US-12618752-B2 - Collecting device and a method for collection of airborne particles exhaled by a human being

US12618752B2US 12618752 B2US12618752 B2US 12618752B2US-12618752-B2

Abstract

A collecting device ( 200 ) for collecting airborne particles comprises: a first ( 202 ) and second layer ( 220 ) spaced apart for forming a particle collection chamber ( 240; 340 ) therebetween: wherein inlets ( 210; 310 ) and outlets ( 230; 330 ) are configured for transporting a flow of air ( 104 ) into and out of the particle collection chamber ( 240; 340 ) and configured for allowing capturing airborne particles by impaction. The collecting device ( 200 ) further comprises at least one liquid access port ( 260; 260 a, 260 b; 360 a - 360 h ) for filling the particle collection chamber ( 240; 340 ) with a reagent; and wherein the particle collection chamber ( 240; 340 ) comprises at least one side wall ( 246; 346 ) for defining flow of the reagent, such that a first portion ( 248 a; 348 a ) and a second portion ( 248 b; 348 b ) of the particle collection chamber ( 240; 340 ) are arranged on opposite sides of the at least one side wall ( 246; 346 ).

Inventors

Ahmed Taher
Benjamin Jones
Sophie ROTH

Assignees

IMEC VZW

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20220420
Priority Date: 20210426

Claims (14)

1 . A collecting device for collection of airborne particles exhaled by a human being, said collecting device comprising: a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer and the second layer are arranged to be spaced apart for forming a particle collection chamber between the first and the second layer, wherein the first layer comprises a plurality of inlets configured to extend through the first layer for transporting a flow of air therethrough into the particle collection chamber; wherein ends of the inlets are configured to face a first surface of the second layer for capturing airborne particles in the flow of air entering the particle collection chamber through the ends of the inlets by impaction of airborne particles on the first surface of the second layer; wherein the second layer comprises a plurality of outlets configured to extend through the second layer for transporting the flow of air therethrough out of the particle collection chamber; the collecting device further comprising at least one liquid access port for filling the particle collection chamber with a reagent; and wherein the particle collection chamber comprises at least one side wall extending from the first layer to the second layer for defining flow of the reagent through the particle collection chamber when filling the particle collection chamber, such that a first portion of the particle collection chamber and a second portion of the particle collection chamber are arranged on opposite sides of the at least one side wall.
2 . The collecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the particle collection chamber extends in an area of a plane parallel to the first layer and wherein the at least one liquid access port is arranged at or close to a periphery of the area.
3 . The collecting device according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of inlets and the plurality of outlets are distributed over the area of the particle collection chamber.
4 . The collecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the particle collection chamber is configured for guiding propagation of the reagent from the at least one liquid access port through the particle collection chamber along the at least one side wall, wherein the reagent is guided through a channel having a larger length in a main direction of propagation of the reagent than width transverse to the main direction.
5 . The collecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the particle collection chamber is separated by the at least one side wall into a plurality of separate compartments, such that the first portion and the second portion form a first compartment and a second compartment, respectively.
6 . The collecting device according to claim 5 , wherein the collecting device comprises a plurality of liquid access ports, each liquid access port being associated with a unique compartment of the particle collection chamber.
7 . The collecting device according to claim 5 , wherein the collecting device comprises a single liquid access port for filling each of the plurality of compartments of the particle collection chamber.
8 . The collecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one side wall is configured to define a non-straight path of propagation of the reagent from the at least one liquid access port through the particle collection chamber.
9 . The collecting device according to claim 8 , wherein the non-straight path is meander-shaped.
10 . The collecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one liquid access port has cross-sectional dimensions for allowing the reagent to be passed through the at least one liquid access port into the particle collection chamber by a capillary force.
11 . The collecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one liquid access port is configured to extend through the first layer or the second layer.
12 . The collecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the inlets and the outlets have dimensions for allowing the inlets and the outlets to be filled by the reagent from the particle collection chamber by a capillary force, wherein the capillary force further prevents the reagent to escape from the inlets and the outlets.
13 . The collecting device according to claim 1 , further comprising pillars extending from the first layer to the second layer for improving bonding of the first layer to the second layer.
14 . A method for collection of airborne particles exhaled by a human being and providing a reagent to the collected particles, said method comprising: receiving a flow of air onto a first layer of a collecting device, wherein the first layer comprises a plurality of inlets extending through the first layer; passing the flow of air through the inlets into a particle collection chamber between the first layer and a second layer of the collecting device spaced apart from the first layer; capturing airborne particles in the flow of air entering the particle collection chamber by impaction of airborne particles on a first surface of the second layer, wherein ends of the inlets are configured to face the first surface of the second layer; passing the flow of air out of the particle collection chamber through outlets extending through the second layer of the collecting device; filling the particle collection chamber with a reagent through at least one liquid access port, wherein the reagent is guided to flow through the particle collection chamber along at least one side wall through a first portion of the particle collection chamber and a second portion of the particle collection chamber on opposite sides of the at least one side wall.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present inventive concept relates to a collecting device and a method for collection of airborne particles exhaled by a human being. In addition, the present inventive concept relates to collection of airborne particles and providing a reagent to the collected particles. BACKGROUND Efficient collection of airborne particles exhaled by a human to facilitate analysis is of high interest in various applications. For instance, enabling detection of particular substances in a human breath may provide the possibility of screening for infectious diseases, such as influenza and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Thus, collection of exhaled airborne particles in an efficient and inexpensive way may allow screening to be performed frequently, allow quick identification of persons carrying disease, and consequently reducing spreading of the disease. Several diseases, such as influenza and SARS-CoV-2, spread among humans through droplets and aerosols produced during breathing, blowing, talking, coughing, and sneezing. Thus, it would be of interest to provide a collecting device allowing efficient capture of airborne particles exhaled by a human being and facilitating analysis of substances within the captured particles so as to identify whether the person carries a disease or not. Further, a sample may need to be prepared before analysis may be performed. For instance, a reagent may need to be added to the collected particles. Thus, in order to facilitate fast and efficient analysis of airborne particles, combining collected particles with a reagent also needs to be performed in an efficient manner. SUMMARY An objective of the present inventive concept is to provide a collecting device allowing simple and efficient collection of airborne particles exhaled by a human being. A further objective of the present inventive concept is to allow a reagent to be efficiently provided to the collected particles. These and other objectives of the present inventive concept are at least partly met by the invention as defined in the independent claims. Preferred embodiments are set out in the dependent claims. According to a first aspect, there is provided a collecting device for collection of airborne particles exhaled by a human being, said collecting device comprising: a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer and the second layer are arranged to be spaced apart for forming a particle collection chamber between the first and the second layer, wherein the first layer comprises a plurality of inlets configured to extend through the first layer for transporting a flow of air therethrough into the particle collection chamber; wherein ends of the inlets are configured to face a first surface of the second layer for capturing airborne particles in the flow of air entering the particle collection chamber through the ends of the inlets by impaction of airborne particles on the first surface of the second layer; wherein the second layer comprises a plurality of outlets configured to extend through the second layer for transporting the flow of air therethrough out of the particle collection chamber; the collecting device further comprising at least one liquid access port for filling the particle collection chamber with a reagent; and wherein the particle collection chamber comprises at least one side wall extending from the first layer to the second layer for defining flow of the reagent through the particle collection chamber when filling the particle collection chamber, such that a first portion of the particle collection chamber and a second portion of the particle collection chamber are arranged on opposite sides of the at least one side wall. Thanks to the collecting device, an efficient capturing of airborne particles may be provided in the particle collection chamber. The use of a plurality of inlets may ensure that a high capturing efficiency of airborne particles is achieved in the particle collection chamber, as capturing of airborne particles occur in multiple positions of the particle collection chamber (associated with respective inlets). Further, thanks to the collecting device, capturing of airborne particles may be performed in a particle capturing chamber which may further be filled with a reagent. Thus, the collected particles need not be transferred from the collecting device in which the particles are collected for purpose of providing a reagent. This implies that a very efficient collection and preparation of a sample may be provided by the collecting device. Further, thanks to the particle collection chamber comprising at least one side wall, flow of the reagent through the particle collection chamber may be controlled. This implies that the flow of the reagent through the particle collection chamber may be well-defined since at least a first portion and a second portion of the particle collection chamber are separated by the at least one side wall. A well-d