Project Outcomes

The Phase I project was a rapid response to the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 infections which the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global pandemic in March 2020. The project objective was to develop a low-cost, easy-to-use air sampler to capture airborne virus particles in indoor spaces. The goal was to simplify and miniaturize the companies' patented condensation growth tube (CGT) particle capture technology[1] making it more accessible to a larger number of users beyond the traditional research community. With valuable input from the NSF I-Corp customer discovery program, Aerosol Devices Inc. introduced the newly developed BioSpot-GEM^TM bioaerosol sampler to the market in less than one year. The sampler is small, quiet, and gently collects respirable airborne particles onto a sterile swab that is pretreated with a genomic preservative. While no longer viable or infectious, viruses and microbes collected onto the genomic preservative maintain their genetic signatures for up to a month at room temperature, or up to a year in refrigeration.

With a sample flow rate of 1.2 lpm, the sampler's collection efficiency is virtually 100% for respirable particles in the size range of approximately 0.01 to 6 μm. Laboratory aerobiology testing of three samplers showed comparable genomic recovery (RT-qPCR) to a commercial research-grade sampler using the same CGT sampling technology but at a higher flow rate (8 lpm), at both high and low aerosol concentrations. A prototype GEM sampler showed superior recovery (4x) compared to a micro-orifice uniform deposit cascade impactor. The limit of detection after 38 minutes of sampling using RT-qPCR analysis was below 10⁴ gene copies/m³; this characteristic time is that of a common air exchange rate in high-occupancy buildings. In all viral testing, the challenge agent was an aerosolized live murine hepatitis virus; this coronavirus is very closely related to modern SARS, yet it is harmless to humans and is widely-accepted as environmental model for the persistence of SARS-CoV-2. Technical presentations describing the sampler design and test results were given in webinars and at various scientific conferences including those given by the American Association for Aerosol Research, American Industrial Hygiene Association, Healthy Buildings Europe, International Society for Exposure Assessment, and at the International Conference of Dental and Oral Health.

The BioSpot-GEM sampler (BSS302) is a bioaerosol sample collection device designed for:

Indoor air quality (IAQ) professionals

To:

Unobtrusively, easily and accurately sample indoor environments for airborne microbes of all kinds - virus, bacteria, fungi, allergens, toxins

With the intent of:

• Surveying the environment for "pathogen hot spots" and/or areas requiring mitigation effort such as better ventilation, filtration, disinfection, etc.,
• Routine sampling to ensure that standards and guidelines are being maintained, and for
• Surveying genomic diversity of the indoor microbiome

Unlike:

Other sampling methods (e.g., filters, impingers, impactors) that have collection efficiency biases, especially for submicron particle sizes, and can damage the viruses/microbes with mechanical stresses and desiccation.

Value Proposition to IAQ/Environmental Consultants:

Your customers rely on you to provide the best possible science in the fight to help prevent the spread of dangerous pathogens in their indoor environment. While the CDC and other regulatory bodies provide general guidelines and methods to clean, ventilate, and filter the air, the BioSpot-GEM bioaerosol sampler is the only product that can accurately collect, concentrate and preserve airborne microbes as they exist in the atmospheric environment - in a portable platform which is compatible for almost any chemical or biological analysis for the express purpose of aerosol exposure assessments and interrupting disease transmission.

Using condensation growth capture, the BioSpot-GEM sampler gently collects and concentrates airborne particles on an easy-to-analyze swab. The portable sampler can be moved from room to room, providing in-the-moment sampling of hard-to-reach areas and blind spots. Sampling onto a swab pretreated with a genomic stabilizer preserves any airborne DNA/RNA instantly upon capture for the highest possible analysis recovery. The swab samples can be easily transported at room temperature to a nearby lab for high quality genomic analysis (e.g. qPCR, RNA/DNA sequencing).

The BioSpot-GEM sampler is truly a state-of-the-art scientific method for "finding a needle in a haystack" and gives you one extra tool in the IAQ arsenal.

Last Modified: 04/14/2022
Modified by: Patricia B Keady