US 11,754,309 B2
Pathogen sensing filters
Aditi Maheshwari, San Francisco, CA (US); Mark Benjamin Greenspan, Oakland, CA (US); and Lavinia Andreea Danielescu, San Francisco, CA (US)
Assigned to Accenture Global Solutions Limited, Dublin (IE)
Filed by Accenture Global Solutions Limited, Dublin (IE)
Filed on Jun. 28, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/360,295.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/045,974, filed on Jun. 30, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0404693 A1, Dec. 30, 2021
Int. Cl. F24F 11/74 (2018.01); F24F 8/108 (2021.01); F24F 8/95 (2021.01); F24F 11/89 (2018.01); F24F 8/22 (2021.01); F24F 110/65 (2018.01)
CPC F24F 11/74 (2018.01) [F24F 8/108 (2021.01); F24F 8/22 (2021.01); F24F 8/95 (2021.01); F24F 11/89 (2018.01); F24F 2110/65 (2018.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus comprising:
an air filter configured to filter particulates from air passing in a fluidic path through the filter;
a detachable sensor frame including attachment points for removably mounting the sensor frame on the air filter, ahead in the fluidic path of the air filter:
a sensor mesh that is supported by the detachable sensor frame and that includes multiple biological sensor elements that are (i) sensitized to fluoresce when in contact with a particular pathogen, and (ii) distributed across the detachable sensor frame to cover a face of the air filter that comes after the detachable sensor frame in the fluidic path;
an optical sensor that is affixed to the detachable sensor frame that is configured to detect, and to output a signal indicating, fluorescence from any of the biological sensor elements that are distributed on the detachable sensor frame; and
a control unit that is affixed to the detachable sensor frame and that is in data communication with the optical sensor, the control unit being operable to perform operations comprising:
receiving, from the optical sensor, an indication that fluorescence was detected from one or more of the biological sensor elements that are distributed on the detachable sensor frame;
in response to receiving the indication, generating, by the control unit, a pathogen alert response; and
providing, by the control unit, the pathogen alert response.