Point source biological agent detection system

• US 7,405,073 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2003
• Issued: 07/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Inventors: Schmidt, John C., DiFurio, Gabriel A., Tilles, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LU, FRANK WEI MIN
• Application Number:
  US10/441,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20040063198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,897 Days
• Field of Search: 435/6, 435/91.1, 435/91.2, 435/183, 435/283.1, 435/287.1, 435/287.2, 422/50, 422/68.1
• US Class Current: 435/287.1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/10 Integrating sample preparation and analysis in single entity, e.g. lab-on-a-chip concept
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0867 Multiple inlets and one sample wells, e.g. mixing, dilution
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502 with fluid transport, e.g. in multi-compartment structures centrifugal-type cuvettes G01N21/07; analysis by separation into components G01N30/00; automatic analysers G01N35/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/52 with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples amplification or hybridisation processes per se C12Q1/68; controlling sequential reactions for synthesis B01J19/0046
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/10 in the liquid or fluent state burettes, pipettes B01L3/02; sampling of ground water E02D1/06; metering by volume of fluids or fluent solid material G01F11/00, G01F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2211 with cyclones
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2273 Atmospheric sampling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/24 Suction devices G01N1/22 - G01N1/2294 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/4077 by other techniques involving separation of suspended solids
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/022 sampling for security purposes, e.g. contraband, warfare agents
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/025 postal items
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/2217 using a liquid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00881 network configurations
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0436 with pre-packaged reagents, i.e. test-packs
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00871 Communications between instruments or with remote terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0099 comprising robots or similar manipulators robots per se B25J

Abstract

This invention is directed to a method and apparatus using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology for collecting air samples and identifying biological agents in the air sample. The apparatus is capable of detecting transient events such as bacillus anthracis in a piece of mail being processed on high-speed mail processing equipment. The system includes apparatus for implementing the following features: particle collection and pre-separation using a collection hood and dry cyclone passive filtration system; continuous particle collection into a liquid sample; automated fluid transfer to a PCR analysis cartridge; and PCR biological identifier apparatus for detecting a bio-agent in a piece of mail following manual transport of the cartridge to the identifier apparatus; retesting of the liquid sample upon various error conditions; confirmation testing upon preliminary positive results; fluid transfer to archive containers at the completion of analysis; and, notification/reporting system to alert designated personnel/organizations upon the occurrence of selected events such as the presence of bacillus anthracis.

Claims

1. A biohazard detection system for detecting biological agents in pieces of mail transported by a mail sorting apparatus comprising a mail transport path, said biohazard detection system comprising:

a collection apparatus comprising a hood or shroud, and a mail pinching apparatus located under said hood and used for causing particle expulsion from mail transported along the mail transport path, said collection apparatus collects an air sample expelled from the mail by said mail pinching apparatus;

a concentrator apparatus connected to said collection apparatus and used for producing a liquid sample of said air sample;

a fluidics apparatus connected to said concentrator apparatus and used for delivering a portion of said liquid sample from said concentrator apparatus to a cartridge type receptacle;

a biological agent identifier apparatus used for receiving said receptacle, when transported thereto, and used for analyzing said liquid sample in said receptacle for a biological agent; and

a control apparatus used for providing control of said collection apparatus and said biological agent identifier apparatus and used for reporting test results provided by said biological agent identifier apparatus.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said control is semi-automated control and the receptacle is manually transported from the concentrator apparatus to the biological agent identifier apparatus.

3. The system according to claim 2 wherein the biological agent identifier apparatus comprises a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) type bio-agent identifier apparatus.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the cartridge type receptacle comprises a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) cartridge.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the collection apparatus operates continuously to collect samples of particles.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein the receptacle is manually transported to the biological agent identifier apparatus, and wherein the fluidics apparatus periodically delivers a portion of the liquid sample to said receptacle prior to the receptacle being manually transported to the biological agent identifier apparatus.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein the biological agent identifier apparatus comprises a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) type bio-agent identifier apparatus.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein the mail pinching apparatus includes a singulator and a dual belt mail transport assembly downstream of the singulator, and wherein the hood includes an elongated hood structure overlaying both singulator and the dual belt transport assembly.

9. The system according to claim 8 wherein the hood includes a pair of side panels on either side of the mail transport path and having cut-outs therein for the passage through of belts of the dual belt mail transport assembly.

10. The system according to claim 1 further includes a dry cyclone pre-separator and a wet-cyclone aerosol concentrator assembly.

11. The system according to claim 1 wherein the fluidics apparatus is capable of temporarily holding a sample in a reservoir which can be accessed for one or more analyses while the collection apparatus is collecting a next sample.

12. The system according to claim 1 wherein the fluidics apparatus additionally archives a remaining portion of the liquid sample.

13. The system according to claim 1 wherein the receptacle contains assay reagents for a single gene sequence of a target biological agent and an internal control.

14. The system according to claim 1 wherein the biological agent identifier apparatus comprises a single bay unit.

15. The system according to claim 1 wherein the control apparatus includes a local machine control computer controlling the operations of the biological agent identifier apparatus, the collection apparatus, the concentrator apparatus, and the fluidics apparatus.

16. The system according to claim 15 wherein the control apparatus additionally includes a site command and control computer connected to and controlling the local machine control computer as well as reporting the test results to a predetermined location.

17. The system according to claim 1 additionally includes an apparatus for housing the collection apparatus, the concentrator apparatus, the fluidics apparatus, and the biological agent identifier apparatus.

18. A biohazard detection system for detecting biological agents in a piece of mail fed along a mail transport path of a mail sorting apparatus, said biohazard detection system comprising:

a mail pinching apparatus located at a predetermined pinch point along said mail transport path and used for expelling aerosol particles including biological agents from said piece of mail;

a capturing and concentrating apparatus located at said pinch point and used for capturing aerosol particles expelled from said piece of mail at said pinch point and used for concentrating aerosol particles captured at said pinch point in a liquid sample;

a biological agent identifier apparatus; and

a fluidics apparatus connected to said capturing and concentrating apparatus and used for feeding said liquid sample to said biological agent identifier apparatus.

19. The system according to claim 18 wherein the capturing and concentrating apparatus includes a particle collection device above the mail transport path at said pinch point.

20. The system according to claim 19 wherein the particle collection device includes a hood.

21. The system according to claim 18 wherein the mail pinching apparatus includes singulator apparatus for converting a non-singulated flow of pieces of mail to a singulated flow of mail and for pinching an individual piece of mail for causing expulsion of said aerosol particles.

22. The system according to claim 21 wherein the mail pinching apparatus additionally includes a pair of mail transporting belts downstream of the singulator apparatus such that the singlulated flow of mail is pinched and further possible expulsion of said aerosol particles is resulted.

23. The system according to claim 18 wherein the capturing and concentrating apparatus includes a particle collection device comprising a hood above the mail transport path at the pinch point;

and wherein the mail pinching apparatus comprises a singulator apparatus and a pair of belts such that a single piece of mail is pinched thereby causing aerosol particle expulsion.