Miniature Environmental Air Sampler for Biological Materials Into Fluid

Airborne biological materials are potential problems outdoors (e.g., biological warfare agents or human, animal, and plant pathogens from natural sources and argicultural activities) and indoors (e.g., in food and drug processing facilities and operating rooms). People increasingly recognize bioaerosols as a cause of preventable airborne infections and hypersensitivity diseases, as well as related absences and low productivity in "sick buildings". In the biological defense field, early warning and evidence of a possible attack enables defensive measures to be taken. Therefore, effective and efficient collection and detection of biological materials is desirable. The specific aim of the proposed project is to develop micro-orifice impingers which can introduce airborne biological materials into a liquid phase for a miniature detection system. Using the micro-orifice technique will enable the miniature impingers to sample small volumes of air into liquids in short time periods. Micro-orifice impingers that operate under low pressure drop and low jet velocity will consume the lowest possible power and prevent or minimize the damage of biological agents during sampling.