A method for collecting and testing particulates from aircraft air is disclosed. The method includes capturing particulates in at least one of an outlet flow path or a recirculation flow path with a collector over a period of time, removing the collector from at least one of the outlet flow path or the recirculation flow path for testing, concentrating the collected sample, conducting a test on at least one particulate captured in the collector, relaying a result of the test to a central data center to store the results, and identifying a previously non-described emerging pathogens within the results.

A system for monitoring aircraft air including a vessel having an inlet, a conical main body for extracting particles from the air coating an inner surface on the conical main body, and an outlet, wherein the outlet is to be positioned within at least one of an outlet flow path or a recirculation flow path of an aircraft, and at least one of an outflow valve positioned in the outlet flow path downstream from the collector or a HEPA filter positioned in the recirculation flow path downstream from the collector.

A system for monitoring aircraft air including a collector for collecting particulate samples positioned within at least one of an outlet flow path or a recirculation flow path of an environmental control system of an aircraft, wherein the collector is accessible to a user within the cabin of the aircraft.

A system for collecting a biological sample from a passenger cabin includes a collector for collecting particulate samples positioned within at least one of a passenger cabin or a cabin air outflow flow path. A method for collecting particulates from cabin air includes capturing particulates in at least one of a passenger cabin or a cabin air outflow flow path with a collector for a period of time. The method includes removing the collector from at least one of the passenger cabin or air outflow flow path for testing. The method includes placing a clean collector into at least one of the passenger cabin or a cabin air outflow flow path for use during another period of time.

A method for collecting an aircraft cabin representative biological sample from an aircraft HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter including collecting a used HEPA filter after flight, transferring the HEPA filter to a remote location, processing the HEPA filter in order to remove an air sample, and concentrating the collected sample to be used on a pathogen identifying tester.

The present invention relates to a measuring system for investigating concentrated, larger aerosol particles of an aerosol in the gas phase, having a multi-stage aerosol particle concentrator and also a measuring chamber for analyzing the larger aerosol particles, with at least one measuring device for the qualitative and/or quantitative determination of the aerosol particles, in particular in real time. The aerosol particle concentrator separates a larger part of the aerosol with fine particles and concentrate the larger aerosol particles in the smaller part of the aerosol. The aerosol particle concentrator includes an aerosol suction pump generating a negative pressure in the virtual impactor stages and a circulating-flow channel in which a part of the separated aerosol with fine particles is returned in the circulating flow from the aerosol outlet to the aerosol inlet of the aerosol suction pump. The present invention also relates to a method for investigating concentrated, larger aerosol particles of an aerosol.

In an example, a sample collection apparatus to collect sample from a detection subject includes a circumferential ring tubing surrounding an interior and configured to be moved between bottom ring tubing position and top ring tubing position. The circumferential ring tubing includes air nozzles along a circumferential length of the ring tubing to direct air flow toward the interior as the ring tubing is moved from the top ring tubing position to the bottom ring tubing position, to blow air toward the detection subject in a sample collection zone in the interior and to push a sample of the detection subject via an air flow toward a platform on which the detection subject is positioned. The sample includes particles and/or vapor of the detection subject. A receptacle is disposed below the platform to collect the sample carried by the air flow through collection openings of the platform to the receptacle.

A cyclone includes a hollow cylindrical upper portion and a hollow conical lower portion having an inclined wall and a base wall. The base wall and the inclined wall are continuous contact with each other, and the inclined wall of the hollow conical lower portion is in continuous contact with an outer wall of the hollow cylindrical upper portion. A total cyclone height is from about 10 to about 30 millimeters, and a ratio of the total cyclone height to an inner diameter of the hollow cylindrical upper portion is from about 0.7 to about 1.3. An angle between an inner surface of the base wall and an inner surface of the inclined wall is from about 110 to about 130 degrees.

An apparatus and a method for isolating and/or preparing particles are provided.

A system includes a learning network having a signal processor configured to: receive learned signaling containing information about representative samples of conditions related to operating states of a hydrocyclone and characterized as learned samples of each condition when the learning network is trained, and raw signaling containing information about raw samples containing information about the current operation of the hydrocyclone; and determine corresponding signaling containing information about an operating state of the current operation of the hydrocyclone based upon a comparison of the learned signaling and the raw signaling.