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Title: Bioaerosol collection and concentration for microseparations-based detectors.

Abstract

The ability to detect Weapons of Mass Destruction biological agents rapidly and sensitively is vital to homeland security, spurring development of compact detection systems at Sandia and elsewhere. One such system is Sandia's microseparations-based pChemLab. Many bio-agents are serious health threats even at extremely low concentrations. Therefore, a universal challenge for detection systems is the efficient collection and selective transport of highly diffuse bio-agents against the enormous background of benign particles and species ever present in the ambient environment. We have investigated development of a ''front end'' system for the collection, preconcentration, and selective transport of aerosolized biological agents from dilute (1-10 active particles per liter of air) atmospheric samples, to ultimate concentrations of {approx}20 active particles per microliter of liquid, for interface with microfluidic-based analyses and detection systems. Our approach employs a Sandia-developed aerosol particle-focusing microseparator array to focus size-selected particles into a mating microimpinger array of open microfluidic transport channels. Upon collection (i.e., impingement, submergence, and liquid suspension), microfluidic dielectrophoretic particle concentrators and sorters can be employed to further concentrate and selectively transport bio-agent particles to the sample preparation stages of microfluidic analyses and detection systems. This report documents results in experimental testing, modeling and analysis, component design,more » and materials fabrication critical to establishing proof-of-principle for this collection ''front end''. Outstanding results have been achieved for the aerodynamic microseparator, and for the post-collection dielectrophoretic concentrator and sorter. Results have been obtained for the microimpinger, too, but issues of particle-trapping by surface tension in liquid surfaces have proven difficult. Subsequent particle submergence into liquid suspension for microfluidic transport has been demonstrated only inefficiently despite significant and varied effort. Importantly, the separate technologies whose development is described, (inertial microseparator, dielectrophoretic corduroy concentrator/sorter) should each, independently, prove greatly useful in a variety of additional applications.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3]; ;  [4]
  1. Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA
  2. Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA
  3. Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA
  4. Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
878588
Report Number(s):
SAND2005-1389
TRN: US200611%%256
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; BIOLOGICAL WARFARE AGENTS; AEROSOLS; CONCENTRATORS; DETECTION; IMPINGEMENT; SAMPLE PREPARATION; PERFORMANCE TESTING; MONITORS; SEPARATION EQUIPMENT; MINIATURIZATION; Chemical detectors.; Biological weapons.; Aerosols.

Citation Formats

Cummings, Eric B, Ellis, C R. Bowe, Kanouff, Michael P, Rader, Daniel John, and Wally, Karl. Bioaerosol collection and concentration for microseparations-based detectors.. United States: N. p., 2005. Web. doi:10.2172/878588.
Cummings, Eric B, Ellis, C R. Bowe, Kanouff, Michael P, Rader, Daniel John, & Wally, Karl. Bioaerosol collection and concentration for microseparations-based detectors.. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/878588
Cummings, Eric B, Ellis, C R. Bowe, Kanouff, Michael P, Rader, Daniel John, and Wally, Karl. 2005. "Bioaerosol collection and concentration for microseparations-based detectors.". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/878588. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/878588.
@article{osti_878588,
title = {Bioaerosol collection and concentration for microseparations-based detectors.},
author = {Cummings, Eric B and Ellis, C R. Bowe and Kanouff, Michael P and Rader, Daniel John and Wally, Karl},
abstractNote = {The ability to detect Weapons of Mass Destruction biological agents rapidly and sensitively is vital to homeland security, spurring development of compact detection systems at Sandia and elsewhere. One such system is Sandia's microseparations-based pChemLab. Many bio-agents are serious health threats even at extremely low concentrations. Therefore, a universal challenge for detection systems is the efficient collection and selective transport of highly diffuse bio-agents against the enormous background of benign particles and species ever present in the ambient environment. We have investigated development of a ''front end'' system for the collection, preconcentration, and selective transport of aerosolized biological agents from dilute (1-10 active particles per liter of air) atmospheric samples, to ultimate concentrations of {approx}20 active particles per microliter of liquid, for interface with microfluidic-based analyses and detection systems. Our approach employs a Sandia-developed aerosol particle-focusing microseparator array to focus size-selected particles into a mating microimpinger array of open microfluidic transport channels. Upon collection (i.e., impingement, submergence, and liquid suspension), microfluidic dielectrophoretic particle concentrators and sorters can be employed to further concentrate and selectively transport bio-agent particles to the sample preparation stages of microfluidic analyses and detection systems. This report documents results in experimental testing, modeling and analysis, component design, and materials fabrication critical to establishing proof-of-principle for this collection ''front end''. Outstanding results have been achieved for the aerodynamic microseparator, and for the post-collection dielectrophoretic concentrator and sorter. Results have been obtained for the microimpinger, too, but issues of particle-trapping by surface tension in liquid surfaces have proven difficult. Subsequent particle submergence into liquid suspension for microfluidic transport has been demonstrated only inefficiently despite significant and varied effort. Importantly, the separate technologies whose development is described, (inertial microseparator, dielectrophoretic corduroy concentrator/sorter) should each, independently, prove greatly useful in a variety of additional applications.},
doi = {10.2172/878588},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/878588}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2005},
month = {Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2005}
}