Bio-sensor and bio-sensor reporting system

• US 7,387,877 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2005
• Issued: 06/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Oro Grande Technology, LLC
• Original Assignee: Oro Grande Technology, LLC
• Inventors: Kraft, Clifford
• Primary Examiner(s): WHISENANT, ETHAN C
• Application Number:
  US11/098,169
• Publication Number:
  US 20050221366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,170 Days
• Field of Search: 435/6, 536/23.1, 536/24.3
• US Class Current: 435/6.16
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2273 Atmospheric sampling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/021 Correlating sampling sites with geographical information, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/019 Biological contaminants; Fouling

Abstract

A biosensor unit that can be wall mounted in a location to perform testing of ambient air for bio-contaminants. This unit could contain an air filter for collecting contaminants and a micro-laboratory on a chip or otherwise situated within the unit to perform DNA or RNA binding tests for specific biological targets. Information from such units distributed within an environment could be communicated to one or more central locations via the internet or other communication means to be logged or recorded or to produce reports or alarms.

Claims

1. A method of testing ambient air for bio-contaminants comprising the steps of:

causing ambient air to pass through a collection filter;

collecting bio-samples from said collection filter, and moving them to a preparation area on a micro-chip;

preparing said bio-samples for identification in said preparation area;

moving said bio-samples into at least one channel of a multi-channel micro-laboratory;

matching said prepared bio-samples against at least one target DNA or RNA sequence in said channel;

flushing said channel;

detecting bound bio-samples in said channel.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of preparing comprises cleaving DNA or RNA sequences from said bio-samples.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of preparing further comprises attaching marker molecules to said DNA or RNA sequences.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting comprises measuring light emitted from said bound bio-samples.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said measuring is performed with a photo-multiplier.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting comprises measure ionizing radiation.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of collecting bio-samples from said collection filter and moving them to a preparation area on a micro-chip comprises causing a liquid to flow through said collection filter.