Gentle Sampler of Submicron Airborne Viruses via Electrostatic Forces

Abstract

Since the aerosol transmission is an important mode for spread of the airborne viral diseases, it is critical to know the accurate concentration and pathogenicity of the virus via correct sampling. Sampling of submicron virus particles is especially necessary due to their high probability of the airborne stay and deposition on the lower respiratory tract. In this work, we developed a personal electrostatic particle concentrator (EPC) for the aim of gentle sampling of submicron airborne virus particles. Owing to the enhanced electric field intensity, collection efficiencies for 0.05-2 μm particles were as high as 98.5-99.7% at the flow rate of 1.2 lpm. Fluorescence intensity for the collected submicron T3 and MS2 viral particles were 6.05 and 6.87 times higher in the EPC than in the SKC BioSampler, even though the sampling flow rate was more than 10 times lower in the EPC. Moreover, the concentration of viable T3 virus was 2498 times higher in the EPC than in the BioSampler, which is due to the gentle sampling in the EPC. This EPC in conjunction with a biosensor has potential for on-site accurate detection of airborne viruses.