Method and Apparatus for Detection of Bioaerosols

Abstract

A method and apparatus for evaluating a bioaerosol sample is provided which includes detecting frequency and/or time resolution factors that allow discriminate between a plurality of signals emitted by the bioaerosol to selectively detect biological materials contained in the bioaerosol sample from materials of non-biological origin and potentially associated with a pathogenic bioaerosol.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for detecting bio-materials contained in a bioaerosol sample comprising exciting the bioaerosol sample emitting at least one initial emission signal and a subsequent time-delayed emission signal that allows for time resolution to be used as a discriminator between the at least one and subsequent emission signals to selectively detect the bio-materials from materials of non-biological origin. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol sample emits an additional emission signal simultaneously with emitting the at least one initial emission signal, the at least one initial signal having a wavelength differing from wavelengths of the additional and time-delayed emission signal. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one initial and additional emission signals are fluorescent, whereas the subsequent time-delayed signal is a phosphorescent signal. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising comparing the at least one initial and the subsequent time-delayed signals with respective threshold values to maximize sensitivity of the detection of the biomaterials of interest. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising collecting the bioaerosol sample on a liquid surface or on a solid surface. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising adding a heavy atom perturber and an oxygen scavenger to the collected bioaerosol sample to emit the subsequent time delayed emission signal at room temperatures. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one initial and time-delayed emission signals each are detected by first and second optical channels controllably operative to detect intensities of each of the detected emission signals. 
     
     
         8 . A system for alerting building occupants of the presence of a potentially pathogenic bioaerosol comprising a plurality of sensors each located in a strategically selected place and operating in:
 a fluorescence detection based mode, wherein at least two fluorescent signals having different wavelengths associated with biomaterials of interest are detected; and   a phosphorescence detection based mode, wherein a fluorescent signal and a time-delayed phosphorescent signals are detected, the phosphorescent signal allowing for time resolution to be used as a discriminator between the at least one and the time-delayed signal to selectively detect biomaterials of interest from materials of non-biological origin; and a central processing unit operative to identify a respective sensor sensing the pathogenic aerosol.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the central processing unit is operative to trigger an auxiliary detection system operative to confirm and identify the biomaterials of interest in response to a signal generated by the respective sensor and indicating the presence of the pathogenic aerosol.