Near real-time, hands-off detection of airborne particulate contaminants and bioburden
Various implementations, systems and methods are disclosed for continuous, near real-time, hands-off sampling of airborne particulate matter, and qualification and/or quantification of biomolecules in the sample representative for biologic or microbial contamination. The systems and methods may utilize an electrostatic precipitator for sampling the matter; and a measurement assembly configured to illuminate, excite, or breakdown the sampled matter by electromagnetic radiation, and to detect a spectrum, or one or more wavelength bands of the scatter emitted by the sample. In an exemplary implementation, a sputter deposition process is employed to configure the sample for an enhanced plasmon resonance. The measurement data may be transferred via wireless communication means for cloud storage and signal processing.
1. A detection system comprising:
an intake and an exhaust for an air flow;
a first assembly including an enclosure adjacent the intake and the exhaust, the first assembly further including a substrate; the first assembly operational to generate and direct the air flow adjacent the substrate;
a collected bulk of condensed matter adhering to the substrate;
a spectroscopic optical sensor system directed to the collected bulk of condensed matter adhering to the substrate, the spectroscopic optical sensor system operational to detect in near real-time at least one distinctive feature of the collected bulk of condensed matter adhering to the substrate, wherein the spectroscopic optical sensor system is further configured to sense at least one phenomenon of physics selected from the group consisting of: an emission spectrum and an emission anisotropy;
an electronic converter operational to transform a first signal received from the spectroscopic optical sensor system representative of the at least one distinctive feature into electronic data in a format for display or transmission by a communications interface;
a handling unit;
a control unit operational to perform a plurality of process steps at least partially sequential, each process step is performed at least one time, in any order, and without an operator interaction to thereby define a hands-off, near real-time detection cycle; wherein the plurality of process steps comprising:
(a) obtaining the collected bulk of condensed matter adhering to the substrate,
(b) detecting the at least one distinctive feature utilizing an excitement process of a plasmon resonance of at least one portion of the collected bulk of condensed matter adhering to the substrate, and further utilizing a detection process of an enhanced plasmon resonance of at least a portion of the collected bulk of condensed matter adhering to the substrate,
(c) transforming the first signal received from the spectroscopic optical sensor system into the electronic data, and
(d) replacing or recycling the substrate via the handling unit configured to automate a sequential replacement or recycling of the substrate without interrupting a continuity of a plurality of near real-time detection cycles; and
wherein the control unit is further operational to perform each near real-time detection cycle over a period of time to thereby define an automatic cycle time.
2. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control unit comprises a processor, and a non-transitory storage medium readable by the processor; the non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon a set of instructions; wherein the control unit is further configured to perform the plurality of the near real-time detection cycle sequentially without an operator interaction; and wherein the automatic cycle time does not exceed 1 hour.
3. The system as recited in claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one distinctive feature of the at least one non-gaseous material comprises one or more distinctive features selected from the group consisting of: an intensity of an emission band, an intensity profile of an emission spectrum, an emission lifetime, a lifetime profile of an emission spectrum, an anisotropy of an emission scatter, and an anisotropy profile of an emission spectrum; and wherein the spectroscopic optical sensor system is configured to detect the at least one distinctive feature of the at least one non-gaseous material.
4. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the spectroscopic optical sensor system is configured to detect an electromagnetic radiation of a scatter emitted by a plurality of molecules comprised in the collected bulk of condensed matter adhering to the substrate.
5. The system as recited in claim 4 , wherein the spectroscopic optical sensor system comprises at least one optical element configured to decompose the electromagnetic radiation to thereby receive at least one band of a wavelength comprised in the electromagnetic radiation or a continuum of a plurality of wavelengths comprised in the electromagnetic radiation; and wherein the spectroscopic optical sensor system utilizes at least one photoelectric effect.
6. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first assembly comprises a precipitator configured to utilize forces of an electrostatic or electromagnetic field to sample the collected bulk of condensed matter adhering to the substrate.
7. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first assembly is further configured to sample a plurality of airborne particulate matter from the air flow to thereby obtain the collected bulk of condensed matter adhering to the substrate.
8. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the handling unit configured to replace or recycle the substrate is a rotary indexing table.
9. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first assembly further comprises a first supply unit configured to disburse at least one material.
10. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-gaseous material comprises at least one biological material including a microbial compound or a portion thereof; and wherein the spectroscopic optical sensor system is configured to detect the at least one distinctive feature of the at least one biological material.
11. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first assembly and the spectroscopic optical sensor system are further configured to detect the at least one distinctive feature of the at least one non-gaseous material without adding a liquid.
12. A method for the detection of airborne contaminants, the method comprising the steps:
(a) sampling particulate matter from an air flow to thereby obtain a collected bulk of condensed matter adhering to a substrate, the sampling being performed over a first period of time to thereby define a sampling time, the steps being performed at least partially sequential, in any order, each step is performed at least one time, and without an operator interaction to thereby define a hands-off, near real-time detection cycle;
(b) detecting at least one non-gaseous material comprised in the collected bulk of condensed matter adhering to a substrate, the detecting includes sensing at least one phenomenon of physics selected from the group consisting of: an emission spectrum, and an emission anisotropy;
(c) receiving a first signal from a spectroscopic optical sensor system employed in step (b); and
(d) transforming the first signal into electronic data in a format for display or transmission by a communications interface;
(e) replacing or recycling the substrate via a handling unit configured to automate a sequential replacement or recycling of the substrate without interrupting a continuity of a plurality of the near real-time detection cycles; and
the detection cycle being performed over a second period of time to thereby define a cycle time; and
wherein step (b) utilizes an excitement process of a plasmon resonance of at least a portion of the collected bulk of condensed matter adhering to the substrate, and further utilizes a detection process of an enhanced plasmon resonance of at least a portion of the collected bulk of condensed matter adhering to the substrate; and wherein the cycle time does not exceed 1 hour.
13. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein step (a) is performed without adding a liquid for sampling; and wherein step (b) is performed without adding a liquid for detection.
14. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the handling unit is a rotary indexing table.
15. A detection system comprising:
an intake and an exhaust for an air flow;
a first assembly including an enclosure adjacent the intake and the exhaust, the first assembly further including a substrate; the first assembly operational to generate and direct the air flow adjacent the substrate;
a collected bulk of condensed matter adhering to the substrate;
a spectroscopic optical sensor system directed to the collected bulk of condensed matter adhering to the substrate, the spectroscopic optical sensor system operational to detect in near real-time at least one distinctive feature of the collected bulk of condensed matter adhering to the substrate, wherein the detecting the at least one distinctive feature utilizing a detection process of a Raman scattering or of an enhanced Raman scattering, wherein the spectroscopic optical sensor system is further configured to sense at least one phenomenon of physics selected from the group consisting of: an emission spectrum and an emission anisotropy;
an electronic converter operational to transform a first signal received from the spectroscopic optical sensor system representative of the at least one distinctive feature into electronic data in a format for display or transmission by a communications interface;
a handling unit utilizing a rotary indexing table;
a control unit operational to perform a plurality of process steps at least partially sequential, each process step is performed at least one time, in any order, and without an operator interaction to thereby define a hands-off, near real-time detection cycle; wherein the plurality of process steps comprising:
(a) obtaining the collected bulk of condensed matter adhering to the substrate,
(b) detecting the at least one distinctive feature,
(c) transforming the first signal received from the spectroscopic optical sensor system into the electronic data, and
(d) replacing or recycling the substrate via the handling unit configured to automate a sequential replacement or recycling of the substrate without interrupting a continuity of a plurality of near real-time detection cycles; and
wherein the control unit is further operational to perform each near real-time detection cycle over a period of time to thereby define an automatic cycle time.
16. The detection system of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of process steps (a) and (b) are performed without adding a liquid.
17. A detection system comprising:
an intake and an exhaust for an air flow;
a first assembly including an enclosure adjacent the intake and the exhaust, the first assembly further including a substrate; the first assembly operational to generate and direct the air flow adjacent the substrate;
a collected bulk of condensed matter adhering to the substrate;
a spectroscopic optical sensor system directed to the collected bulk of condensed matter adhering to the substrate, the spectroscopic optical sensor system operational to detect in near real-time at least one distinctive feature of the collected bulk of condensed matter adhering to the substrate, wherein the detecting the at least one distinctive feature utilizing a detection process of a Raman scattering or of an enhanced Raman scattering, wherein the spectroscopic optical sensor system is further configured to sense at least one phenomenon of physics selected from the group consisting of: an emission spectrum and an emission anisotropy;
an electronic converter operational to transform a first signal received from the spectroscopic optical sensor system representative of the at least one distinctive feature into electronic data in a format for display or transmission by a communications interface;
a handling unit;
a control unit operational to perform a plurality of process steps at least partially sequential, each process step is performed at least one time, in any order, and without an operator interaction to thereby define a hands-off, near real-time detection cycle; wherein the plurality of process steps comprising:
(a) obtaining the collected bulk of condensed matter adhering to the substrate,
(b) detecting the at least one distinctive feature,
(c) transforming the first signal received from the spectroscopic optical sensor system into the electronic data, and
(d) replacing the substrate via the handling unit configured to automate a sequential replacement of the substrate without interrupting a continuity of a plurality of near real-time detection cycles; and
wherein the control unit is further operational to perform each near real-time detection cycle over a period of time to thereby define an automatic cycle time.
18. The detection system of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of process steps (a) and (b) are performed without adding a liquid.