Patent ID: 7997300

Claim:
A flow modulator in combination with a biological aerosol detection system, comprising: a biological aerosol detection system having a trigger component with an inlet; a chamber having a upstream end and a downstream end; an inlet to the chamber proximate the upstream end; an outlet from the chamber proximate the downstream end; a diverging section of the chamber positioned downstream of the inlet that is substantially conical in shape and progressively expands in size as it extends toward the downstream end; a middle section of the chamber positioned downstream of the diverging section that is substantially cylindrical in shape and extends toward the downstream end; a converging section of the chamber positioned downstream of the middle section that is substantially conical in shape and progressively contracts in size as it extends toward the downstream end; and a flow divider disposed within the diverging section of the chamber, wherein said flow divider is substantially conical in shape having an apex and a base and progressively expands in size as it extends towards the downstream end, wherein said flow divider is rigidly affixed within the diverging section of the chamber, and wherein said flow divider has an axial passage located substantially at the center of the flow divider and extending from the apex to the base of the flow divider, so that the flow divider causes airflow through the chamber to follow multiple pathways, the pathways comprising a main airflow pathway which traverses an area between the flow divider and the diverging section of the chamber, and a core airflow pathway which traverses through the axial passage substantially at the center of the flow divider; and wherein said outlet is connected to said inlet of said trigger component of said aerosol detection system so that the entire modulated airflow is provided to the inlet of the trigger component to reduce false triggering of the aerosol detection system.