Scanit Technologies, Inc.

Pedro Manautou

Joel Christopher Kent

An-Chun Tien

Felix Wynn

Dave Graham

Glenn Wanke

Keith Nordman

David Graham

Determining a state of a fungal spore includes defining types of fluorescent biomolecules of interest within the spore. Color characteristics of fluorescent light corresponding to excitement of the fluorescent biomolecules of interest under UV light are stored. Air including the fungal spore is directed to a collection cartridge and trapped. The spore is illuminated with light including UV light. A color image of the spore is captured and analyzed to estimate concentrations of the fluorescent biomolecule of interest. The state of the spore is determined from the estimated concentrations.

Spore state discrimination

A device includes a camera sensor and an illumination source structure. The illumination source structure is positioned to emit light towards a field of view of the camera sensor. The illumination source structure includes a bore, internal threads extending along at least a portion of a length of the bore, and a light emitting diode (LED) positioned within the bore such that the internal threads encircle a lens of the LED.

Airborne particle monitor having illumination sleeve with shaped borehole for increased efficiency

In an embodiment, a rapid response system includes a manager coupled to one or more sensors and one or more controls. The one or more sensors includes a camera-sensor based detector of airborne pathogenic biological particles. Settings of the one or more controls influence a rate of a growth or lifecycle of biological pathogens. The manager rapidly responds to sensor detection of airborne pathogenic biological particles by influencing the rate of growth or lifecycles of biological pathogens via modification of control settings.

Rapid disease response via particle monitoring

An airborne biological particle monitoring device collects particles floating in air. The monitoring device includes a processor, a camera sensor, and a set of approximately monochromatic illumination sources that correspond to a set of spectral curves. The camera sensor captures images of the particles providing a spectral analysis of the particles. The processor analyzes the images to identify the collected particles.

Airborne particle monitoring system with illumination and imaging

A flow of air including a fungal spore is directed to a collection cartridge. The fungal spore is trapped within the collection cartridge. The fungal spore is illuminated with ultraviolet (UV) light and a camera shutter associated with a camera sensor is opened for a time period. The camera sensor is allowed to collect light emitted from the fungal spore during a first portion of the time period. After the first portion of the time period has elapsed, a first burst of visible light originating from a first position is directed towards the fungal spore during a second portion of the time period. A second burst of visible light originating from a second position is directed towards the fungal spore. After the second portion of the time period has elapsed, the camera shutter is closed to generate an image. The image is analyzed to obtain a shape of the fungal spore.

A particle collection cartridge includes a first side having a particle intake region, a second side having a particle inspection region, supply and uptake reels, a tape guide, tape, a first pin, and a second pin. The tape is wound about the supply reel, extends to the first pin, across the tape guide, to the second pin, and terminates at the uptake reel. The tape includes an adhesive surface to collect particles entering the particle intake region. The first and second pins are fixed to not rotate.

Particle collection media cartridge with pins to position tape

A flow of air including a fungal spore is directed to a collection cartridge. The fungal spore is trapped within the collection cartridge. The fungal spore is illuminated with light and a first image of the fungal spore is captured while the fungal spore is illuminated with the light. The first image is analyzed to identify an outline of the fungal spore. The fungal spore is illuminated with ultraviolet (UV) light and a second image of the fungal spore is captured while the fungal spore is illuminated with the UV light. A measurement is made of a degree of fluorescence within the outline of the fungal spore. A state of the fungal spore is determined based on the degree of fluorescence.

An airborne particle collection system includes a monitoring device and a collection media. The monitoring device includes a housing having an air-intake slot, and a motor. The collection media includes an adhesive-coated tape contained within a removable cartridge inserted into the housing. The removable cartridge includes a particle intake zone, proximate to the air-intake slot, and through which the adhesive-coated tape is exposed to capture airborne particles passing through the air-intake slot, and an inspection zone at which the airborne particles captured at the intake zone are transported for optical imaging. The motor moves the airborne particles captured by the adhesive-coated tape from the particle intake zone to the inspection zone.

Airborne particle monitor

An apparatus for collection and detection of airborne particles includes an optical imaging system having an exposure time, a particle inspection zone, and a flexible substrate with an adhesive coating. The flexible substrate passes through the particle inspection zone. The flexible substrate alternates between an advancing state of moving through the particle inspection zone and an imaging state of not moving through the particle inspection zone. In the imaging state the flexible substrate is so tensioned so that a portion of the flexible substrate in the particle inspection zone moves at most a small distance during the exposure time.

Particle collection media cartridge with tensioning mechanism

A flow of air including a fungal spore is directed to a collection cartridge. The spore is trapped within the cartridge and positioned within a field of view of a camera sensor. A UV light is activated to illuminate the spore and a camera shutter is opened for a time period. The camera sensor collects light emitted from the spore during a first portion of the time period. After the first portion has elapsed, first and second bursts of white light originating from first and second positions, respectively, are directed towards the spore during a second portion of the time period. After the second portion of the time period has elapsed, the camera shutter is closed to generate an image. The image is analyzed to obtain a shape of the spore.

A monitor includes a base, a cylindrical housing, rotatably connected to the base, and including an air-intake slot, and a collection media, a motor configured to rotate the cylindrical housing relative to the base, a power source, connected to the motor, and a processor connected to the motor and power source. The processor is configured to process information and, based on the processing, direct the motor to rotate the cylindrical housing so that airborne particles in ambient air pass through the air-intake slot and to the collection media.

Airborne particle monitor with orientation control

An airborne biological particle monitoring device collects particles floating in air. The monitor includes a camera sensor, illumination source, and quantum-dot illumination source. The camera sensor captures a first image of the particles when the collected particles are illuminated by the illumination source. The camera sensor captures a second image of the particles when the collected particles are illuminated by the quantum-dot illumination source. The first and second images are analyzed to identify the collected particles.

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Milpitas, CA, United States of America

Pedro Manautou