GB2477075A - Environmental suspended objects sampling system - Google Patents

Abstract

The system is a non-invasive, in situ and sterilizable sampler to monitor suspended natural or synthetic, living or non living small objects in environment and evaluate their behaviours. It consists of 10 branches which are distributed around a core over XYZ axis. Each branch has 3 sample containers 2. A core of the sampling system has absorbent and contact avoiders. Each sample container consists of two lattice shape outer and inner walls 1, 2. They allow only a specific range of objects to pass through them. The inner wall embraces the main sample container space and includes four separated samplers 4-7. They are separated from the adjacent ones by fluid passage ways 3 and fluids are able to pass all around them. They can be adapted for collecting micro-organisms specially to sample bacterial strains. The core of the sampling system collects information about changes in environment condition (e.g. temperature) during sampling period.

Description

Environmental Suspended Objects Sampling System This invention relates to sampling and monitoring environment particularly aqueous media.

Environmental problems and how to tackle them is a global challenge. To evaluate the extent of environmental problems and find the appropriate approach to solve or minimize them, we need to have a realistic view of the current conditions of the environment.

Proper sampling of the environment (e.g. soil, water) is the first step towards monitoring and evaluating current environment conditions.

Among different components of the environment which influence its overall condition, suspended particles (e.g. colloidal) and available micro-organisms (e.g. bacteria) are playing very important role.

Therefore appropriate sampling of the above mentioned components and assessing their behaviour in nature is an essential step and should be addressed by accurate and reliable techniques.

The present invention proposes a technique to provide a non invasive and accurate way of in-situ sampling of the suspended objects (e.g. colloidal, nano particles, micro-organisms) in aqueous medium dominated environments.

The proposed invention is also provides the ability of exposing different materials, natural or synthetic to real environmental conditions and assess theirs interactions with present particles and micro-organisms.

In addition it enables us to design better environmental management plans or remediation techniques based on the collected data from this in-situ real condition technique.

The proposed technique include a sampler which is made of an inert material (e.g. plastic) and is transferred to the sampling point (area) manually or automatically (e.g. in a specific depth of aquifer through a borehole). It also provides information about sampling environment (e.g. Temperature and pH of the environment). It can be used for short and long terms sampling or environment assessments from a few minutes to several years.

An example of the invention is now be described by referring the accompanying drawings; * Figure 1 shows shape of the sampler frame in XY plane.

* Figure 2 shows shape of the sampler frame in XZ plane.

* Figure 3 shows cross section of the internal side of the main sample containers.

* Figure 4 shows external shape of a main sample container.

* A figure 5 shows how a main sample container is closed and sealed.

It consists of 10 branches which are connected to a central point (core of the sampler), 8 of these branches are located in XY and 2 are in XZ plane. In figure 1, 1 shows one of the branches (branch D).

AS it is shown in Figure 1, 8 branches are placed in XV plane. Each branch has 3 main sampler or sample containers which are preferentially in cubic form. It is shown by 2 in this figure, 3 is the core of the whole sampling system, where all the branches are attached. In the same figure 4 shows cross section of the branches which are located in XZ plane, 5 indicates shock absorbent and contact avoiders which are preferentially spherical shape polyethylene foam and are attached at the end of each branch. When the sampler is sent to the sampling point (e.g. through borehole) they avoid contact between non desired environment and samplers/sample holders. Also they make the sampler more stable. Figure 2, shows 2 branches which are placed in YZ plane, In this figure, 1 refers to the sampler core, 2 refers to branch, 3 is main sampler/sample holder and 4 is the shock-absorbent. In Figure 1 and 2, totally present 10 branches, each branch consist of 3 main (preferentially cube form) sampler/sample holder container.

Figure 3 shows cross section of a main sampler. Each main sample container consisted of two lattice shape membrane (wall), outer membrane (1 in figure 3) and inner membrane (2 in figure 3). These net shape membranes allow only a specific range of objects (e.g. bacteria) to pass through them.

They are built of inert material and designed not to chemically interact with the environment, although based on specific applications alternative goal-oriented materials can be used. In this figure, 8 show the void area between the outer and inner membrane which provides some space as a filter holder. Different types of filter can be placed in this space to allow only a very specific kind of objects to pass through them. In figure 3, the inner membrane (2) embraces the main samplers/sample holders' container. The sample holder's container includes 4 separated sampler/sample holder, indicated by 4, 5, 6 and 7. Each of them is a triangular shape and all of them together provide a square shape frame. Each of these 4 triangular sample holders has its own boundaries (9) and is separated from the adjacent ones by fluid passage ways (3) and fluids are able to pass all around them very easily. All the sample holders (4, 5, 6, and 7) within a main sample holder are similar but they are designed to be independent and provide enough information for statistical analysis, in this arrangement 4 is used for placing the control sample and 5, 6 and 7 are used to place experimental samples. Such an arrangement provides a triplicate and control result for scientific analysis.

Each of the cubes or even each sample holder (depends on the application) can be filled with a particular synthetic or natural object.

Some of the cubes or sample holders can be specifically used for collecting micro-organisms, e.g. bacteria; in that case a particular size of mesh shape plates which provide optimum condition for accumulation of the micro-organism (e.g. bacteria) is provided and placed in main sample holders.

The Sampling instrument not only is able to provide environmental samples for monitoring purposes, or evaluate interactions of different components of environment with the desired samples, but it can be used to introduce (enter) new synthetic or natural objects to the environment (.e.g. adding particular type of micro-organisms to the polluted sites for environmental remediation purposes).

After placing appropriate samples in each sampler/sample holder, the main container is closed and embraces the inner objects in appropriate manner. As it is shown in figure 4, preferentially each main container is closed by a sliding lid, in this figure, 1 refers to the mesh type external wall of the container and 2 refers to the lid in the closed shape. Figure 5, shows the main container's lid is open, in this figure, 1 is external wall of the main container, 2 is provided space for sliding lid and 3 is the lid itself.

The core of a sampler (which is shown by 4 in figure 1) is in shape of cube or sphere; it provides enough space for adding other data collector tools. However a thermochromatic indicator is attached inside the core of the sampler which is able to record a specific minimum, maximum temperatures and the duration that the sampler has faced each of these temperatures, together with the ambient temperature at every moment. . This thermochromatic indicator can be calibrated based on any particular application and does not require any external power source. Other optional probes like fluid velocity meter, pH meters, oxygen probes or other types of data collectors can be placed in the core of the sampler in case of necessity, external power supply (e.g. battery) can be placed in the sampler core as well.

Depends on the sampling environment size, scale or numbers of the whole sampler or its component (e.g. branches or cubes) may vary although the concept is the same.

The whole sampler provides 10 branches, each branch includes 3 cubes and each cube subsequently has 4 sampler/sample holders. Table 1 shows each branch code, main sample containers and samplers inside each main container.

Branch Main container Sampler/Sample Holder A Al, A2, A3 Aii-A14, A21-A24,A31-A34 B Bi, 82, B3 Bll-B14, B21-B24,B31-B34 C Ci, C2, C3 Cll-C14, C21-C24,C31-C34 D Dl, D2, D3 Dll-D14, D21-D24,D31-D34 E El, E2, E3 El1-E14, E21-E24,E31-E34 F Fl, F2, F3 Fll-F14, F21-F24,F31-F34 G 61, G2,G3 Gll-Gl4, G21-G24,631-G34 H Hi, H2,H3 Hli-H14, H21-H24,H31-H34 ____________ Ii, 12, 13 111-114, 121-124,131-134 J J1J2,J3 Jll-J14,J2l-J24,J31-J34 Table 1. Main and subsequent samplers that are provided by the sampling system.

Moreover the core of the sampler can provide other essential data (e.g. temperature, pH) about the sampling environment.

Weight of the sampler can be changed by adding external weights based on the application.

The whole sampler can be autoclaved or sterilized by other means before application specifically before studying microbial community. The sterilized sampler optionally can be immediately placed in a degradable sterile bag or/ (and a 2nd) sterile plastic bag subsequently.

Depends on the application the sampler can be sent/placed in the sampling point with or without the degradable sterile bag. Using degradable sterile bag allows transferring the sampler to the study point without interference of any microbial or other contaminations. Applying a degradable sterile bag allows sampling system to interact with the surrounding environments after the sterile bag is being degraded. This eliminates risk of transferring unwanted contamination, microbial or material to the sampling environment and moreover quick degradation of the sterile bag allows the sampling system to collect samples soon after placed in appropriate position.

In case of necessity and for safe transferring of the sampling system to the studying point the whole sampling system can be placed in a spherical solid lattice frame.

When the sampler is located in environments which there are some risk of interference (e.g. sea), the whole sample can be covered be specifically design net which only allow the desired objects to pass through it and reach the sampler.

Claims (1)

1. Claims 1-Environmental suspended objects sampling system as a non invasive, in situ sampler is made of inert material and consisted of several main sample containers, which can be sterilized and located in different environments to collect suspended small size natural or synthetic, living or non living objects during different time and also provide information about sample collecting environment.

   2-According to claim 1, each main sample container has at least 4 independent sample holders which enable exposing different quantities of synthetic and natural material to the sampling environment.

   3-Accoridng to claims 1 and 2, the environmental suspended objects sampling system allows monitoring changes in samples as a result of samples influence on environment and vice versa during sampling period.

   4-According to claims 1 and 2 the proposed invention enable collecting and isolating different microbial organisms present in sampling environment.

   5-According to claims 1 and 2 the proposed invention enable introducing new microbial organisms to the sampling environment and assess influence of environment on those micro-organisms and vice versa.

   6-According to claims 1 and 2, the environmental suspended object sampling system, can expose different series of natural or synthetic materials at the same time to the sampling environment.

   7-The sample containers of the environmental suspended object sampling system can be alternatively adapted for maximising accumulation of bacterial strain in sampling environment, to monitor existing bacterial strains and isolating new strains.