US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Charles Harold Wick

Alan W Zulich

Rabih E Jabbour

Jacek P Dworzanski

Michael F Stanford

Patrick E McCubbin

Samir V Deshpande

David M Anderson

Homer R Yeh

A system for sampling and separating submicron-sized particles to detect the presence of an agent such as viruses in an environmental sample, which includes collecting means for collecting a sample suspected of containing submicron-sized particles from the environment, size separation means receiving the submicron-sized particles from the collecting means for separating the submicron-sized particles based on size into at least one size range, and a microscale particle counter adapted for counting the size separated submicron-sized particles received from the size separation means. The particle counter includes at least one cantilever each corresponding to submicron-sized particles of a particular size range, wherein the cantilever is deflectable from a first to a second position to permit passage of the submicron-sized particle therethrough, and wherein the corresponding deflection of the cantilever generates a count signal.

Method and system for sampling and separating submicron-sized particles based on density and/or size to detect the presence of a particular agent

Method and system for sampling and separating submicron-sized particles based on density and or size to detect the presence of a particular agent

An improved system for collecting, detecting, and classifying submicron-sized particles in a sample comprising an Integrated Virus Detection System (IVDS) of the type wherein the detecting means includes a differential mobility analyzer (DMA) and condensation particle counter (CPC), the improvement comprising positioning an aerosol collector or an electrostatic collector between the differential mobility analyzer and the condensation particle counter wherein submicron-sized particles from the environmental sample are collected for further analysis.

Virus and particulate separation from solution

A process is provided for identifying a cell type in a sample that includes identification of one or more peptide sequences in the sample. Each peptide sequence is assigned to a protein of known sequence. A matrix of assignments is generated for the presence or absence of each peptide in one or more cells. The matrix of assignments is rearranged according to cell classification. A cell type based on the most probable cell classification is identified.

Methods for detection and identification of cell type

A concentrator device and method of concentrating a liquid sample may be provided. The concentrator device may include a pressure vessel and a filter element disposed within the pressure vessel. The pressure vessel may include an inlet configured to introduce pressurized air into a first portion of the pressure vessel and a first outlet fluidly coupled with a second portion of the pressure vessel. The first outlet may be adapted to be selectively opened and closed. A second outlet may be configured to receive a capillary tube inserted into the first portion of the pressure vessel. The filter element may be configured to receive a liquid sample to be concentrated. The filter element may substantially separate the first portion of the pressure vessel from the second portion of the pressure vessel and may define a retentate side adjacent to the first portion and a filtrate side adjacent to the second portion. When pressurized air is introduced through the inlet and the first outlet is open, a filtrate of the liquid sample received in the filter element may pass from the retentate side to the filtrate side such that a concentrated retentate of the liquid sample remains on the retentate side. When the first outlet is closed, the concentrated retentate of the liquid sample may be forced out through the capillary tube.

Concentrator device and method of concentrating a liquid sample

A system and method for detecting the presence of submicron sized particles in a sample taken from the environment. More particularly, the system may be used to detect and identify bacteria by detecting the presence of bacterial pili which have been separated from bacterial cells in the sample. The system includes means for collecting a sample from the environment, separating pili from bacteria in the sample, and purifying and concentrating the submicron sized pili in the sample based on the size of the pili. The purified and concentrated pili are detected with an apparatus which includes an electrospray assembly having an electrospray capillary, a differential mobility analyzer which receives output from the capillary, and a condensation particle counting device for counting the number of pili sized particles that pass through the differential mobility analyzer.

Detecting bacteria by direct counting of structural protein units or pili by IVDS and mass spectrometry

A system and method for detecting the presence of submicron sized particles in a sample taken from the environment includes a collecting a sample from the environment and purifying and concentrating the submicron particles in a sample based on the size of the particles. The purified and concentrated particles are detected with an apparatus which includes an electrospray assembly having an electrospray capillary, a differential mobility analyzer which receives the output from the capillary, and a condensation particle device for counting the number of particles that pass through the differential mobility analyzer. The system is intended to collect a sample containing submicron size particles having a size range of from greater than 350 nanometers to about 1000 nanometers and wherein the particles include viruses, prions, viral subunits, viral cores of delipidated viruses, plant viruses, standard particles used for calibrating equipment, coated particles, spherical particles, metallic-core shelled particles, polymers, fluorescent microspheres, powders, nanoclusters, particles produced as a result of manufacturing processes, and portions of bacteria.

Method and system for detecting and recording submicron sized particles

A system and method for detecting the presence of submicron sized particles in a sample taken from the environment includes a collecting a sample from the environment and purifying and concentrating the submicron particles in a sample based on the size of the particles. The purified and concentrated particles are detected with an apparatus which includes an electrospray assembly having an electrospray capillary, a differential mobility analyzer which receives the output from the capillary, and a condensation particle device for counting the number of particles that pass through the differential mobility analyzer. The system is intended to collect a sample containing submicron size particles having a size from about 10 to about 350 nanometers and include submicron size particles selected from the group consisting of viruses, prions, macromolecules, proteins, satellites, and virus fragments. Automated controls can be utilized to control the flow of the sample through the system.

A system for detecting the presence of different size groups of submicron size particles in a fluid sample collected from the environment includes apparatus for collecting the environment. The collected a liquid sample containing submicron size particles selected from the group of viruses, prions, macromolecules, proteins and satellites, is directed to an electrospray assembly having an electrospray capillary for ejecting droplets of the fluid sample under the influence of an electric field. The ejected droplets from the electrospray assembly are directed to a differential mobility analyzer which passes the ejected droplets through an electric field, and the particles are then directed to a condensation particle device for counting the number of particles that pass through the electric field.

Method and apparatus for counting submicron sized particles

The present invention provides devices and methods for detecting or characterizing a nucleic acid analyte without requiring electrophoresis or the direct sequencing of analyte samples or analyte fragments. The device includes a panel or array of double stranded oligonucleotide probes immobilized on a solid support. each probe comprising a nucleotide sequence having a hypervariable number of tandem repeat sequences. Desirably, the specificity of the probes is varied with the location on the panel or array. One strand of each probe is preferably anchored at one terminus to a solid support and the opposite terminus of a second strand is not so anchored. The probes and/or the analyte are labeled by one or more reporter moieties, designed, for example, to allow for visual or instrument based detection of hybridization events.

Detector for nucleic acid typing and methods of using the same

A system and method for detection, identification, and monitoring of submicron sized particles, the method including the steps of collecting a sample, extracting existing submicron particles from the collected sample based on density, purifying the extracted submicron particles by concentrating the extracted submicron particles based on size, and, detecting and identifying the purified extracted submicron particles based on size and density thereby determining submicron particles present in the collected sample. The submicron particles detected and identified include viruses and virus-like agents such as prions. Thus, virus and virus-like agents can be detected and identified based only on their physical properties without the use of biochemical reagents or assays. A system for carrying out the method of detection and identification of these particles is also disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Darlington, MD, United States of America

Charles Harold Wick