System for Autonomous Monitoring of Bioagents

• US 20110027781A1
• Filed: 05/24/2010
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Colston, Jr., Billy W., Mariella, Ray P., Venkateswaran, Kodomudi, Masquelier, Don A., Brown, Steve B., Langlois, Richard G., Milanovich, Fred P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,052,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/6
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2202 involving separation of sample components during sampling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2211 with cyclones
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1459 the analysis being performed on a sample stream
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/2217 using a liquid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/08 using a stream of discrete samples flowing along a tube system, e.g. flow injection analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

An autonomous monitoring system for monitoring for bioagents. A collector gathers the air, water, soil, or substance being monitored. A sample preparation means for preparing a sample is operatively connected to the collector. A detector for detecting the bioagents in the sample is operatively connected to the sample preparation means. One embodiment of the present invention includes confirmation means for confirming the bioagents in the sample.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring air, water, soil, or other substance for bioagents, said air, water, soil, or other substance containing potential bioagent particles of various sizes, comprising the steps of:

gathering said air, water, soil, or other substance containing potential bioagent particles of various sizes;

separating said potential bioagent particles by size and collecting said potential bioagent particles of a size range that are likely to contain said bioagents; and

detecting said bioagents in said potential bioagent particles of a size range that are likely to contain said bioagents.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of separating said potential bioagent particles by size and collecting said potential bioagent particles of a size range that are likely to contain said bioagents comprises separating said air into a bypass air flow that does not contain said potential bioagent particles of a size range that are likely to contain said bioagents and a product air flow that does contain said potential bioagent particles of a size range that are likely to contain said bioagents.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of separating said potential bioagent particles by size and collecting said potential bioagent particles of a size range that are likely to contain said bioagents includes the step of concentrating said potential bioagent particles of a size range that are likely to contain said bioagents in a liquid.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of detecting said bioagents comprises mixing optically encoded microbeads with said potential bioagent particles and detecting said bioagents with said optically encoded microbeads.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of detecting said bioagents comprises mixing optically encoded microbeads coded with antibodies with said potential bioagent particles and detecting said bioagents with said and detecting said bioagents with said optically encoded microbeads coded with antibodies.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of detecting said bioagents comprises mixing optically encoded microbeads coded with fluorescently labeled antibodies with said potential bioagent particles and detecting said bioagents with said and detecting said bioagents with said optically encoded microbeads coded with fluorescently labeled antibodies.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of detecting said bioagents comprises mixing optically encoded microbeads color coded with color emitting dyes with said potential bioagent particles and detecting said bioagents with said optically encoded microbeads.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of detecting said bioagents comprises mixing optically encoded microbeads with said potential bioagent particles and analyzing said optically encoded microbeads in a flow cytometer.

9. The method of claim 1 including the step of confirming said bioagents.

10. The method of claim 1 including the step of confirming said bioagents by adding PCR reagent to said potential bioagent particles, performing PCR amplification on said potential bioagent particles, and detecting PCR amplicon in said potential bioagent particles.