Systems and methods for use in detecting harmful aerosol particles
First Claim
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1. A detector system, comprising:
- an emitter configured to emit excitation energy into a region of space such that a particle located within said region of space may be exposed to the excitation energy;
a detector having a detector input;
a first filter disposed in front of a first portion of the detector input;
a second filter disposed in front of a second portion of the detector input; and
one or more optical elements being configured such that (a) when a particle is located at a first position within said region and exposed to the excitation energy and produces a first emission, at least a portion of the first emission is directed by the one or more optical elements so that said portion of the first emission passes through the first filter prior to reaching the detector input but substantially no portion of the first emission passes though the second filter, and (b) when the particle is located at a second position within said region and exposed to the excitation energy and produces a second emission, at least a portion of the second emission is directed by the one or more optical elements such that said portion of the second emission passes through the second filter prior to reaching the detector input but not the first filter.
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Abstract
The invention provides systems and methods for detecting aerosols. The systems and methods can be used to detect harmful aerosols, such as, bio-aerosols.
51 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A detector system, comprising:
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an emitter configured to emit excitation energy into a region of space such that a particle located within said region of space may be exposed to the excitation energy;
a detector having a detector input;
a first filter disposed in front of a first portion of the detector input;
a second filter disposed in front of a second portion of the detector input; and
one or more optical elements being configured such that (a) when a particle is located at a first position within said region and exposed to the excitation energy and produces a first emission, at least a portion of the first emission is directed by the one or more optical elements so that said portion of the first emission passes through the first filter prior to reaching the detector input but substantially no portion of the first emission passes though the second filter, and (b) when the particle is located at a second position within said region and exposed to the excitation energy and produces a second emission, at least a portion of the second emission is directed by the one or more optical elements such that said portion of the second emission passes through the second filter prior to reaching the detector input but not the first filter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A detection method, comprising:
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obtaining or making a detector system comprising;
an emitter configured to emit excitation energy into a region of space so that a particle located within said region of space may be exposed to the excitation energy;
an emission detector having a detector input;
a first filter disposed in front of a first portion of the detector input; and
a second filter disposed in front of a second portion of the detector input;
emitting from the emitter excitation energy into the region of space;
receiving a moving particle;
directing the moving particle so that the particle passes though a first position in the region of space and a second position in the region of space;
when the particle is in the first position, directing substantially only to the first filter radiation produced as a result of the particle being exposed to the excitation energy emitted into the region of space; and
when the particle is in the second position, directing substantially only to the second filter radiation produced as a result of the particle being exposed to the excitation energy emitted into the region of space. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. In a system wherein a fluid contains a first particle and a second particle, a detection method, comprising:
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emitting excitation energy into a region of space such that a particle located within said region of space may be exposed to the excitation energy;
directing the fluid containing the first and second particles through the region of space, wherein, when the first particle transits through the region of space, the first particle produces a first emission and, when the second particle transits through the region of space, the second particle produces a second emission, wherein the first particle transits through the region of space before the second particle enters the region of space;
directing the first emission to an emission detector;
directing the second emission to the emission detector;
placing a filter apparatus in front of the emission detector, wherein the first emission passes through the filter apparatus before reaching the emission detector; and
after the first particle has entered the region and before the second particle enters the region, changing a characteristic of the filter apparatus or replacing the filter apparatus with a second filter apparatus so that the second emission passes through the changed filter apparatus or the second filter apparatus before reaching the emission detector. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification