Patent ID: 8024135
Filing Date: 2011-09-20
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A system for detecting airborne agents, comprising: a semiconductor ultraviolet optical source configured to emit at least one wavelength of ultraviolet light; a controller configured to generate a pseudo-random code for emission of the ultraviolet light, said emission of the ultraviolet light being emitted at least one wavelength which is modulated at the pseudo-random code; transmission optics configured to transmit the ultraviolet light to a distance from the optical source to the airborne agents; reception optics having a receiver which is the first optical component in the reception optics to receive from said distance both 1) elastically backscattered signals indicative of a particle size of the airborne agents and 2) fluorescence signals from the airborne agents, wherein both the receiver and the reception optics are separated from the transmission optics; at least two dichroic beam splitters disposed in the reception optics, in optical communication with the receiver, and separated from the transmission optics, and located on a same collinear optical path therebetween which receive both the elastically backscattered signals and the fluorescence signals; and the at least two dichroic beam splitters configured to split the backscattered signals and the fluorescence signals toward respective detectors for measurement of the backscattered signals and the fluorescence signals.