Optimal Bioaerosol Sampler

The threat of biological attack can be mitigated by deployment of acost-effective bioaerosol sensor network. For U.S. forces inparticular, the high false alarm rate of the Biological AerosolWarning System is very costly. This project will demonstrate thefeasibility of a novel bioaerosol sampling system to enhance opticaltriggering. The sensitivity and selectivity of FT-IR instruments canprovide rapid detection and quantification, but the aerosol backgroundis a daunting problem. Efficiently concentrating the aerosol fraction,separating by size and presenting the aerosol for spectroscopicinterrogation is a significant breakthrough that will dramaticallyimprove background rejection. Acoustic field flow fractionation is aneconomical and powerful method for sorting small particles. Aninternal archiving system will store the material for subsequentlaboratory analysis and database generation, which will provideenhanced statistical discrimination. The tape cartridge and filterwheel will be replaced monthly. Digital signal processing will providepower efficient and rapid data processing at small incremental cost.To prove feasibility in Phase I, a prototype sensor will bemathematically modeled, constructed and tested. Comparison of test andmodel results will verify optimum performance. Many Homeland Securityand commercial opportunities will accrue from development of thistechnology. The military application for this technology is personnel protection.This effort will dramatically improve the cost/performance ratio ofbioaerosol sampling systems, as well as providing a database thatwill enable statistical analysis of data from a worldwide networkof these sensors. The largest market is the government sector,because the terrorist threat is particularly directed a governmentand military personnel. This technology also has commercialapplications, for monitoring and verification of air quality.Conservative estimates indicate a $100 million dollar per yearmarket for this technology. Cost-effectiveness insures captureof a significant market share.