System and Method for Environmental Sampling and Diagnostic Evaluation

• US 20080281528A1
• Filed: 08/03/2006
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Louis J. Relle Jr
• Original Assignee: Louis J. Relle Jr
• Inventors: Relle Jr, Louis J.
• Application Number:
  US11/997,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20080281528A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/19
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2273 Atmospheric sampling

Abstract

An environmental sampling system and method that collects biological contaminates in a removable cassette device via a sample capture media, such as a filter. The cassette device which is designed to specifically cause mixing of the air stream in a manner to get even distribution of the airborne particulates on the filter media has affixed thereto a data storage unit for storing other environmental parameters sensed and measured by the system in addition to the IAQ questionnaire information inputted by the investigator. After the sample period is complete, the system can be re-deployed in the field or environment by simply replacing the removable cassette device having the data storage unit. The collected biological contaminates in a removable cassette device and stored data in the affixed data storage unit are sent to a laboratory for analysis. The environmental sampling system may be operated independently of the removable cassette device to obtain and data log physical environmental data such as temperature, relative humidity, wind velocities, pressure differentials, and particulate counts.

Claims

1. An environmental sampling system of air for air particles comprising:

means for suctioning the air to create an air sample;

means for sampling, in real time, a plurality of environmental physical parameters associated with the air sample;

means, removably coupled to the suctioning means, for capturing particles of the air sample and storing computer readable information related to the sampled plurality of environmental physical parameters; and

,

means for controlling the suctioning means during a sampling period and writing the computer readable information related to the sampled plurality of environmental physical parameters to the capturing and storing means.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sampling means comprises:

means for counting particles from the air sample; and

,

means for detecting air speed of the air sample.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the sampling means further comprises:

means for sensing humidity in the air sample; and

,

means for sensing a temperature of the air sample.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the sampling means further comprises:

means for detecting a pressure differential in locations associated with the air sample; and

,

means for sensing a temperature of the air sample.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein controlling means further comprises:

means for powering the sampling means and the capturing and storing means.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein controlling means further comprises:

means for communicating wireless with at least one a slave environmental sampling system.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the capturing and storing means comprises:

means for filtering particulates; and

means for mixing of the particulates in the air sample in a manner as to provide a statistically demonstrated even distribution on a filtering means.

43. The system of claim 1, wherein the capturing and storing means has stored therein programmed testing sequencing for conducting a test to capture the environmental physical parameters and the particles of the air sample.

8. A method of sampling ambient indoor air comprising the method steps of:

sampling the air using the environmental sampling system at a predetermined rate of air flow for a set amount of time to develop sample data of a plurality of environmental physical parameters;

logging on a data storage unit in real time the sample data;

during the sampling, suctioning and collecting biological contamination of the sampled air in a removable cassette device, coupled to the environmental sampling system, the cassette device having the data storage unit affixed thereto.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the sampling step comprises the steps of:

counting particles from the sampled air being suctioned into removable cassette device; and

,

detecting air speed of the air.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the sampling step further comprises the steps of:

sensing humidity in the sampled air; and

,

sensing a temperature of the sampled air.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the sampling step further comprises the steps of:

controlling suctioning of the suctioning and collecting step through the removable cassette device via the environmental sampling system.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the sampling step further comprises the steps of:

detecting a pressure differential in locations associated with the sampled air during the; and

,

sensing a temperature of the sampled air.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the sampling step further comprises the steps of:

turning on a heating ventilation air conditioning (HVAC) system; and

wherein the sampled air is from an air duct cavity of the HVAC system.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

receiving and logging information related to health conditions of persons in contact with the air being sampled in the data storage unit.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

compiling, into a larger database, data related to the collected biological contamination and the stored sample data;

evaluating scientifically the compiled data, to detect trends and other similar characteristics among the sampled air.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

detecting an event causing an amplification the biological contamination.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein the suctioning and collecting step comprises the steps of:

filtering particulates of the sampled air; and

mixing of the particulates in the sample air in a manner as to provide a statistically demonstrated even distribution.

49. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

executing programmed testing sequencing stored in the data storage unit, to perform the sampling step.

18. A system for checking a heating ventilation air conditioning (HVAC) system comprising:

a sampling probe being placed inside an air duct of the HVAC system;

a control assembly with vacuum pump operable to suction an air sample through the sampling probe during a sampling period;

a plurality sensors, coupled to the control assembly, operable to sense environmental physical parameters;

data storage unit, electrically coupled to the control assembly, operable to have logged therein during the sampling period the sensed environmental physical parameters;

a removable cartridge device, affixed to the data storage unit, having a filter media operable to capture and collect biological contamination from the suctioned air sample.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of sensors comprise:

means for real time data logging of the particulate concentrations that will be captured by the filter media; and

,

means for logging of the sample time and sample flow rates.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of sensors comprise:

means for detecting a pressure differential in locations associated with the air sample; and

,

means for sensing a temperature of the air sample.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein control assembly further comprises:

means for powering the plurality of sensors.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein control assembly further comprises:

means for communicating wireless with at least one slave control assembly at a remote location.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the system is operable to obtain information on the HVAC system'"'"'s performance;

determine amplification of biological agents caused by the HVAC system; and

, determine transmission or distribution of microbial or other particles through the HVAC system from other locations.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the removable cartridge device comprises:

a filter media;

a diffusion inlet operable to diffuse the sample air and a mixing chamber operable to receive the diffused air and mix of particulates in the diffused air in a manner as to provide a statistically demonstrated even distribution on the filter media.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the system is operable to obtain information on the HVAC system'"'"'s performance;

determine amplification of biological agents caused by the HVAC system; and

, determine transmission or distribution of microbial or other particles through the HVAC system from other locations.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein one of the controlling means is a master controller and one of the logging means includes the sample data of all the plurality of linked environmental sampling systems.

29. The device of claim 27, wherein the interior chamber is a mixing chamber.

31. The device of claim 29, wherein the capture filter media is 37 millimeters diameter and is adapted to be reduced down to a 2 millimeter by 22 millimeter trace.

45. The system of claim 18, wherein data storage unit has stored therein programmed testing sequencing for conducting a test to sense the environmental physical parameters and collect the biological contamination from the suctioned air sample.

47. The system of claim 24, wherein the logging and storing means has stored therein programmed testing sequencing for conducting a test to sense the sample data and collect the biological contamination from the suctioned sampled air.

25. A system for sampling ambient air comprising:

a plurality of linked environmental sampling systems, each system being associated with a corresponding location, and wherein each system comprises;

means for sensing a plurality of environmental parameters;

means for automatically controlling the sensing means for sampling the air at a predetermined rate of air flow on continuous run or to sample at predetermined on-off intervals, for a set amount of time to develop sample data from said sensing means;

means for logging and storing in real time the sample data; and

,

means for collecting and loading biological contamination of suctioned sampled air, under control of the controlling means, having the logging means affixed thereto.

28. A collecting and loading biological contamination device comprising:

a body having means for placing a storage data unit thereon and an outlet;

an inlet port, coupled to said body, operable to receive an air sample;

a interior chamber in communication with the inlet port; and

,

a capture filter media, in said chamber and adjacent said outlet, operable to load the biological contamination in the air sample.

30. The device of claim 28, wherein the mixing chamber has a minimum length of 15 millimeters to a maximum length of 100 millimeters and promotes an even distribution of particulates on the capture filter media.

32. The device of claim 28, wherein the outlet comprises a funnel causing particulates to be concentrated evenly on the capture filter media from the mixing chamber.

33. The device of claim 28, further comprising a plurality of pins operable to mark said capture filter media.

34. The device of claim 32, wherein each pin is a 1 millimeter pin to mark the capture filter media at the quarter and half lengths to allowing the capture filter media to be separated into equidistant sections.

36. The device of claim 34, wherein the chamber is a mixing chamber.

38. The device of claim 36, wherein the capture filter media is 37 millimeters diameter and is adapted to be reduced down to a 2 millimeter by 22 millimeter trace.

39. The device of claim 34, wherein the outlet comprises a funnel causing particulates to be concentrated evenly on the capture filter media from the mixing chamber.

40. The device of claim 34, further comprising a plurality of pins in said body operable to mark said capture filter media.

41. The device of claim 39, wherein each pin is a 1 millimeter pin to mark the capture filter media at the quarter and half lengths to allowing the capture filter media to be separated into equidistant sections.

42. The device of claim 34, wherein the computer readable medium is has stored therein programmed testing sequencing for conducting a test to capture the biological contamination in the air sample and other environmental parameters.

44. The system of claim 42, wherein the programmed testing sequencing is related to building science.

46. The system of claim 44, wherein the programmed testing sequencing is related to building science.

48. The system of claim 46, wherein the programmed testing sequencing is related to building science.

35. A smart collecting loading biological contamination device comprising:

a computer readable medium operable to store and log therein computer readable data; and

,

a body having means for placing the computer readable medium thereon, the body further comprising;

an outlet,

an inlet port operable to receive an air sample,

an interior chamber in communication with the inlet port, and

a capture filter media, in said chamber and adjacent said outlet, operable to load the biological contamination in the air sample wherein the body is constructed and arranged to be opened to retrieve the capture filter media and the stored data being downloaded.

37. The device of claim 35, wherein the mixing chamber has a minimum length of 15 millimeters to a maximum length of 100 millimeters and promotes an even distribution of particulates on the capture filter media.