PARTICLES MICRO-ANALYSER

The invention is an instrument measuring the concentration of fine particles in the air. It consists of an aerodynamic stage screening device directing aerosol particles according to their mass to microbalances. The choice of this instrumentation is in accordance with the standard procedures used in the field of aerosol measurement to evaluate indoor air quality. The desire to target aerosols of biological origin such as microfungi is linked to health issues, as these microbes cause allergies. Real-time and continuous monitoring of the presence of particulate matter in the air will allow more accurate analysis of outdoor and indoor air quality.

Applications

• Indoor air quality: public buildings, hospitals, control sensors, ventilation triggering, fire hazard
• Connected home automation in individual housing (asthma, allergies, etc)

Competitive advantages

• 3 combined criteria: Good sensitivity (quality factor superior to 15000), Uniform response of the sensor, Large active area
• All silicon microsystem: reduction of fabrication time and cost
• Electrostatic actuation
• Larger size spectrum (also efficient on particles of medium size: 10-18 to 10-9 grams)
• Self-cleaning system allowing the sensor to perform in situ and continuous analysis of an aerosol flow, for continuous measurement of mass concentration.

Intellectual property

• International patent application PCT/ FR2019/052011
• Patentability of all the claims by the European Patent Office

Keywords

Air quality - Sensors - Microsystems - MEMS - Microbalance - Micro impactors - Micro/nano structuration - Particle pollution analysis - Mass measurement - Aerosol