Selectively sorting aerosol droplets in exhaled human breath based on a mass-size parameter

US11813050B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Regents of the University of California · US

Inventors

• Cristina E. Davis · Davis, US
• Konstantin Zamuruyev · Davis, US
• Michael Schivo · Davis, US
• Nicholas J. Kenyon · Davis, US
• Jean-Pierre Delplanque · Davis, US
• Alexander Aksenov · Village of La Jolla, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 22, 2017
• Grant date: Nov 14, 2023
• Expiry date: Nov 3, 2039

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2015/0288
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A selective-sorting system for aerosol droplets in human breath includes a mouthpiece to receive a flow of human breath, and a flow path coupled to the mouthpiece. This flow path includes one or more bends that cause the flow of human breath to change direction, which causes aerosol droplets in the flow having different mass-sizes to change direction at different rates. Moreover, the flow path is shaped so that droplets that change direction at different rates are directed to different destinations. The system also includes a collection path, which is coupled to the flow path so that aerosol droplets meeting a specific mass-size criterion are directed into the collection path. A condenser tube is located in the collection path, wherein the condenser tube includes a cooling mechanism that cools the condenser tube to facilitate condensing aerosol droplets to sides of the condenser tube for subsequent collection.