초록 ▼

A trigger device for detecting particles of interest comprises a sample substrate, a collector, a read head and a processor. The collector is positioned proximate to at least a portion of a first side of a sample substrate and is operated to deposit a sample on the substrate within a sample area. T

A trigger device for detecting particles of interest comprises a sample substrate, a collector, a read head and a processor. The collector is positioned proximate to at least a portion of a first side of a sample substrate and is operated to deposit a sample on the substrate within a sample area. The read head is positioned proximate to the sample area on a second side of the sample substrate generally opposite the collector and comprises a concave reflection surface having a back side positioned proximate to the sample area so as to register the substrate within the sample area with the read head. The processor is operatively configured to analyze a signal from one or more detectors of the read head and to trigger an event if particulates of interest are detected in the sample.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A trigger device for detecting particulates of interest comprising: a collector configured to deposit samples of particulates within a sample collection area onto a sample substrate; a read head positioned proximate to said sample collection area generally opposite of said co

What is claimed is: 1. A trigger device for detecting particulates of interest comprising: a collector configured to deposit samples of particulates within a sample collection area onto a sample substrate; a read head positioned proximate to said sample collection area generally opposite of said collector such that said sample collection area is between said collector and said read head, said read head comprising a housing, an optical system and at least one detector, and a processor operatively configured to analyze a signal from said at least one detector and to trigger an event if particulates of interest are detected in said sample area, wherein: said read head housing comprises a sample substrate receiving surface including a channel for receiving said sample substrate; said read head optical system comprises: a concave reflection surface having a back surface positioned adjacent to said channel so as to register said sample substrate when received in said channel adjacent to said optical system of said read head; and an illumination source that illuminates at least a portion of said sample area, wherein radiation emitted by said illumination source is directed towards said reflection surface; said at least one detector collects radiation within said read head including at least one of light reflected from said reflection surface and radiation which may be emitted by samples collected within said sample area; and said sample substrate is oriented generally between said collector and said read head, said sample substrate configured to collect samples deposited in said sample area on a first side of said sample substrate proximate said collector for interrogation of collected samples by said read head through a second, opposite side of said sample substrate which is aligned with said optical system of said read head. 2. The trigger device according to claim 1, wherein said collector and said optical read head are each configured with respect to said sample substrate so as to form a light tight relationship therebetween. 3. The trigger device according to claim 1, wherein said collector comprises a baffled intake manifold so as to block ambient light from entering said sample area via said collector. 4. The trigger device according to claim 1, wherein said collector comprises a nozzle from which a fluid stream is ejected from said collector towards said sample area, wherein a flow rate of said stream is controlled by a size of said nozzle. 5. The trigger device according to claim 1, wherein said collector ejects a fluid stream towards said sample area, and said stream is reversed and drawn back out through said collector. 6. The trigger device according to claim 1, wherein said collector comprises an end cap that is adjustable to set the space between a nozzle of said collector and said collection area. 7. The trigger device according to claim 1, wherein said sample substrate comprises a tape that passes through said channel in said read head so as to register said sample area with said reflection surface. 8. The trigger device according to claim 1, wherein said sample substrate comprises a Fluorinated Ethylene Copolymer material (FEP). 9. The trigger device according to claim 1, further comprising a mask for limiting the dispersion of said sample on said sample substrate. 10. The trigger device according to claim 1, wherein said illumination source is configured to illuminate said sample substrate during sample collection by the collector so as to provide a substantially real-time response to the detection of at least one type of particulates of interest. 11. The trigger device according to claim 1, wherein said reflection surface comprises a parabolic mirror. 12. The trigger device according to claim 1, wherein said processor is operatively configured to activate an alarm based upon a detection of a fluorescence of a particle of interest. 13. The trigger device according to claim 1, wherein said processor is operatively configured to activate an alarm based upon a detection of a fluorescence that is not consistent with a previously determined trend. 14. A read head for a trigger device comprising: a housing including a first surface having a channel therethrough for receiving a tape substrate; an optical system comprising: a concave reflection surface having a backside adjacent to at least a portion of said channel in said first surface so as to register said tape substrate adjacent to said optical system when said tape substrate is positioned within said channel; a radiation source configured to emit a beam that is directed towards said reflection surface so as to illuminate a sample collected on a sample region of said tape substrate that is aligned with said backside of said reflection surface; and at least one filter arranged to filter at least one of radiation which has been reflected from said reflection surface or radiation which has been emitted from particulates collected on said tape substrate within said sample region that emit radiation through said backside of said reflection surface; and at least one detector arranged to receive said radiation filtered by said at least one filter and output a signal corresponding to the filtered radiation. 15. The read head according to claim 14, wherein said reflection surface comprises a parabolic mirror. 16. The read head according to claim 14, wherein said radiation source comprises an ultraviolet Light Emitting Diode. 17. The read head according to claim 14, wherein said radiation source beam is directed from a side of said housing towards said reflection surface by a fiber optic element. 18. The read head according to claim 14, wherein said at least one filter comprises a first condenser lens positioned adjacent to said detector and a second condenser lens spaced from said first condenser lens. 19. The read head according to claim 14, wherein said detector comprises a silicon photodiode detector. 20. A read head for a trigger device comprising: a housing including a first surface having a channel therethrough for receiving a tape substrate; an optical system comprising: a concave reflection surface having a backside adjacent to at least a portion of said channel in said first surface so as to register said tape substrate adjacent to said optical system when said tape substrate is positioned within said channel; a radiation source configured to emit a beam that is directed towards said reflection surface so as to illuminate a sample collected on a sample region of said tape substrate that is aligned with said backside of said reflection surface; and at least one optical device positioned to filter at least one of radiation which has been reflected from said reflection surface or radiation which has been emitted from particulates collected on said sample area of said tape substrate that emit radiation through said backside of said reflection surface, into at least a first spectral range and a second spectral range; a first detector arranged to receive radiation that is filtered into said first spectral range and output a first signal corresponding to the filtered radiation in said first spectral range; and a second detector arranged to receive radiation that is filtered into said second spectral range that is different from said first spectral range and output a second signal corresponding to the filtered radiation in said second spectral range. 21. The read head according to claim 20, further comprising a first dichroic element and a second dichroic element that collimate and filter said beam before said beam reaches said reflection surface. 22. The read head according to claim 21, wherein said first and second dichroic elements subtract an emission tail of said beam before said beam reaches said reflection surface. 23. The read head according to claim 20, wherein said concave reflection surface comprises a parabolic mirror configured to collimate and direct radiation so as to be detected by said first and second detectors. 24. The read head according to claim 20, wherein said first detector is configured to detect energy generally within an ultraviolet light range and said second detector is configured to detect energy generally within a visible or near visible light range. 25. The read head according to claim 24, wherein said ultraviolet light range comprises at least a 300 to 380 nanometer region and said visible or near visible light range comprises at least a 400 to 570 nanometer region. 26. The read head according to claim 20, further comprising a narrow band filter that divides radiation detected by said second detector into a plurality of ranges. 27. The read head according to claim 26, wherein said narrow band filter divides radiation received by said second detector into a plurality of regions, where each region is a subset of a spectral range defined between approximately 300 and 570 nanometers. 28. The read head according to claim 26, wherein said narrow band filter comprises a chopper wheel having a plurality of slits therethrough. 29. A method of detecting a particulate of interest comprising: utilizing a collection device to collect a sample of particulates within a predetermined sample area onto a first side of a tape substrate during a collection period; utilizing a read head positioned proximate to said sample collection area generally opposite of said collector to illuminate said sample area through a second, opposite side of said tape substrate which is aligned with an optical system of said read head during at least a portion of said collection period by: directing a beam towards a concave reflection surface of said optical system that is oriented such that the rear of the reflection surface is registered with said sample area of said tape substrate that is adjacent to said optical system; collecting and filtering at least one of radiation which has been reflected from said reflection surface or radiation which has been emitted from particulates collected on the tape substrate that emit radiation through said reflection surface to generate illumination data; computing slope and threshold information from said data to determine if a positive event has occurred with sufficient confidence to generate an action event; and automatically indexing said tape to a clean substrate region after said collection period. 30. The method according to claim 29, wherein collecting a sample comprises impacting particulates onto said tape in a localized spot having a diameter smaller than approximately 2 millimeters. 31. The method according to claim 29, further comprising arranging said collection device and said read head so as to achieve a light tight optical system where said sample area is illuminated by said optical read head. 32. The method according to claim 29, further comprising: recording information associated with samples collected on said tape substrate; removing said tape from said read head; providing said tape in an identifier; locating a sample of interest based upon said information; and identifying particulates of interest. 33. The method according to claim 29, further comprising monitoring radiation in both an ultraviolet spectral range and in a visible or near visible spectral range to generate said data. 34. The method according to claim 33, further comprising: detecting a potential positive event; utilizing a narrow band filter to sample a plurality of spectral bands within said visible or near visible spectral range to generate a spectral signature; and; analyzing said spectral signature to determine whether to trigger said action event. 35. The method according to claim 29, wherein said providing a tape substrate comprises providing a Fluorinated Ethylene Copolymer material (FEP) material as said tape substrate.