High Output of Near-Monodisperse Bioaerosols with an Ink Jet Aerosol Generator

Existing aerosol generators cannot meet the Army's need for sufficiently high output, monodisperse aerosols for use in room-size test chambers. MesoSystems Technology, Inc. (MesoSystems) will utilize the design principles produced from a smaller ink jetaerosol generator (IJAG) recently patented by DoD. (MesoSystems is negotiating for a license for this technology that produces a low particulate output). MesoSystems proposes to scale-up this invention to produce an IJAG design capable of being used forchamber tests. Viability of vegetative cells such as Erwinia herbicola (Eh) has been demonstrated with the small IJAG unit. The proposed high output design uses recently produced ink jet nozzle assemblies composed of greater than 150 nozzles that couldproduce in excess of 1.5 million particles per minute. In Phase I, we will assemble and test a proof-of-principle aerosol generator to demonstrate the feasibility of our approach. This full-scale prototype will be commercialized in Phase II by packagingIJAG units with our micromachined aerosol collector sales. The resulting high output IJAG will be simple to operate, compact, and provide highly monodisperse aerosols at very high concentrations.The proposed aerosol generator will meet or exceed the Army'srequirements. The design is scalable and could be used in a variety of applications, including testing of ventilation systems, dispersion of agents for agriculture, materials processing, and biomedical research.