Air sample tracking system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10627324-B2
Application number	US-201916373163-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2019
Priority date	Oct 27, 2011
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

A system for tracking one or more subjects for collecting airborne contaminants. The system includes one or more subjects configured to collect air contaminants. Each of the one or more subjects includes an identification tag encoded with identification information identifying the each subject. The system further includes an identification reader configured to decode the identification information encoded within the identification tag of a scanned one of the one or more identification tags. A computer receives and stores the decoded identification information in a record in a database. The computer may also receive and stored an identification code for a user who scanned the scanned identification tag in the record in the database. Additional records in the database are created each time the identification tag of one of the one or more subjects is scanned. The one or more subjects are thereby tracked as they collect airborne contaminants and are incubated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for racking one or more subjects, the system comprising:
one or more subjects configured to collect air contaminants when disposed in an air sampling device, each of the one or more subjects comprising an identification tag encoded with identification information identifying the each subject;
an identification reader configured to decode the identification information encoded within the identification tag of a scanned one of the one or more identification tags;
one or more air flow switches configured to measure a rate of air flow through the one of more air sampling devices; and
a computer configured to receive and store the decoded identification information from the identification reader and the rate of air flow through the one of more air sampling devices.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the identification tag of each of the one or more subject comprises an identification code uniquely identifying the each subject,
the identification reader is further configured to decode the identification code encoded within the scanned identification tag, and
the computer is further configured to receive and store the decoded identification code from the identification reader.

3. The system of claim 1 ; wherein:
the one or more subjects are respectively disposed in one or more locations, each location comprising an identification tag encoded with location information,
the identification reader is further configured to decode the location information encoded within the identification tag of a scanned one of the one or more location tags; and
the computer is further configured to receive and store the decoded location information from the identification reader.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the computer is further configured to:
compare the received decoded location information to the received decoded identification information to determine whether the subject corresponding to the scanned identification tag is properly located according to the decoded location information; and
transmit an indication of a result of the whether the subject corresponding to the scanned identification tag is properly located according to the decoded location information.

5. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a database for storing scanned information received from the identification reader, wherein the computer is further configured store the received identification information and the location information in a record in the database.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the computer stores a time stamp in the record in the database.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an inline flow control module; and
a controller connected to the inline flow control module via a vacuum line to provide vacuum pressure to the inline flow control module and via an electrical connect,
wherein one of the one or more air flow switches is located in the inline flow control module.

8. A system for sampling air in a controlled environment, the system comprising:
one or more air sampling devices disposed in a controlled environment;
a vacuum source;
a controller connected to the vacuum source configured to be in separate air flow communication with the one or more air sampling devices via one or more respective vacuum air tubes, the controller comprising a manifold configured to separately control an actual rate of air flow from the one or more air sampling devices to the vacuum source via each of the one or more respective vacuum air tubes to selectively direct air flow from each of the one or more respective vacuum air tubes to the vacuum source;
one or more subjects configured to collect air contaminants in the controlled environment, each of the one or more subjects comprising an identification tag encoded with identification information identifying the each subject;
a mobile identification reader configured to decode the identification information encoded within the identification tag of a scanned one of the one or more identification tags;
one or more air flow switches each disposed between the vacuum source and one of the one or more air sampling devices, each of the one or more air flow switches configured to measure the rate of air flow through one of the respective vacuum air tubes; and
a computer configured to:
receive and store the decoded identification information from the identification reader; and
receive and store the rate of air flow through the respective vacuum air tubes.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein:
the identification tag of each of the one or more subject comprises an identification code uniquely identifying the each subject,
the identification reader is further configured to decode the identification code encoded within the scanned identification tag, and
the computer is further configured to receive and store the decoded identification code from the identification reader.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
the one or more subjects are respectively disposed in one or more locations, each location comprising an identification tag encoded with location information,
the identification reader is further configured to decode the location information encoded within the identification tag of a scanned one of the one or more location tags; and
the computer is further configured to receive and store the decoded location information from the identification reader.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the computer is further configured to:
compare the received decoded location information to the received decoded identification information to determine whether the subject corresponding to the scanned identification tag is properly located according to the decoded location information; and
transmit an indication of a result of the whether the subject corresponding to the scanned identification tag is properly located according to the decoded location information.

12. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a database for storing scanned information received from the identification reader, wherein the computer is further configured store the received identification information and the location information in a record in the database.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the computer stores a time stamp in the record in the database.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein one or more air sampling devices are configured to sample air surrounding any of the one or more subjects, decode the identification information encoded within the identification tag of a scanned one of the one or more identification tags, and transmits the decoded identification information and information regarding the air sampling to the computer.

15. The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more air flow switches are located in the controller.

16. The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more air flow switches are each located in a respective inline flow control module along a respective vacuum air line.

Assignees

• Veltek Ass Inc

Inventors

• Calio Rosario S
• Phillips Mark A
• Joyce John

Classifications

• G01N1/2208 Primary

  with impactors · CPC title

• G01N1/2273 Primary

  Atmospheric sampling · CPC title

• G01N2035/00831

  identification of the sample, e.g. patient identity, place of sampling · CPC title

• G01N1/26

  with provision for intake from several spaces · CPC title

• G06F16/2322

  using timestamps · CPC title