Sample Capture

ilochip has developed an unique sampling technology allowing the capture of airborne microorganisms. At present, the technology can be utilized to isolate or separate organisms directly from a gas flow.  Further development is underway to extend the technology to liquid media.  The technique, based on electrostatic capture is extremely rapid and effective, works in real-time, and is suitable for the detection of single organisms in cases where sensitivity is an issue. The simple and compact nature of this technology allows it to be incorporated into advanced MEMS structures without compromising the overall design of the device.

Benchmarking of the ilochip sampling technology against a standard method for air sampling is shown in the accompanying figure.

Comparison of ilochip airsampling technology (red) with a traditional membrane sampler (orange) at different particle densities  A. At a concentration of 10 particles/L the ilochip technology clearly has a larger sampling efficiency than traditional membrane sampling:  Only one particle was detected by membrane sampling after 10 min. B. At 100 particle/L, ilochip sampling still has a much higher sampling efficiency, but membrane sampling is starting to collect particles. C. & D. At higher particle densities, the ilochip technology is still more efficient than membrane sampling.  CFU indicates the number of colony forming units recovered from a B. thuringiensis spore aerosol following sampling by each method.