In a control device for a particulate matter detection sensor, a voltage value acquiring unit acquires a sensor voltage value which is a value of a voltage being applied across a pair of electrodes in the particulate matter detection sensor. A current value acquiring unit acquires a sensor current value which is a value of a current flowing between the electrodes. An output unit outputs a PM current value corresponding to the amount of deposit of particulate matter on an element part of the particulate matter detection sensor. States which the particulate matter detection sensor is determined to be in by a state determining unit include a sensor failure state and a PM-deposited state. The state determining unit determines whether the particulate matter detection sensor is in the sensor failure state or the PM-deposited state based on the sensor voltage value and the sensor current value.

Embodiments of the disclosure include a miniature optical PM sensor module. A miniature optical particulate matter sensor module may comprise a housing; a micro airflow generator positioned within the housing; an actuator positioned adjacent to the micro airflow generator and configured to drive the micro airflow generator; a miniature particulate matter sensor board assembly in fluid communication with the micro airflow generator; and a flex cable assembly configured to attach to at least one of the housing and the miniature particulate matter sensor board assembly.

The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for quantifying solid residue on a sample. The process includes using a solid substrate and an aerosolizing device, adding a solid material to the aerosolizing device, forming a particle cloud of solid particles, wherein at least 1% of the mass concentration of solid particles have a mass median aerodynamic particle diameter up to about 10 μm, thus applying the solid particles to the solid substrate(s) to form treated substrate(s), maintaining at a temperature of from about 30 to about 120° C. for at least a portion of the process, and removing a portion of solid particles from the treated substrate(s), and analyzing said at least one sample. The present invention further comprises an apparatus for applying solid particles to a substrate. The process can be used, for example, to analyze the dirt pickup resistance of a solid sample.

A sensor includes a plurality of detecting units and a sensing unit. Each of the detecting units includes a pair of electrodes and a detecting area formed between the electrodes, and is configured to cause a change in electrical resistance between the electrodes as conductive particles accumulate. The sensing unit outputs a sensing signal if at least two or more of the detecting units experience a change in electrical resistance.

A sensor relating to the present invention includes: a first electrode; a second electrode; a first attracting portion positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode and configured to receive conductive abrasion powder contained in a detection region and attracted onto the first attracting portion; a sensing unit for sensing a change in electrical resistance between the first electrode and the second electrode caused by the conductive abrasion powder; and at least one second attracting portion positioned within the detection region and configured to attract the conductive abrasion powder contained in the detection region.

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.

An open-ended hollow coaxial cable resonator probe configured to receive an aerosol sample for analysis. A metal post shorts the resonator's inner and outer conductors. A metal plate is spaced apart from an open end of the resonator by a dielectric layer that contains the received aerosol sample. Interrogator circuitry coupled to the resonator transmits an electromagnetic wave within the resonator and generates an electric field at the open end of the resonator. The interrogator circuitry is responsive to the generated electric field for determining a resonance frequency and an impedance of the resonator when the aerosol sample is present in the dielectric layer and is configured to identify virus particles in the aerosol sample as a function of the determined resonance frequency and impedance. A portable aerosol analyzer comprises the open-ended hollow coaxial cable resonator and a mouthpiece through which a subject expels a breath sample into the open end of the resonator. Antibodies tethered to high-permittivity nanoparticles attach to pathogens selectively, resulting in enhanced sensing with molecular-level specificity.

A method and apparatus for evaluating the chemical composition of airborne particles by sequentially collecting and analyzing airborne particles in-situ. The method includes: collecting particles; enlarging the particles through water condensation; accelerating the enlarged particles onto a surface to collect enlarged particles; and analyzing the enlarged particles by: isolating the surface; passing a carrier gas over the surface; heating the surface to thermally desorb collected particles into the carrier gas; transporting this evolved vapor into detectors; and assaying the evolved vapor as a function of a desorption temperature. The apparatus includes: a sample flow inlet; a condensational growth tube; a collection and thermal desorption (CTD) cell; a carrier gas source; a heater coupled to the CTD; one or more gas detectors; and a controller configured to operate valves, the heater, the growth tube, and the CTD cell in at least an in-situ sequential collection mode and analysis mode.

A particle or pollen sensor comprises an array of relative humidity sensors. A change in relative humidity is representative of a particle or pollen in contact with one or more of the sensors. A size and/or shape of a particle or pollen in contact with one or more of the sensors is optionally also determined based on the number and/or configuration of sensors. From this information, a particle or pollen type is determined.