Compact intelligent aerosol and fluid manifold

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12422341-B2
Application number	US-202217839897-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2022
Priority date	Jun 15, 2021
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

A manifold system and methods of collecting samples, where the manifold system comprises multiple input sample ports and a preferably rotatable flow focusing element. The manifold system is able to sample aerosols and gases from multiple sample points, such as from cleanrooms and manufacturing environments, for collection and analysis. The flow focusing element reduces cross talk and cross contamination of particles, including nanoparticles, between different samples.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sampling manifold comprising:
a) two or more input sampling ports;
b) a sealed bulk flow section connected to the two or more input sampling ports, wherein gas flowing through the two or more input sampling ports enters the sealed bulk flow section;
c) a flow focusing element inside the sealed bulk flow section, the flow focusing element comprising a plurality of flow ports, wherein the flow ports are in fluid communication with the input sampling ports;
d) a sample line in fluid communication with a flow port selected from the plurality of flow ports, and one or more exit outlets in fluid communication with one or more flow ports other than the selected flow port,
wherein the flow focusing element comprises a sample flow path between a selected input sampling port, which is in fluid communication with the selected flow port, and the sample line, and comprises one or more bulk flow paths between input sampling ports other than the selected input sampling port and the one or more exit outlets;
the flow focusing element being configured to direct gas flowing through the selected input sampling port to flow into the selected flow port and into the sample line, and to direct gas flowing through the input sampling ports other than the selected input sampling port to flow into the one or more flow ports other than the selected flow port and into the one or more exit outlets.

2. The sampling manifold of claim 1 , wherein the flow focusing element comprises a plurality of channels forming the sample flow path and one or more bulk flow paths, wherein the plurality of channels are configured to direct gas from non-sampled ports away from the sample flow path.

3. The sampling manifold of claim 1 , comprising 6 or more input sampling ports, and the flow focusing element comprises a sample outlet port and 5 or more bulk flow distribution ports.

4. The sampling manifold of claim 1 , wherein the sampling manifold is able to intake gas through each of the input sampling ports simultaneously.

5. The sampling manifold of claim 1 further comprising a particle counter, condensation particle counter, gas analyzer, particle analyzer, molecular sampler, microorganism collection plate, environmental or gas sensor, or combinations thereof, in fluid communication with the sampling line.

6. The sampling manifold of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of selectable ports comprise a sample outlet port and one or more bulk flow distribution ports, where the sample outlet port is the selected flow port, and the flow focusing element is able to be rotated within the sealed bulk flow section so the sample outlet port is aligned with an input sampling port selected from the two or more input sampling ports, and
wherein the sample flow path is between the selected input sampling port, the sample outlet port and the sample line, and the one or more bulk flow paths are between input sampling ports other than the selected input sampling port and the one or more bulk flow distribution ports.

7. The sampling manifold of claim 1 , wherein the flow focusing element is able to controllably rotate to align the sample outlet port with a new selected input sampling port.

8. The sampling manifold of claim 1 further comprising one or more electrical or optical indicators, said electrical or optical indicators able to display position of the sample line relative to the plurality of flow ports, or positions of the sample outlet port relative to one or more of the input sampling ports.

9. The sampling manifold of claim 1 further comprising:
a) a controller operationally connected to the flow focusing element and able to rotate the flow focusing element to align the sample outlet port with one or more selected input sampling ports according to an operator input or predetermined sequence, or
b) a controller operationally connected to an actuator and able to align the sample line with one or more selected flow ports according to an operator input or predetermined sequence.

10. The sampling manifold of claim 1 wherein the transport of gas through the one or more bulk flow paths gas, sample flow path, or combinations thereof, comprises laminar flow.

11. The sampling manifold of claim 1 further comprising a removable docking station, said docking station comprising connections able to operate the sampling manifold, wherein the connections comprise one or more of a vacuum connection, a power connection, a data connection, an analog input/output connection, a digital input/output connection, an ethernet switch connection, wireless communication connection, or any combination thereof.

12. The sampling manifold of claim 9 , wherein the sample outlet port is able to be aligned with each of the input sampling ports through continuous rotation of the flow focusing element, or the sample line aligned with each of the plurality of flow ports through continuous operation of the actuator.

13. The sampling manifold of claim 9 , wherein the controller is able to rotate the flow focusing element and align the sample outlet port with each of the input sampling ports for a predetermined time period, frequency, or combinations thereof, or the controller is able to control the actuator to align the sample line with each of the plurality of flow ports for a predetermined time period, frequency, or combinations thereof.

14. The sampling manifold of claim 9 , wherein the controller is able to rotate the flow focusing element and align the sample outlet port with each of the input sampling ports, wherein the sample outlet port is aligned with one or more of the input sampling ports with greater frequency or for greater periods of time than other input sampling ports, or the controller is able to control the actuator to align the sample line each of the plurality of flow ports, wherein the sample line is aligned with one or more of the flow ports with greater frequency greater periods of time than other flow ports.

15. The sampling manifold of claim 14 , wherein the controller is able to rotate the flow focusing element and align the sample outlet port with the input sampling ports according to a predetermined scanning pattern, or the controller is able to control the actuator to align the sample line with the flow ports according to a predetermined scanning pattern.

16. The sampling manifold of claim 15 , wherein the controller is able to receive an event signal from an external source and alter the rotation of the flow focusing element to so as to align the sample outlet port with the input sampling ports according to a new scanning pattern, or alter movement of the sample line so as to align the sample line with the flow ports according to a new scanning pattern.

17. The sampling manifold of claim 15 , wherein the controller is able to receive an event signal from a particle counter and rotate the flow focusing element, or move the sample line, according to a new predetermined event pattern upon receiving the event signal.

18. A method for sampling gas comprising the steps of:
a) intaking a gas into a manifold, wherein the manifold comprises two or more input sampling ports, a flow focusing element, and either:
i) a sample outlet port located on the flow focusing element and connected to a sample line, or
ii) a plurality of flow ports located on the flow focusing element and a sample line able to be aligned with each of the plurality of flow ports;

b) rotating the flow focusing element to align the sample outlet port with a selected input sampling port, or controllably moving the sample line to align

Assignees

• Particle Measuring Syst

Inventors

• Yates Edward
• Hertert Cary
• Knollenberg Brian A
• Skuba Jonathan

Classifications

• G01N2015/0046

  in gas, e.g. smoke · CPC title

• G01N2015/0038

  Investigating nanoparticles · CPC title

• G01N2001/2285

  Details of probe structures · CPC title

• G01N15/065

  using condensation nuclei counters · CPC title

• G01N2001/2223

  aerosol sampling devices · CPC title