A portable sampling device includes a housing at least partially enclosing an inner chamber and an airflow assembly disposed within the inner chamber and comprising a portion of an airflow path. The airflow assembly includes a portion of a printed circuit board (PCB); a manifold configured to be sealably coupled to the portion of the PCB to define at least one airflow channel disposed between an inner surface of the manifold and an outer surface of the PCB; and one or more pumping elements positioned on the PCB.

A method of performing a separation of a sample of a disperse fluid comprises the steps of: i. providing a sample of a disperse fluid comprising particles dispersed in a fluid, wherein the particles comprises at least a first type of particle and at least a second type of particles, wherein the absolute value of the acoustic contrast of the first type of particle, relative to the fluid, is lower than the absolute value of the acoustic contrast of the second type of particle relative to the fluid, and wherein the first and second type of particle either both have a positive acoustic contrast, or alternatively a negative acoustic contrast, relative to the fluid, ii. positioning the sample in a microfluidic cavity, iii. subjecting the sample, in the microfluidic cavity, to an acoustic standing wave configured for causing the first and second type of particle to congregate in at least one first region of the cavity, thereby causing the fluid to occupy at least one second region of the cavity, and thereby defining at least one interface between the first region and the second region, and iv. collecting at least a portion of the first region adjacent and along the at least one interface to obtain the first type of particles. A system is also disclosed.

Disclosed herein are devices and methods for the real-time detection of aeropathogens. The device includes an aerosampler having an air inlet and at least one collector tube, a microfluidic system which includes a container, piping, a micro-pump for flowing a liquid, and a viral detection chamber. The viral detection chamber has an electrode which may be equipped with functionalized biosensors, a counter electrode, an electronic detection system connectable to the electrodes of the viral detection chamber, and an embedded electronic processing system for processing data from the electronic detection system.

Disclosed herein are devices and methods for the real-time detection of aeropathogens. The device includes an aerosampler having an air inlet and at least one collector tube, a microfluidic system which includes a container, piping, a micro-pump for flowing a liquid, and a viral detection chamber. The viral detection chamber has an electrode which may be equipped with functionalized biosensors, a counter electrode, an electronic detection system connectable to the electrodes of the viral detection chamber, and an embedded electronic processing system for processing data from the electronic detection system.

1. A method of performing an acoustophoretic operation comprises the steps of: i. providing a fluid, ii. positioning the fluid in a microfluidic cavity, iii. subjecting at least one portion of the fluid, in the microfluidic cavity, to an acoustic wave, and iv. providing, in at least one first region of the at least one portion, a thermal inhomogeneity whereby the temperature of the fluid in the at least one first region differs from the temperature of the fluid in at least one second region of the remainder of the at least one portion. A microfluidic system is also disclosed.

A sample of an aqueous stream is conducted to an optical measurement device. A hydrophobic dye is added. The sample is fractionated into fractions according to particle size or mass. The fluorescence intensity values and light scattering intensity values for the fractions are measured. The fluorescence intensity values of the fractions are added together thus obtaining a sum of the fluorescence intensity values. The light scattering intensity values of the fractions are added together, thus obtaining a sum of the light scattering intensity values. A hydrophobicity density of the particles in the sample, is calculated by dividing the sum of the fluorescence intensity values with the sum of the light scattering intensity values, and the concentration of hydrophobic contaminants in the aqueous stream is monitored and controlled based on the calculated hydrophobicity density of the particles in the sample.

A particle separating and measuring device includes a first flow path device having a post-separation flow outlet to allow discharge of a first fluid containing target particles to be separated, and a second flow path device receiving the first flow path device and having a first flow inlet to receive the first fluid. The first flow path device having a lower surface with the post-separation flow outlet is on the second flow path device having an upper surface with the first flow inlet in a first region. The post-separation flow outlet faces and connects to the first flow inlet. The first flow inlet has an opening larger than an opening of the post-separation flow outlet. The opening of the post-separation flow outlet connects to the opening of the first flow inlet at a peripheral portion of the opening of the first flow inlet.

A device and a method for detecting fluid particle characteristics. The device comprises a fluid composition sensor configured to receive a volume of fluid and a controller. The fluid composition sensor comprises a collection media configured to receive one or more particles of a plurality of particles within the fluid; and an imaging device configured to capture an image of one or more particles of the plurality of particles received by the collection media. The controller is configured to determine a particle impaction depth of each of the one or more particles of the plurality of particles within the collection media; and, based at least in part on the particle impaction depth of each of the one or more particles of the plurality of particles, determine a particulate matter mass concentration within the volume of fluid.

Systems and methods for flowing particles, such as biological entities, in a fluidic channel(s) are generally provided. In some cases, the systems described herein are designed such that a single particle may be isolated from a plurality of particles and flowed into a fluidic channel (e.g., a microfluidic channel) and/or collected e.g., on fluidically isolated surfaces. For example, the single particle may be present in a plurality of particles of relatively high density and the single particle is flowed into a fluidic channel, such that it is separated from the plurality of particles. The particles may be spaced within a fluidic channel so that individual particles may be measured/observed over time. In certain embodiments, the particle may be a biological entity. Such article and methods may be useful, for example, for isolating single cells into individual wells of multi-well cell culture dishes (e.g., for single-cell analysis).

Various embodiments described herein relate to apparatuses and methods for detecting fluid particles and their characteristics. In various embodiments, a device for detecting fluid particles and their characteristics may comprise a fluid composition sensor configured to receive a volume of fluid. The fluid composition sensor has a collection media housing configured to receive a portion of a collection media, a pump for moving a volume of fluid over the collection media housing, an imaging device configured to capture an image of particles on the collection media, and a particle matter mass concentration calculation circuitry configured to calculate a total particle matter mass. The particle matter mass concentration calculation circuitry is connected with the imaging device and the pump. The particle matter mass concentration calculation circuitry is configured to adjust the volume of fluid over the collection media housing.