Patent ID: 8398839

Claim:
A system for concentrating and detecting particles contained in a surrounding atmosphere, comprising: an insulator-based dielectrophoretic (iDEP) microfluidic chip comprising a fluid channel; a channel cover bonded to a top surface of the fluid channel; an inlet and an outlet port disposed at opposite ends of the channel and a concentration region disposed therebetween comprising a plurality of insulating posts; and a tube electrode is disposed in each of the inlet and the outlet ports, a first tube electrode in the outlet port comprising a reduced cross section relative to a second tube electrode in the inlet port; at least one programmable high voltage power supply in electrical communication with each of the electrodes; an aerosol collector comprising a fluid sample configured to collect aerosolized particles; one or more fluid pumps; one or more fluid reservoirs in fluid communication with the one or more fluid pumps; a plurality of fluid conduits, valves and valve fittings interconnecting the aerosol collector with the one or more fluid pumps and with the iDEP microfluidic chip (iDEP chip), wherein each of the plurality of fluid conduits, fluidic valves and valve fittings, the aerosol collector, the one or more fluid pumps and one or more fluid reservoirs and the iDEP chip are all in fluidic communication with each other, wherein the fluid sample is passed from the aerosol collector and into the iDEP chip inlet port; a particle detector comprising a laser light source and a light detection means optically coupled to the iDEP chip or to a transparent fluid conduit exiting the iDEP chip outlet port, the particle detector configured to direct excitation light at a first wavelength into the fluid sample and receive fluorescence light emitted at a second wavelength by particles entrained within the fluid sample, the particle detector further configured to generate an electrical analog output signal proportional to the intensity of the received emitted light; and a programmable data acquisition recorder (DAQ) in electronic communication with the one or more fluid pumps, the plurality of fluidic valves, the at least one programmable power supply and the particle detector, wherein the DAQ is programmed to perform digital and analog input and output functions including controlling and monitoring the operation and status of each of the plurality of fluidic valves, to control and monitor the operation and status of the one or more fluid pumps, to control the laser light source, and to acquire signal information received by the particle detector, generate a running average baseline value of the running recorded signals received from the particle detector and signaling an alert if the running average signal changes beyond a preset threshold.