA-sized batteries based on lithium ion
chemistry are of use. These batteries are rated at 3.6 volts and
are incompatible with most AA-based devices. AA lithium batteries
have a relatively low internal resistance that effectively provides
very high current if shorted. RCR-V3 batteries having a nominal
voltage of 3.7 V are capable of performing 3.6 Watt-hours of work
(computed as 1200 mAh*3V). AA batteries yielding 2.4 Watt-hours are
also suitable. For more extended application at higher loads,
combinations of 12 VDC batteries may be configured in a portable
battery case and will operate pulsed electro-acoustic transducers
for days or even months without recharging or replacement.
Example 3
Timecourse for Fouling Under Heavy Loading
[0360] Using the setup described in the examples above, the data of
FIG. 34 was obtained by monitoring backpressure over a thirty
minute interval. Backpressure is reported as percent over baseline.
Backpressure in the chimney of the untreated channel continued
after ten minutes but increases are not shown because the pressure
gauge had reached its maximum reading.
Example 4
Longterm Equipment Operation
[0361] A surprising and unexpected finding from extrapolations of
these results (FIG. 35) is that, by the inventive application of
ultrasound at periodic intervals, an aerosol concentrator of this
construction can be operated for months without maintenance.
Periodic pulses of ultrasound applied to the concentrator body were
shown not to interfere with particle collection and analysis.
Example 5
Wet Acoustic Cleaning
[0362] Wet ultrasound was used for cleaning the complex geometry of
a tubular inertial particle trap having small internal volume
structures using acoustic energy. A small ( 1/16'') stainless steel
tube centrifugal aerosol collector (as described in U.S. Prov. Pat.
Appl. No. 61/026,376 and US Pat. Appl. Doc. No. 2010/0186524, which
are coassigned) was placed in a chamber filled with aerosolized
fluorescent polystyrene spheres. Aerosol-laden air was aspirated
through the collector under conditions selected to impact particles
in the particle trap.
[0363] Following particle loading, the particle trap was then
injected with a volume of liquid (in this case water). Due to the
small internal volume of the collector, a discrete volume of only
50 ul liquid volume was needed. A piezoelectric electro-acoustic
transducer was then pressed again the metal tube and operated for 5
seconds. A second treatment was then performed. The sample liquid
was removed from the collector and analyzed by measuring
fluorescence emission from the sample. The experiment showed that
90% of the particles were removed in the first treatment and 10% in
the second treatment.
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
[0364] All of the US Patents, US Patent Applications, US Patent
Application publications, foreign patents, foreign patent
applications and non-patent publications referred to in this
specification and/or listed in any Information Data Sheet, are
incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety. Aspects of the
embodiments can be modified, if necessary to employ concepts of the
various patents, applications and publications to provide yet
further embodiments. These and other changes can be made to the
embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general,
in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to
limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the
specification and the claims, but should be construed to include
all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents
to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not
limited by the specifics of the disclosure.
[0365] While the invention has been described with preferred
embodiments and illustrations, it is to be understood that
variations and modifications may be resorted to as will be apparent
to those skilled in the art. Such variations and modifications are
to be considered within the purview and the scope of the claims
appended hereto.
* * * * *