U.S. patent application number 17/518329 was filed with the patent office on 2022-05-19 for methods of obtaining a biological sample representative of a passenger cabin on an aircraft using an air cyclonic collector.
This patent application is currently assigned to Koninklijke Fabriek Inventum B.V.. The applicant listed for this patent is Koninklijke Fabriek Inventum B.V.. Invention is credited to Arnau Castillo Gonzalez, Antonio Martinez Murcia, Eric Surawski.
Application Number | 20220155187 17/518329 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | |
Filed Date | 2022-05-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220155187 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gonzalez; Arnau Castillo ;
et al. |
May 19, 2022 |
METHODS OF OBTAINING A BIOLOGICAL SAMPLE REPRESENTATIVE OF A
PASSENGER CABIN ON AN AIRCRAFT USING AN AIR CYCLONIC COLLECTOR
Abstract
A system for monitoring aircraft air including a vessel having
an inlet, a conical main body for extracting particles from the air
coating an inner surface on the conical main body, and an outlet,
wherein the outlet is to be positioned within at least one of an
outlet flow path or a recirculation flow path of an aircraft, and
at least one of an outflow valve positioned in the outlet flow path
downstream from the collector or a HEPA filter positioned in the
recirculation flow path downstream from the collector.
Inventors: |
Gonzalez; Arnau Castillo;
(Maarssen, NL) ; Surawski; Eric; (Hebron, CT)
; Murcia; Antonio Martinez; (Elche, ES) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Koninklijke Fabriek Inventum B.V. |
Nieuwegein |
|
NL |
|
|
Assignee: |
Koninklijke Fabriek Inventum
B.V.
Nieuwegein
NL
|
Appl. No.: |
17/518329 |
Filed: |
November 3, 2021 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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63114330 |
Nov 16, 2020 |
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63114339 |
Nov 16, 2020 |
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63114350 |
Nov 16, 2020 |
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63114064 |
Nov 16, 2020 |
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63114366 |
Nov 16, 2020 |
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63114157 |
Nov 16, 2020 |
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63114386 |
Nov 16, 2020 |
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63114400 |
Nov 16, 2020 |
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International
Class: |
G01N 1/22 20060101
G01N001/22; C12Q 1/04 20060101 C12Q001/04 |
Claims
1. A system for monitoring aircraft air comprising: a vessel having
an inlet, a conical main body containing: a reagent fluid for
extracting particles from the air coating an inner surface on the
conical main body, and an outlet, wherein the outlet is to be
positioned within at least one of an outlet flow path or a
recirculation flow path of an aircraft; and at least one of an
outflow valve positioned in the outlet flow path downstream from
the collector or a HEPA filter positioned in the recirculation flow
path downstream from the collector.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the reagent fluid includes a
customized mixture for the targeted pathogen or contaminant.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the inlet has a smaller diameter
than the outlet.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the conical main body tapers down
away from the inlet.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the HEPA filter is positioned in
the recirculation flow path downstream of the collector, wherein
the HEPA filter is configured and adapted to filter the air flowing
through the recirculation flow path.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the particles include aerosol
droplets exhaled from passengers throughout at least a portion of a
flight.
7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a mounting slot in the
outlet flow path upstream from the outflow valve, wherein the
collector is positioned within the mounting slot.
8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the collector is
configured and adapted to be removed from the mounting slot for
testing.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the vessel includes a plurality
of vessels affixed within a space between an aircraft hull and a
passenger cabin floor for collecting air samples.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of vessels are
affixed between passenger cabin seats.
11. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of
vessels is affixed within at least one of: galley areas,
lavatories, or corridors.
12. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of
vessels is attached to a galley trolley.
13. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of
vessels is located within an cargo bay area.
14. A method of monitoring aircraft air comprising: driving ambient
cabin air from the cabin through a reagent fluid located within a
conical collector; concentrating the reagent fluid; and extracting
and purifying a portion of the concentrated reagent fluid to
produce a testable sample.
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising conducting a
pathogen/contaminant diagnostic test, on the testable sample.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the ambient cabin air passes
through a HEPA-filter after passing through the reagent fluid.
17. The method of claim 14, wherein extracting and purifying
includes passing the concentrated reagent fluid through silica
columns.
18. The method of claim 14, wherein extracting and purifying
includes passing the concentrated reagent fluid through magnetic
beads.
19. The method of claim 14, wherein extracting and purifying
includes passing the concentrated reagent fluid through a
microfluidic system.
20. The method of claim 14, wherein concentrating the reagent fluid
includes a passing the reagent fluid through a concentrator with
foam.
Description
PRIORITY CLAIM
[0001] The following application claims priority to U.S.
Provisional Patent Applications with the following Ser. Nos.
63/114,330, 63/114,339, 63/114,350, 63/114,400, 63,114,064,
63/114,157, 63/114,386, 63/114,366 all filed on Nov. 16, 2020; and
patent application Ser. No. 63/043,414 filed on Jun. 24, 2020 the
contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their
entirety.
BACKGROUND
Technological Field
[0002] The present application is related to a system and method
used to collect a representative air sample of an aircraft, more
specifically to a method and systems for collecting a biological
sample on an aircraft using a collector.
Description of Related Art
[0003] The spread progression of SARS-CoV-2 around the world has
risen a red flag: economic globalization creates systemic risks.
The CoVID-19 pandemic shed light on the need for better monitoring,
detecting, and isolating ill passengers, specifically due to the
detrimental impact on the global economy, specifically air travel
due to closed borders, movement restrictions, and testing
requirements.
[0004] However, the CoVID-19 pandemic the air travel industry has
proven that air travel can be safe and that aircraft cabins have a
well-managed airflow that minimize the risk for transmission of
virus, and that being seated onboard an aircraft is safer than
shopping in large stores. Governments and other authorities need to
assume that aircraft are contaminated until proven "clean", as 25%
of COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic; but still
contagious. Thus, if borders shutdown and a drastic reduction in
international travel global passenger travel is greatly reduced. To
date travelers and governments have relied on individual diagnostic
tests. The uncertainty of the results has reduced people's
inclination to travel and subsequent airline inclination to
maintain routes. However, to date, the microbial control of
environment (air) has received very little attention, if any.
[0005] Accordingly, there is still a need in the art for developing
and implementing highly precise systems and methods for pathogen
detection, adapted to the aerospace segment (airports, aircraft,
etc.). The present disclosure provides a solution for this
need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] A system for sampling and monitoring aircraft air is
disclosed. The system includes a vessel having an inlet, a conical
main body containing: a reagent fluid for extracting particles from
the air coating an inner surface on the conical main body, and an
outlet, wherein the outlet is to be positioned within at least one
of an outlet flow path or a recirculation flow path of an aircraft,
and at least one of an outflow valve positioned in the outlet flow
path downstream from the collector or a HEPA filter positioned in
the recirculation flow path downstream from the collector. The
buffer and reagent fluid can include molecular grade sterile water
and a range of components as salts, surfactants, and different
additives for nucleic acid protection and conservation. Buffer
composition and pH range are determined depending of quality and
quantity of samples to be harvested.
[0007] The inlet of the conical main body can have a smaller
diameter than the outlet. The conical main body can taper down away
from the inlet. The HEPA filter can be positioned in the
recirculation flow path downstream of the collector, wherein the
HEPA filter is configured and adapted to clean air flowing through
the recirculation flow path after the air passes through the
collector. The particles can include aerosol droplets exhaled from
passengers throughout at least a portion of a flight. The system
can include mounting slot in the outlet flow path upstream from the
outflow valve, wherein the collector is positioned within the
mounting slot. The collector can be configured and adapted for the
conical sampling-recipient to be removed from the mounting slot for
testing.
[0008] The vessel can include a plurality of vessels affixed within
a space between an aircraft hull and a passenger cabin floor for
collecting air samples at a plurality of locations throughout the
aircraft. The plurality of vessels can be affixed between passenger
cabin seats, within at least one of: galley areas, lavatories, or
corridors, or be attached to a galley trolley. At least one of the
plurality of vessels can be located within an aft cargo bay
area.
[0009] A method of monitoring aircraft air is also disclosed. The
method includes driving ambient cabin air from the cabin through a
reagent fluid located within a conical collector, concentrating the
reagent fluid, extracting and purifying the genetic material
(DNA/RNA) from a portion of the concentrated reagent fluid to
provide a sample for a test. The system can include conducting a
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test on the testable sample,
including end-point PCR (epPCR), or/and real time quantitative PCR
(qPCR), or/and Reverse transcriptase-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR).
The ambient cabin air can pass through a HEPA-filter after passing
through the reagent fluid.
[0010] Extracting and purifying includes can include passing the
concentrated reagent fluid through silica columns. Extracting and
purifying can include passing the concentrated reagent fluid
through magnetized beads. Also by passing the sample through a
micro-fluidic multi-channel subjected to several chemical-protocol
steps, such as concentrating the reagent fluid can include a
passing the reagent fluid through a concentration pipette, also a
concentrator using specific foams.
[0011] These and other features of the systems and methods of the
subject disclosure will become more readily apparent to those
skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the
preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] So that those skilled in the art to which the subject
disclosure appertains will readily understand how to make and use
the devices and methods of the subject disclosure without undue
experimentation, embodiments thereof will be described in detail
herein below with reference to certain figures, wherein:
[0013] FIG. 1 is schematic view of the conical collector; and
[0014] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an aircraft showing
diagrammatically where the conical collector of FIG. 1 are be
located.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like
reference numerals identify similar structural features or aspects
of the subject disclosure. For purposes of explanation and
illustration, and not limitation, a partial view of an exemplary
embodiment of a system in accordance with the disclosure is shown
in FIG. 1 and is designated generally by reference character 100.
The global collector system described below is used to collect a
bulk sample, representative of all passengers as a group on the
aircraft and to test it to provide a bulk screening of the
aircraft.
[0016] FIG. 1 shows a system 100 for monitoring aircraft air. The
system 100 includes a vessel 102 having an inlet 104, a conical
main body 106 containing: a reagent fluid 108 for extracting
particles from the air coating an inner surface 110 on the conical
main body, and an outlet 112. The outlet 112 is positioned within
either an outlet flow path or a recirculation flow path of the
aircraft. An outflow valve 114 (shown diagrammatically) is
positioned in the outlet flow path downstream from the collector or
a HEPA filter 113 (also shown diagramatically) can be positioned in
the recirculation flow path downstream from the collector. This
reagent fluid 108 is customized for the targeted
pathogen/contaminant as well to the diagnostic test. Referring
further to FIG. 1, the inlet 104 of the conical main body 102 has a
smaller diameter (d1) than the diameter of the outlet 112 (d2). The
conical main body 102 tapers down away from the inlet 104.
[0017] Referring to FIG. 2, a plurality of vessels 102 can be
affixed within a space 202 between an aircraft hull and a passenger
cabin floor for collecting air samples. The vessels can be affixed
between passenger cabin seats 204, within at least one of: galley
areas, lavatories, or corridors, or be attached to a galley
trolley. At least one of the plurality of vessels can be located
within an aft or fwd cargo bay area 206.
[0018] A method of monitoring aircraft air is also disclosed. The
method includes driving ambient cabin air from the cabin through a
reagent fluid located within the conical collector, concentrating
the reagent fluid, extracting and purifying a portion of the
concentrated reagent fluid to produce a testable sample to prepare
the sample for a test, and conducting a pathogen/contaminant
diagnostic test such as a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test on
the testable sample.
[0019] The methods and systems of the present disclosure, as
described above and shown in the drawings, provide for an improved
bulk data and analysis of passenger pathogens on an aircraft. While
the apparatus and methods of the subject disclosure have been shown
and described with reference to preferred embodiments, those
skilled in the art will readily appreciate that changes and/or
modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope
of the subject disclosure.
* * * * *