Pathogen detection method and apparatus

1 . A pathogen detection apparatus comprising:

a nanoparticle forming chamber in which nanoparticles are formed;

an impact unit that causes the nanoparticles formed in the nanoparticle forming chamber to collide with pathogens so that adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is extracted from the pathogens, wherein the impact unit includes:

a first charging chamber that charges the nanoparticles with a first polarity;

a second charging chamber that charges the pathogens with a second polarity opposite to the first polarity;

a nanoparticle orifice through which the nanoparticles charged with the first polarity in the first charging chamber are discharged to an impact point within the impact unit; and

a pathogen orifice through which the pathogens charged with the second polarity in the second charging chamber are discharged to the impact point; and

a detector including a collector and a sensor, wherein the collector comprises a collection plate to collect the pathogens having collided with the nanoparticles and the sensor comprises a light-receiving element to detect a light-emitting reaction formed by a reaction with the ATP emitted by the pathogens collected by the collector, and

wherein the nanoparticles physically impact the pathogens so that the ATP from the pathogens is extracted.

2 . The pathogen detection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticle forming chamber forms tellurium particles doped with silver nanoparticles.

3 . The pathogen detection apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the nanoparticle forming chamber includes one or more tellurium rods and one or more silver rods, and

wherein the pathogen detection apparatus further comprises a voltage supply unit that is connected to the one or more tellurium rods and the one or more silver rods, wherein the voltage supply unit provides a voltage to the one or more tellurium rods and the one or more silver rods to generate spark discharge in the one or more tellurium rods and the one or more silver rods and form the tellurium particles doped silver nanoparticles in the nanoparticle forming chamber.

4 . The pathogen detection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the collector further comprises a particle impactor and the collector introduces the pathogens to which the nanoparticles are attached into the particle impactor to selectively collect the pathogens, to which the nanoparticles are attached, on the collection plate.

5 . The pathogen detection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a luminescent material that reacts with the ATP to cause a light-emitting reaction and a catalyst to promote the light-emitting reaction are sprayed onto an upper portion of the collection plate.

6 . The pathogen detection apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the luminescent material is luciferin, and the catalyst is luciferase.