Patent ID: 8398746

Claim:
A small area electrostatic aerosol collector comprising: a collector housing; an inlet nozzle that extends from the collector housing to provide an inlet for air to flow from outside of the collector housing to the inside of the collector housing; a sample substrate receiving area within the collector housing; a passageway for air to flow from the inlet nozzle to the sample substrate receiving area, the passageway extending perpendicular from the sample substrate receiving area; a charging device having an electrode that extends into the passageway at an angle non-parallel to the passageway such that the tip of the electrode is generally centered in the passageway; and a high voltage power source coupled to the charging device; wherein, a sample substrate having a collection surface is positioned in the sample substrate receiving area and a sample operation is performed such that: a pumping arrangement pulls air into the collector housing through the inlet nozzle, draws the air towards the sample substrate receiving area through the passageway, and evacuates air drawn into the collector housing; the high voltage power source causes the electrode of the charging device to create an electric field that charges particles in the air flowing past the electrode; the collection surface of the sample substrate is held at one of: a neutral charge and an opposite charge, relative to the electric field created by the charging device; and particulates are collected on the collection surface of the sample substrate by containing the aerosol in a small area within the passageway and by forcing the air to flow near the collection surface of the sample substrate such that the charged particles are attracted to the collection surface.