Claims
- 1. A portable device for collecting a substance at a location of interest, comprising:
a rigid body forming a conduit for receiving or flow of gas in which the substance is entrainable through a length of the portable collection device; and a gas flow regulator for selectively blocking the flow of the gas through the conduit of the portable collection device thereby selectively preventing sampling of the gas for presence of the substance at locations other than the location of interest.
- 2. A device for collecting a substance, comprising:
a first gas flow regulator and a second gas flow regulator generally aligned along a flow path of gas entraining the substance and passing through the collection device, the first gas flow regulator selectively blocking the flow path and the second regulator generating flow through the collection device.
- 3. A portable collection device according to claim 1, wherein the substance is a pathogen.
- 4. A portable collection device according to claim 1, wherein the body further comprises a cartridge further comprising a collection material.
- 5. A portable collection device according to claim 4, wherein the cartridge forms a cavity for receiving the collection material comprising at least one glygel coated bead, and comprises a first and second screen coupled at respective ends to enclose the cavity.
- 6. A portable collection device according to claim 5, wherein the cartridge comprises a side forming an aperture and a plug adapted to fill the aperture in a releasable fashion.
- 7. A portable collection device according to claim 1, wherein the gas flow regulator is a valve or damper.
- 8. A portable collection device according to claim 7, further comprising at least one instrument.
- 9. A portable collection device according to claim 8, further comprising a microprocessor for recording a mass gas flow rate.
- 10. A portable collection device according to claim 1, further comprising a mechanical fastener for coupling the device to an aircraft.
- 11. An aircraft comprising a portable collection device according to claim 1.
- 12. An aircraft comprising a body and a hollow nose cone wherein the hollow nose cone is attached to the body in a releasable fashion for receiving the portable collection device according to claim 1.
- 13. A method for retrieving a sample of a substance and minimizing exposure to the substance, comprising:
removing a cartridge adapted to be removed in a releasable fashion from a collection device, and optionally reattachable, wherein the cartridge comprises a collection material; and attaching at least one adapter to the cartridge that is releasable from the cartridge to permit washing the collection material.
- 14. The system according to claim 13, further comprising:
attaching adapters to opposing ends of the cartridge wherein each adapter is releasable from the cartridge; washing the cartridge to release the substance to a filter assembly; and washing the filter assembly for capturing the substance for analysis.
- 15. A method of calculating a mass gas flow rate through a collection device, comprising calculating a heat transfer coefficient from at least one measured parameter and correlating the calculated heat transfer coefficient to a mass gas flow rate value, wherein the calculated mass gas flow rate values are stored in a microprocessor in the collection device.
- 16. A method according to claim 15, wherein a first measured parameter is an ambient temperature measurement and a second measured parameter is energy consumed to maintain a first instrument at a constant temperature.
- 17. A method according to claim 15, wherein a mass gas flow rate value is retrieved from a ROM look-up table.
- 18. A collection device for a substance entrained in a gas, comprising:
a first cartridge comprising a collection material and a gas flow regulator wherein a gas entering the collection material is generally aligned with and in the same general gas flow path as a gas exiting the gas flow regulator.
- 19. A collection device according to claim 18, further comprising a nozzle and an exhaust duct, wherein the nozzle and exhaust duct are generally aligned along the gas flow path of the collection device.
- 20. A collection device comprising a nozzle, a first gas flow regulator, a second gas flow regulator, at least one instrument, a microprocessor, and an exhaust duct; wherein the first gas flow regulator is a valve, a gas flow path through the collection device is generally linear after entering the nozzle and before exiting the exhaust duct, and the at least one instrument provides at least one parameter for calculating the mass gas flow rate wherein a plurality of varying mass gas flow rates are stored in the microprocessor.
- 21. A collection device according to claim 5, comprising a plurality of glygel coated beads formed into a bed having a thickness of about 0.5-6 cm.
- 22. A device for sampling air at a selected location for particulates suspended in the air comprising:
a tube having an inlet and an outlet; a collection bed in the tube downstream of the inlet; an exhaust fan in the tube downstream of the collection bed for drawing a stream of air through the collection bed causing particles entrained in the stream to deposit in the collection bed, and a flow regulator in the tube adjacent to the outlet for opening the outlet to allow the stream of air to develop in the tube at the selected location.
- 23. The device of claim 22 wherein a controller is provided to remotely open and close the flow regulator and to control the speed of the exhaust fan.
- 24. The device of claim 22 wherein the inlet comprises a nozzle having a diverging portion adjacent to the collection bed.
- 25. The device of claim 24 wherein the diverging portion has an inlet end configured as a cylindrical tube of a diameter less than an end of the nozzle.
- 26. The device of claim 25 wherein a controller is provided to remotely open and close the flow regulator and to control the speed of the exhaust fan.
- 27. The device of claim 26 further including a sensing arrangement for measuring parameters indicative of the flow rate of the air stream downstream of the exhaust fan.
- 28. The device of claim 27 wherein the sensor arrangement comprises thermistors which are connected to a microprocessor to determine temperature deviations from a selected level in order to control the speed of the exhaust fan.
- 29. The device of claim 28 further including a coupler for attaching the device to an aircraft.
GOVERNMENT LICENSE RIGHTS
[0001] The invention was made with government support under contract numbers N00173-02-P-0314, dated Jan. 25-Apr. 30, 2002; N00173-02-P-0513, dated Mar. 19-Apr. 30, 2002, N00173-02-P-0885, May 31-Aug. 31, 2002; N00173-02-F-1025 Sep. 13-Dec. 31, 2002, and N00173-99-C-2036. The government has certain rights in this invention.