Patent ID: 8353223

Claim:
A handheld portable apparatus for dislodging and collecting target particles from a target surface, the apparatus comprising: a reservoir of liquefied and pressurized carbon dioxide; at least one pulsed valve in communication with said reservoir; at least one expansion chamber in communication with said at least one pulsed valve for forming an aerosol mixture of frozen carbon dioxide particles and carbon dioxide gas; at least two nozzles in communication with said at least one expansion chamber for directing a spray of said aerosol mixture to substantially overlap at a single focal point downstream of said at least two nozzles; a particle transport component providing a suction flow into an orifice that entrains particles from said aerosol mixture and target particles dislodged by an impact of said particles from said aerosol mixture; a collecting medium for accumulating said particles entrained in said suction flow; and a position-assisting device that assists the operator to position the handheld portable apparatus at an optimal distance from the target surface, wherein the optimal distance is based on the single focal point of the aerosol mixture sprays from the at least two nozzles being located beyond the target surface.