Patent ID: 7405073

Claim:
A biohazard detection system for detecting biological agents in pieces of mail transported by a mail sorting apparatus comprising a mail transport path, said biohazard detection system comprising: a collection apparatus comprising a hood or shroud, and a mail pinching apparatus located under said hood and used for causing particle expulsion from mail transported along the mail transport path, said collection apparatus collects an air sample expelled from the mail by said mail pinching apparatus; a concentrator apparatus connected to said collection apparatus and used for producing a liquid sample of said air sample; a fluidics apparatus connected to said concentrator apparatus and used for delivering a portion of said liquid sample from said concentrator apparatus to a cartridge type receptacle; a biological agent identifier apparatus used for receiving said receptacle, when transported thereto, and used for analyzing said liquid sample in said receptacle for a biological agent; and a control apparatus used for providing control of said collection apparatus and said biological agent identifier apparatus and used for reporting test results provided by said biological agent identifier apparatus.