Patent ID: 7993585

Claim:
A biological and chemical detection system comprising: a storage station configured to store one or more samples on at least one sample substrate; a collection station configured to deposit particulates drawn from a fluid stream onto said sample substrate to define a sample area; an optical interrogation station configured to analyze at least a portion of said sample area on said sample substrate, said optical interrogation station having a first optical device and a second optical device; a transport configured to advance a sample collected by said collection station to said optical interrogation station and from said optical interrogation station to said storage station; a processor for processing sample data, wherein: said processor controls said first optical device to scan said sample area with a first field of view, said processor employs the results of the scan by said first optical device to collect location data and determine at least one target location from the collected location data, where each determined target location is smaller than the field of view of the first optical device; said processor manipulates said second optical device to interrogate said sample area at each determined target location to produce interrogation data, which is distinct from the location data; said processor employs said interrogation data to identify predetermined biological or chemical particulates of interest if said sample area includes predetermined biological or chemical particulates of interest, and to trigger an event if said predetermined biological or chemical particulates of interest are identified; and said biological and chemical detection system is configured to operated automatically so as to process a plurality of samples.