Claims
- 1. A biological agent detection system, comprising:
collection and concentrator apparatus for collecting an aerosol sample of particles of an aerosolized biological agent at a monitored location and for producing a liquid sample of the aerosol sample, the collection apparatus including a collection device configured for placement at a pinch point location or at a location that causes particle expulsions on mail sorting equipment; fluidics apparatus for delivering a portion of the liquid sample to a receptacle; biological agent identifier apparatus adapted to receive the receptacle, when transported thereto, and analyze the liquid sample in the receptacle for a biological agent; control apparatus for providing control of the system, and for reporting the test results provided by the biological agent identifier apparatus.
- 2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said control apparatus provides semi-automated control of the collector and biological identifier apparatus and the receptacle is manually transported from the collector apparatus to the biological agent identifier apparatus.
- 3. The system according to claim 2 wherein the biological agent identifier apparatus comprises a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) bio-agent identifier.
- 4. The system according to claim 3 wherein the receptacle comprises a cartridge type receptacle.
- 5. The system according to claim 4 wherein the cartridge type receptacle comprises a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) cartridge.
- 6. The system according to claim 1 wherein the collection and concentrator apparatus operates continuously to collect samples of particles.
- 7. The system according to claim 6 wherein the fluidics apparatus periodically delivers a portion of the liquid sample to said receptacle prior to the receptacle being transported to the biological agent identifier apparatus.
- 8. The system according to claim 7 wherein the biological agent identifier apparatus comprises a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) bio-agent identifier.
- 9. The system according to claim 3 wherein the collection device comprises a hood, shroud, or other collection device positioned at a collection point of the monitored location.
- 10. The system according to claim 9 wherein the hood, shroud, or other collection device is located along a mail transport path of mail processing equipment.
- 11. The system according to claim 10 wherein the hood comprises an assembly including an elongated sampling structure, adapted to capture particles in the immediate vicinity, and overlaying a dual belt mail transport assembly.
- 12. The system according to claim 11 wherein the assembly of the hood includes a pair of side channels on either side of the mail transport path and having cut-outs therein for the passage of the belts of the mail transport assembly.
- 13. The system according to claim 11 and additionally including mail pinching apparatus under the sampling structure of the hood.
- 14. The system according to claim 10 and additionally including mail pinching apparatus located adjacent the shroud/hood at a mail pinch point along the mail transport path.
- 15. The system according to claim 14 wherein the pinching apparatus includes a singulator.
- 16. The system according to claim 1 wherein the collection and concentrator apparatus includes a dry cyclone pre-separator and a wet-cyclone aerosol concentrator assembly.
- 17. The system according to claim 1 wherein the fluidics apparatus is capable of temporarily holding a sample in a reservoir where it can be accessed for one or more analyses, while the aerosol concentrator apparatus is collecting a next sample.
- 18. The system according to claim 1 wherein the fluidics apparatus additionally archives a remaining portion of the liquid sample.
- 19. The system according to claim, 1 wherein the receptacle contains an assay for a single gene sequence of a target biological agent and an internal control.
- 20. The system according to claim 1 wherein the biological agent identifier apparatus comprises a single bay unit including automatic cartridge exchange.
- 21. The system according to claim 1 wherein the control apparatus includes a local machine control computer connected to and controlling the operation of the biological agent identifier apparatus, the aerosol concentrator apparatus, and the fluidics apparatus.
- 22. The system according to claim 21 wherein the control apparatus additionally includes a site command and control computer connected to and controlling the machine control computer as well as communicating the results of the analyses to said predetermined location.
- 23. The system according to claim 1 and additionally including a cabinet for housing the concentrator apparatus, the fluidics apparatus, and the biological agent identifier apparatus.
- 24. A method of detecting a biological agent in items to be delivered and being transported along a transport path, comprising the steps of:
collecting an aerosol sample from said items at a predetermined location of the transport path, the location corresponding to a pinch point where said items are singulated, or at a location where said items are agitated in a manner as to expunge particulates from them; producing a liquid sample of the aerosol sample; delivering a portion of the liquid sample to a cartridge type receptacle; transporting the receptacle to biological agent identifier apparatus wherein said identifier apparatus analyses the liquid sample for particles of a predetermined biological agent; and reporting the results of the analyses provided by the identifier apparatus to a predetermined location.
- 25. The method according to claim 24 and additionally including the step of providing semi-automated control of the method.
- 26. The method according to claim 24 wherein said items comprise mail items.
- 27. The method according to claim 24 wherein the step of transporting comprises manually transporting a receptacle containing the liquid sample to the biological agent identifier apparatus.
- 28. The method according to claim 27 wherein the biological agent identifier apparatus comprises a polymerase chain reactor (PCT) bio-agent identifier.
- 29. The method according to claim 24 wherein the step of collecting an aerosol sample includes the step of pinching said items at a pinch point along the transport path, or agitating said items in a manner as to facilitate the release of contained particulates.
- 30. The method according to claim 29 wherein the step of collecting an aerosol sample includes locating an apparatus for pinching said items and a shroud, hood, or other collection device for collecting aerosol samples pinched and/or expunged from said items.
- 31. The method according to claim 30 wherein the step of delivering a portion of the liquid sample includes the step of temporarily storing the sample in a reservoir where it can be accessed for one or more analyses.
- 32. The method according to claim 31 wherein the step of delivering includes archiving a remaining portion of the liquid sample.
- 33. The method according to claim 24 wherein the step of producing a liquid sample includes using a dry cyclone pre-separator and a web cyclone aerosol concentrator assembly.
- 34. The method of claim 24 wherein said step of providing control of the method includes using machine control computer apparatus.
- 35. The method of claim 34 wherein said step of providing control of the method also includes using a site control computer apparatus for controlling the machine control computer apparatus and for communicating the results of the analyses to said predetermined location.
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] This is a Non-Provisional application which claims priority of the filing date of related Provisional Application Serial No. 60/381,351, filed on May 20, 2002, and which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference for any and all purposes.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60381351 |
May 2002 |
US |