Apparatus for in real time detecting biological particle and non-biological particle in the atmosphere and method for detecting biological particle and non-biological particle using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9726638-B2
Application number	US-201514714453-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2015
Priority date	May 16, 2014
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

The present invention relates to apparatus for in real time detecting biological particles and non-biological particles in the atmosphere, the apparatus comprising: an impactor adapted to sort the biological particles and non-biological particles absorbed from the outside by size; a charger adapted to charge the biological particles and non-biological particles sorted by means of the impactor to specific charge (positive or negative charge); a separator adapted to introduce the biological particles and non-biological particles charged by the charger thereinto and to sort the biological particles and non-biological particles charged to different charge quantities from each other; and a particle measurement sensor adapted to measure the concentrations of the particles discharged from an outlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus ( 600 ) for in real time detecting biological particles and non-biological particles in the atmosphere, the apparatus comprising:
an impactor ( 200 ) adapted to sort the biological particles and non-biological particles absorbed from the outside by size;
a charger ( 300 ) adapted to charge the biological particles and non-biological particles sorted by means of the impactor ( 200 ) to specific charge (positive or negative charge);
a separator ( 400 ) adapted to introduce the biological particles and non-biological particles charged by the charger ( 300 ) thereinto and to sort the biological particles and non-biological particles charged to different charge quantities from each other by using predetermined air flow and electric force; and
a particle measurement sensor ( 500 ) mounted on an outlet discharging the biological particles and non-biological particles sorted through the separator ( 400 ) therefrom so as to measure the concentrations of the particles discharged from the outlet,
wherein the separator ( 400 ) comprises:
a compressed air inlet ( 410 ) formed on one end of a flow pipe ( 440 ) to introduce the compressed air supplied from the compressed air supplier 110 ) thereinto;
a particle inlet ( 420 ) formed on one end of the flow pipe ( 440 ) to introduce the charged biological particles and non-biological particles thereinto;
a first outlet ( 431 ) and the second outlet ( 432 ) formed on the other end of the flow pipe ( 440 ) in such a manner as to be opposed to each other in a perpendicular direction with respect to the longitudinal direction of the flow pipe ( 440 ), and formed so that the charged biological particles and the charged non-biological particles can be separately discharged;
the flow pipe ( 440 ) having one end on which the compressed air inlet ( 410 ) and the particle inlet ( 420 ) are formed and the other end on which the first outlet ( 431 ) and the second outlet ( 432 ) are formed and a flow path ( 441 ) formed therein to allow the biological particles and the non-biological particles to flow therealong; and
a first charged electrode plate ( 451 ) and a second charged electrode plate ( 452 ) disposed on the side periphery of the flow pipe ( 440 ) in such a manner as to be opposed to each other and charged to different polarities from each other.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the impactor ( 200 ) comprises:
an introduction channel ( 210 ) adapted to receive the biological particles and non-biological particles from the outside;
an auxiliary flow channel ( 230 ) disposed in the same direction as the flow direction of the particles introduced into the introduction channel ( 210 ); and
one or more main flow channels ( 220 ) disposed in a vertical direction with respect to the flow direction of the particles introduced into the introduction channel ( 210 ).

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the charger ( 300 ) is formed of a charger using corona discharge.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the charger ( 300 ) comprises:
a housing ( 310 ) having an introduction portion ( 311 ) adapted to introduce the biological particles and non-biological particles supplied from the impactor ( 200 ) thereinto and a discharge portion ( 312 ) adapted to discharge the charged biological particles and non-biological particles therefrom;
a charge electrode ( 320 ) disposed inside the housing ( 310 ) in such a manner as to allow the biological particles and non-biological particles flowing along the interior of the housing ( 310 ) to be charged by means of a predetermined voltage ( 340 ) applied thereto; and
a ground electrode ( 330 ) disposed on the inner periphery of the housing ( 310 ) in such a manner as to be spaced apart from the charge electrode ( 320 ) by a predetermined distance, while having a grounded structure.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the separator ( 400 ) further comprises a protrusion ( 460 ) formed between the first outlet ( 431 ) and the second outlet ( 432 ) in such a manner as to protrude inward from the flow pipe ( 440 ) by a predetermined length.

6. An apparatus ( 600 ′) for in real time detecting biological particles and non-biological particles in the atmosphere, the apparatus ( 600 ′) comprising:
a first impactor ( 201 ) adapted to sort the biological particles and non-biological particles supplied from the outside to discharge the biological particles and non-biological particles having diameters larger than a first particle diameter to the outside and to supply the biological particles and non-biological particles having diameters smaller than the first particle diameter to a second impactor ( 202 );
the second impactor ( 202 ) adapted to sort the biological particles and non-biological particles supplied from the first impactor ( 201 ) to supply the biological particles and non-biological particles having diameters larger than a second particle diameter to a first charger ( 301 ) and to supply the biological particles and non-biological particles having diameters smaller than the second particle diameter to a third impactor ( 203 );
the third impactor ( 203 ) adapted to sort the biological particles and non-biological particles supplied from the second impactor ( 202 ) to, supply the biological particles and non-biological particles having diameters larger than a third particle diameter to a second charger ( 302 ) and to supply the biological particles and non-biological particles having diameters smaller than the second particle diameter to a third charger ( 303 );
the first charger ( 301 ) adapted to charge the biological particles and non-biological particles sorted by means of the second impactor ( 202 ) to specific charge (positive or negative charge);
the second charger ( 302 ) and the third charger ( 303 ) adapted to charge the biological particles and non-biological particles sorted by means of the third impactor ( 203 ) to specific charge (positive or negative charge);
a first separator ( 401 ) adapted to introduce the biological particles and non-biological particles charged by the first charger ( 301 ) thereinto and to sort the biological particles and non-biological particles charged to different charge quantities from each other by using predetermined air flow and electric force;
a second separator ( 402 ) adapted to introduce the biological particles and non-biological particles charged by the second charger ( 302 ) thereinto and to sort the biological particles and non-biological particles charged to different charge quantities from each other by using predetermined air flow and electric force;
a third separator ( 403 ) adapted to introduce the biological particles and non-biological particles charged by the third charger ( 303 ) thereinto and to sort the biological particles and non-biological particles charged to different charge quantities from each other by using predetermined air flow and electric force; and
first, second and third particle measurement sensors ( 501 , 502 and 503 ) mounted on outlets each discharging the biological particles and non-biological particles sorted through the first separator ( 401 ), the second separator ( 402 ) and the third separator ( 403 ) therefrom so as to measure the concentrations of the particles discharged from the outlets,
wherein each of the first separator ( 401 ), the second separator ( 402 ) and the third separator ( 403 ) comprises:
a compressed air inlet ( 410 ) formed on one end of a flow pipe ( 440 ) to introduce the compressed air supplied from the compressed air supplier ( 110 ) thereinto;
a particle inlet ( 420 ) formed on one end of the flow pipe ( 440 ) to introduce the charged biological particles and non-biological particles thereinto;
a first outlet ( 431 ) and

Assignees

• Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation Yonsei Univ

Inventors

• Hwang Jungho
• Lee Sang Gu

Classifications

• B03C3/47

  flat, e.g. plates, discs, gratings · CPC title

• B01D45/04

  by utilising inertia (B01D45/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B03C2201/06

  Ionising electrode being a needle · CPC title

• G01N15/0656

  using electric, e.g. electrostatic methods or magnetic methods (by investigating individual particles G01N15/1031, G01N15/12) · CPC title

• G01N1/2208

  with impactors · CPC title