Apparatus for capturing bioaerosols

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11833527-B2
Application number	US-202117186260-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2021
Priority date	Nov 26, 2020
Publication date	Dec 5, 2023
Grant date	Dec 5, 2023

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus for capturing bioaerosols. More particularly, the apparatus for capturing bioaerosols includes a sprayer configured to spray a buffer solution for protecting aerosol particles in a form of droplets; and a capturer into which air including the droplets and the aerosol particles is introduced and in a capture solution in which the aerosol particles are captured, wherein discharge members provided with a plurality of nanostructures are provided on a surface of the capturer to charge the aerosol particles. Due to such a configuration, high discharge efficiency can be anticipated even at a low voltage without damage to aerosol particles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for capturing bioaerosols, comprising:
a sprayer configured to spray a buffer solution for protecting aerosol particles in a form of droplets; and
a capturer into which air comprising the aerosol particles and the droplets are introduced, wherein the aerosol particles are captured into a capture solution,
wherein discharge members provided with a plurality of nanostructures are provided on a surface of the capturer to charge the aerosol particles,
wherein the capturer comprises:
a capture tube where the air and the droplets are introduced and discharged, wherein the discharge members are configured to apply discharge electrodes toward an inside of the capture tube so that the aerosol particles are charged and thus captured in the capture solution; and
a concentration member configured to concentrate the aerosol particles captured in the capture solution, wherein the nanostructures are provided on a surface of each of the discharge members,
wherein each of the discharge members comprises at least one of a tip with discharge pins facing an inside of the capture tube and a discharge wire having a wire shape,
wherein the capture tube extends in a longitudinal direction and is provided with an inlet and an outlet facing each other, the air and the droplets being introduced into the inlet and discharged from the outlet,
wherein the capture tube is further provided with an inlet passage and an outlet passage formed between the inlet and the outlet such that the capture solution is introduced into the inlet passage and discharged from the outlet passage, and the outlet passage is provided with the concentration member, and
wherein the concentration member includes a magnet detachably installed on an outer surface of the outlet passage,
wherein the outlet passage has a funnel shape,
wherein bead particles introduced into the outlet passage interfere with a magnetic force of the magnet and are coated on an inner surface of the outlet passage by the interference with the magnetic force of the magnet, and
wherein the aerosol particles introduced into the outlet passage are bonded to the bead articles in the outlet passage.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sprayer comprises:
a nozzle configured to charge the buffer solution with a negative voltage so that the charged buffer solution is discharged; and
a Taylor cone provided at an outlet of the nozzle to spray charged liquid in the form of the droplets by repulsive force,
wherein a plurality of nano-members to which a negative electrode is applied are provided on an inner surface of the nozzle.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the discharge members serve to charge the aerosol particles introduced into the capture tube by electrospraying.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the nanostructures comprise a plurality of nanopins formed by at least one of a carbon nanotube (CNT) growth method and an etching method of etching a metal containing carbon or tungsten.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the nanostructures have an aspect ratio exceeding 1.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge members are provided in a direction crossing or facing a flow direction of the air introduced into the capturer.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge members are formed of an electrode material comprising a bundle of conductive microfibers.

8. An apparatus for capturing bioaerosols, comprising:
a capture tube where air comprising aerosol particles is introduced and discharged and in which a capture solution circulates; and
discharge members configured to apply discharge electrodes toward an inside of the capture tube to charge the aerosol particles and thus allow the charged aerosol particles to be captured in the capture solution,
wherein a plurality of nanopins are provided to protrude from a surface of the discharge members to charge the aerosol particles,
wherein the capture tube extends in a longitudinal direction and is provided with an inlet and an outlet facing each other, the air and droplets being introduced into the inlet and discharged from the outlet, and
wherein the capture tube is further provided with an inlet passage and an outlet passage formed between the inlet and the outlet such that the capture solution is introduced into the inlet passage and discharged from the outlet passage,
wherein the outlet passage is provided with a concentration member for concentrating the aerosol particles captured in the capture solution,
wherein the concentration member includes a magnet detachably installed on an outer surface of the outlet passage,
wherein each of the discharge members comprises at least one of a tip with discharge pins facing an inside of the capture tube and a discharge wire having a wire shape,
wherein the outlet passage has a funnel shape,
wherein bead particles introduced into the outlet passage interfere with a magnetic force of the magnet and are coated on an inner surface of the outlet passage by the interference with the magnetic force of the magnet, and
wherein the aerosol particles introduced into the outlet passage are bonded to the bead particles in the outlet passage.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the inlet of the capture tube is connected to a sprayer that charges a buffer solution for protecting the aerosol particles with a negative voltage and sprays the charged buffer solution in a form of droplets.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the sprayer comprises:
a nozzle configured to charge the buffer solution with a negative voltage so that the charged buffer solution is discharged; and
a Taylor cone provided at an outlet of the nozzle to spray charged liquid in the form of the droplets by repulsive force,
wherein a plurality of nano-members to which a negative electrode is applied are provided on an inner surface of the nozzle.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the discharge members serve to charge the aerosol particles introduced into the capture tube by electrospraying.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the nanopins comprise a plurality of nanopins formed by at least one of a carbon nanotube (CNT) growth method and an etching method of etching a metal containing carbon or tungsten.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the nanopins have an aspect ratio exceeding 1.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the discharge members apply discharge electrodes in a direction crossing or facing a flow direction of the air introduced into the capture tube.

15. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the discharge members are formed of an electrode material comprising a bundle of conductive microfibers.

Assignees

• Univ Yeungnam Res Cooperation Foundation
• Univ Yonsei Iacf

Inventors

• Byeon Jeong Hoon
• Hwang Jung Ho
• Kim Hyeong Rae
• An Sang Gwon

Classifications

• B03C3/013 Primary

  Conditioning by chemical additives, e.g. with SO3 · CPC title

• B01D47/027

  by directing the gas to be cleaned essentially tangential to the liquid surface · CPC title

• B03C3/16

  wet type · CPC title

• B03C3/38

  Particle charging or ionising stations, e.g. using electric discharge, radioactive radiation or flames · CPC title

• B03C3/53

  Liquid, or liquid-film, electrodes · CPC title