The following is an apparatus and a method that enables the automated collection and identification of airborne particulate matter comprising dust, pollen grains, mold spores, bacterial cells, and soot from a gaseous medium comprising the ambient air. Once ambient air is inducted into the apparatus, aerosol particulates are acquired and imaged under a novel lighting environment that is used to highlight diagnostic features of the acquired airborne particulate matter. Identity determinations of acquired airborne particulate matter are made based on captured images. Abundance quantifications can be made using identity classifications. Raw and summary information are communicated across a data network for review or further analysis by a user. Other than routine maintenance or subsequent analyses, the basic operations of the apparatus may use, but do not require the active participation of a human operator.

An apparatus comprising, a monolithic crystal comprising a substrate portion and at least one oscillator; a first electrode provided at a first location of the oscillator; a second electrode provided at a second location of the oscillator; a gap separating the oscillator from the substrate portion, exposing a side surface of the oscillator; and one or more tethers that extend across the gap so that the oscillator is supported by the substrate portion.

An air contaminant collector device for use in an aircraft air contaminant analyzer, and a method for its use, are disclosed.

Disclosed is a sampling device, a sampling system and a method of collecting samples of particulates. Also disclosed a sampling device, a sampling system and a method of generating data associated with the collection of the samples of particulates. Also disclosed is a system and method for analysing the sample data to identify the particulates in the collected samples and their one or more characteristics which may be correlated with the surrounding environment.

Disclosed is a sampling device, a sampling system and a method of collecting samples of particulates. Also disclosed a sampling device, a sampling system and a method of generating data associated with the collection of the samples of particulates. Also disclosed is a system and method for analysing the sample data to identify the particulates in the collected samples and their one or more characteristics which may be correlated with the surrounding environment.

Methods for determining and classifying by type aircraft air contaminants, and aircraft air contaminant analyzers, are disclosed.

The inventive concept relates to a device for detecting particles in air, said device comprising a receiver for receiving a flow of air comprising particles, a sample carrier, and a particle capturing arrangement. The particle capturing arrangement is configured to separate the particles from the flow of air for and to collect a set of particles on a surface of the sample carrier. The device further comprises a light source configured to illuminate the particles on the sample carrier, such that an interference pattern is formed by interference between light being scattered by the particles and non-scattered light from the light source. The device further comprises an image sensor configured to detect the interference pattern. The device further comprises a cleaner configured for cleaning the surface of the sample carrier for enabling re-use of the surface for collection of a subsequent set of particles.

A field effect transistor (FET) biosensor for virus detection of a selected virus within a sample volume is disclosed. The FET comprises a semiconductor substrate, a source and drain electrode on the substrate, the electrodes spaced to form a channel. A gate electrode carried on the substrate and located in the channel between the source and drain electrodes. An insulating layer is coupled to a top surface of the gate electrode and a bottom surface of the source and drain electrodes, with an open channel above the insulating layer. A channel material is coupled to the insulating layer. Aptamers are oriented within the open channel to bind to the channel material and with the selected virus to enable a detection of the selected virus by the FET biosensor based on a change in drain-source current at a selected gate voltage.

To standardize a voltage regulator configured to regulate a voltage for regulating a temperature of a heat regulation mechanism without the heat regulation mechanism of a sensing sensor in a sensing device that includes the heat regulation mechanism to regulate a temperature of a piezoelectric resonator corresponding to a voltage and uses the sensing sensor to cause the sensing object to adsorb to and desorb from the piezoelectric resonator by increase and decrease of the temperature. A drive voltage is regulated to regulate an amplification factor of a heat regulation voltage input to a drive voltage regulator 73 that regulates the temperature of the heat regulation mechanism corresponding to the type of a sensing sensor 2 connected to a device main body 3. Therefore, when a CQCM sensor 2A that heats a crystal resonator 4 using a heater circuit 41 and a TQCM sensor 2B that regulates a heat of the crystal resonator 4 using a Peltier element 43 are each used, regulation ranges of the driving powers supplied to the respective heater circuit 41 and Peltier element 43 can be changed.

A gas detecting device includes a main body, a gas sensing module, a particulate measuring module and a control module. A chamber is formed within the main body. The main body has a first inlet, a second inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with the chamber. The gas sensing module includes a compartment body, a carrying plate, a sensor and an actuator. The actuator introduces ambient gas into the gas sensing module through the first inlet, and the gas is measured by the sensor and discharged from the outlet of the compartment body. The particulate measuring module is disposed within the chamber of the main body and includes an inlet channel, an outlet channel and a particulate detector. The gas is introduced into the particulate measuring module through the inlet channel, and a concentration of particulates in the gas is measured by the particulate detector.