Airborne pathogen simulants and mobility testing

Inventors

Hodges, Ulrike W. • Chou, Quin • Malmstrom, Erik • Arnold, Phil M.

Abstract

Airborne pathogen mobility and the airborne mobility of respiratory droplets, such as saliva, and testing thereof, can be monitored by tracking detectable compounds and measuring concentrations.

Core Innovation

A method of distributing a saliva simulant is provided for a target pathogen. The saliva simulant comprises water, a DNA taggant, and a carrier, and simulates human emission of the target pathogen. The simulant is sprayed in air at a first release location in a determined release amount to be detected at a first collection location, where a detected amount relative to the determined release amount is indicative of a degree of airflow from the first release location to the first collection location.

A sample is collected at the first collection location and a tracer concentration is determined based on the detected amount of the saliva simulant. A scale correlates tracer concentrations to inhalation probabilities and/or viral load. Based on the collected amount and/or the tracer concentration and the scale, an infection risk value representing infection risk in an enclosed space diagnostic of infection by the target pathogen is determined.

A report is generated that displays a first graphic element representing the infection risk value and a second graphic element representing the detected amount of the saliva simulant in a map comprising the first release location and the first collection location. In related detection embodiments, a plurality of collection locations is determined in air, samples are collected and analyzed to determine collected amount and tracer concentration, and the infection risk value is determined using the same correlation scale. In reduction-measurement embodiments, the infection risk value is measured over a plurality of times to determine a recovery time for the enclosed space.

Claims Coverage

The document contains three independent claims. Across these claims, the core inventive coverage uses DNA taggant-based saliva or pathogen simulants, tracer concentration determination from collected amounts, a correlation scale to inhalation probabilities and/or viral load, and enclosed-space infection-risk determination, with reporting and/or reduction over time and recovery time.

The independent claims collectively define an enclosed-space infection-risk diagnostic using an airborne pathogen simulant with a DNA taggant, measuring collected amounts to determine tracer concentrations, correlating tracer concentrations to inhalation probabilities and/or viral load via a scale, and determining an infection risk value. They further cover generating a map or report graphic output for release-to-collection locations and, in reduction-measurement, determining a recovery time from repeated infection-risk measurements over time.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications

No documented applications found