SYSTEMS FOR CHARACTERIZING AN AEROSOL PARTICLE FLOW

摘要

An apparatus and method for improving aerosol particle characterization and detection accuracy in clean room applications that includes an optical particle sizer that receives a particle containing aerosol sample at a higher flow rate which is operatively coupled to an inertial aerosol concentrator for concentrating particles received from the optical particle sizer and delivering a lower flow rate, particle enriched output. The system further includes an optical sensor for sensing of intrinsic particle fluorescence of the lower, particle-enriched flow, since intrinsic fluorescence is a useful indicator of biological particles and biological particle viability, including bacterial particles. The system as a whole provides a measure derived from a single inlet flow both of total particles and of viable microbial particles based on their spectroscopic properties.