	US 7,494,769 B2
	Method and apparatus for detection of bioaerosols
George M. Murray, Columbia, Md. (US); Cheryl S. Schein, Rockville, Md. (US); David R. Kohler, Ocean Pines, Md. (US); Jennifer L. Sample, Bethesda, Md. (US); Jennifer A. Nix, Ellicott City, Md. (US); Protagoras N. Cutchis, Highland, Md. (US); Adam K. Arabian, Louisville, Ky. (US); Harvey W. Ko, Ellicott City, Md. (US); Micah A. Carlson, Baltimore, Md. (US); and Michael P. McLoughlin, Sykesville, Md. (US)
Assigned to The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. (US)
Appl. No. 10/503,168 PCT Filed Apr. 16, 2003, PCT No. PCT/US03/11723 § 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Jul. 30, 2004, PCT Pub. No. WO03/089661, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 30, 2003.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/373080, filed on Apr. 16, 2002.
Prior Publication US 2005/0255456 A1, Nov. 17, 2005
Int. Cl. C12Q 1/70 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 435—5

5 Claims

1. A method for detecting bio-materials contained in a bioaerosol sample comprising the steps of:

collecting the bioaerosol sample on a liquid surface or on a solid surface;

adding a heavy atom perturber to the collected bioaerosol sample;

selectively energizing a source of light, generating light in a UV range;

exciting the aerosol sample with the selectively energized source of light emitting at least two fluorescent signals having wavelengths differing from one another;

detecting each of the at least two fluorescent signals and comparing an intensity thereof with a respective threshold to selectively detect the bio-materials of interest from materials contained in the bioaerosol sample and having non-biological origin;

during de-energization of the source of light, detecting a time-delayed phosphorescent signal, the heavy atom perturber having been selected to prevent absorption of the phosphorescent signal by either of the at least two fluorescent signals, to allow for time resolution to be used as a discriminator between the at least two fluorescent signals and the phosphorescent signal; and

comparing the phosphorescent signal with a respective threshold value to maximize the selectivity of the detection of the bio-materials of interest.