US 12,461,029 B2
Continuous flow air sampling and rapid pathogen detection system
Jeffrey Ruberti, Lexington, MA (US)
Assigned to Northeastern University, Boston, MA (US)
Filed by Northeastern University, Boston, MA (US)
Filed on Mar. 10, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/692,034.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/159,423, filed on Mar. 10, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0291128 A1, Sep. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. G01N 21/64 (2006.01); B01L 3/00 (2006.01); G01N 33/58 (2006.01); G01N 1/22 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 21/6428 (2013.01) [B01L 3/502715 (2013.01); B01L 3/502723 (2013.01); G01N 21/6454 (2013.01); G01N 33/582 (2013.01); B01L 2200/0684 (2013.01); B01L 2200/10 (2013.01); B01L 2200/16 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0663 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0803 (2013.01); B01L 2300/161 (2013.01); G01N 1/22 (2013.01); G01N 2001/2244 (2013.01); G01N 21/6402 (2013.01); G01N 2021/6463 (2013.01); G01N 2800/26 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device for automated detection of a microbial pathogen in air, the system comprising:
a collection module operative to continuously collect an air sample suspected of comprising the microbial pathogen and form a continuously flowing liquid sample comprising the microbial pathogen from the air sample;
a sample processing module operative to mix a labeling reagent with the flowing liquid sample, whereby the reagent labels the microbial pathogen to provide fluorescently labeled microbial pathogen suspended in a continuously flowing liquid stream;
a centrifugation module comprising a spinning rotor operative to separate the fluorescently labeled pathogen in the continuously flowing stream from unbound labeling reagent and continuously flow the separated fluorescently labeled pathogen through a scanning region of the rotor; and
a fluorescence detector operative to continuously scan the scanning region and detect the presence, absence, or amount of the fluorescently labelled pathogen.