Detection of Environmental Agents Using a Novel Aerosol Sampler Coupled to a Micr

描述(由申请人提供) 拟议的项目将开发和展示一种个人接触监测仪，该监测仪结合了一种新型的气溶胶浓缩器、一个微粒子收集器和一个专为进行各种分析而定制的微流体样品处理和检测平台，并与自动数据记录和/或传输设备以及一个位置监测设备(如全球定位系统装置)相结合，以提供对各种环境物质的时间和空间分辨率测量。这一暴露监测仪将大大提高在空间和时间上定位暴露事件的能力，并将提供一个关键工具，用于解决暴露与人类健康影响之间关系的不确定性。 在拟议的项目中，我们将定制我们的空气动力学透镜气溶胶浓缩器技术，用于便携式空气采样器，我们将把气溶胶浓缩器与毛细管气溶胶颗粒收集器集成在一起，并将该颗粒收集系统连接到微流体卡，在那里将进行生物或化学分析并检测结果。Enertech，Inc.将负责调整其现有的气溶胶浓度和收集技术，Micronics，Inc.将调整其商业微流体卡技术，用于便携式曝光监测器。华盛顿大学将开发可在微流控环境中实施的特定分析方法，以检测目标生物和化学制剂。 Enertech将使用之前为其他政府资助项目开发的工程和CFD建模能力来开发气溶胶处理部件。这些组件将使用现有的全仪表化气雾室和各种用于颗粒和细菌检测的标准诊断方法进行测试，例如外荧光显微镜、大宗荧光、培养、实时PCR等。微流控电路将由Micronics使用以前开发的方法和工具设计并制作原型，使用的方法和工具是使用核酸和免疫学分析以及电化学和其他检测方法生产类似的微流体卡。华盛顿大学将利用其在微生物学、化学、环境科学(大气污染物检测和表征)等领域的广泛专业知识和实验室设施，开发具体的分析方法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant) The proposed project will develop and demonstrate a personal exposure monitor which combines a novel aerosol concentrator, a micro-particle collector, and a microfluidic sample processing and detection platform customized to perform a broad range of assays, coupled to automated data recording and/or transmitting equipment and a position-monitoring device (such as a GPS unit) to provide time- and space-resolved measurements of a wide range of environmental agents. This exposure monitor will significantly improve the ability to localize exposure events in space and time and will provide a critical tool for use in resolving uncertainties about the relationships between exposure and human health impacts. In the proposed project we will customize our aerodynamic lens aerosol concentrator technology for use in a portable air sampler, we will integrate the aerosol concentrator with a capillary aerosol particle collector, and we will interface this particle collection system to a microfluidics card where biological or chemical assays will be carried out and the results detected. Enertechnix, Inc. will be responsible for adapting its existing aerosol concentration and collection technology and Micronics, Inc. will adapt its commercial microfluidics card technology for use in a portable exposure monitor. The University of Washington will develop specific assays that can be adapted for implementation in the microfluidics environment for detection of target biological and chemical agents. Aerosol handling components will be developed by Enertechnix using engineering and CFD modeling capabilities previously developed for other Government-funded projects. These components will be tested using an existing, fully instrumented aerosol chamber and a variety of standard diagnostic methods for particle and bacterial detection such as epi-fluorescence microscopy, bulk fluorescence, culture, real-time PCR, etc. Microfluidic circuitry will be designed and prototyped by Micronics using methods and tools previously developed for production of similar microfluidic cards employing nucleic acid and immunological assays and electrochemical and other detection methods. Specific assays will be developed by the University of Washington using its extensive expertise and laboratory facilities in the areas of microbiology, chemistry, environmental science (atmospheric pollutant detection and characterization), etc.