BioSentry® Technology Overview
Waterborne Pathogen Detection Presents System-Wide Challenges
Ready identification of waterborne pathogens, from manufacturing to municipalities, is vital to ensuring the safety and purity of a water supply. This critical function has traditionally been accomplished through discrete "grab sample" collection and time-consuming laboratory analysis. Although this remains the standard approach to water monitoring, it is a wholly ineffective one. The grab-sample method merely provides a glimpse into a static location at a singular moment in time. It is therefore incapable of providing the comprehensive, continuous vigilance necessary to assure rapid breech detection and response.
[Learn more about comparative detection technologies for waterborne pathogens]
Experts agree that traditional testing simply does not get the job done. A continuous, system-wide monitoring system with real-time microbe identification and immediate event notification is required for security. And JMAR Technologies has developed it.
A New Approach
JMAR has overcome all of the traditional grab-sample limitations by going directly to the source. Its BioSentry system is directly integrated into the water supply through continuous, slip-stream flow analysis. This approach allows for comprehensive real-time monitoring and the earliest warning notification available.
Multi-Angle Light Scattering (MALS)
BioSentry utilizes the patented multi-angle light scattering (MALS) technology developed by JMAR and based on decades of expertise in lasers, optics, and image processing algorithms. The MALS principle describes the unique light-scattering patterns generated when small particles pass through a laser beam These unique patterns are termed 'Bio-Optical Signatures' (BOS) which can be used reliably for microbial classification.
[Learn more about Multi-angle Light Scattering]
Bio-Optical Signatures (BOS)
Class and species-specific BOSs have been designated by JMAR scientists based on several thousand flow-cell cycles per species designed to capture all possible size, shape and morphology variances. It is this real-world criteria that serves as the basis for microbial classification. Detected microbes passing through the BioSentry laser are evaluated by the photodetector for light scatter patterns. The BOS generated is then fed into the proprietary JMAR algorithms for proper classification. The process is virtually instantaneous providing for real-time detection and classification.
Measurement Channels
The BioSentry system uses four channels to detect, measure, and classify biological particulates. Each channel indicates a specific shape and size, ranging from 0.4 microns upwards to 10 microns. Channel 1 detects the smallest (0.4 - 4.0 micons) rod-shaped particles. Channel 2 detects slightly larger (1 to 3 micon), ovoid-shaped particles with more rigid walls/cases. Channel 3 detects ovoid-shaped particles from 3.0 microns to 10 microns. Each event that is not classified into the 3 previous channels is automatically classified into Channel 4 as an "Unknown" particle since its scatter pattern has insufficient correlation to the system calibration library.
BioSentry does not provide viability data as the system cannot differentiate between live and dead organisms, motile or non-motile, organic or inorganic. It is notable however that previous studies have demonstrated that rod-shaped waterborne particles are nearly exclusively bacterial in nature. Typically speaking, these bacteria are either viable, or only recently dead. Heavy sanitization of water, using high levels of chlorine for example, will usually cause the rod-shaped bacteria to decompose into smaller particles, therefore no longer detected as rod-shaped.
Operation
The BioSentry is easily installed by wall-mounting or alternatively the unit can be stored in the optional free-standing frame. BioSentry is also available as a more portable, desk-top unit. Access to a sample line (for the slip stream flow), adequate electrical supply and remote communication services is all that is necessary for functionalty. After calibrating the system for the specific site location and water type, BioSentry continuously (24/7) monitors the water line for the presence of foreign particles.
Known pathogen 'Matches' are classified, while unclassified biological and inorganic contaminants are categorized as 'Unknowns'. In normal warning mode, when microbial contaminants exceed the customer's pre-set thresholds, the system automatically alerts (communicated remotely), The unit can additionally extract a sample for further analysis and confirmation. In measurement mode, the counts per minute in each of the four classification channels are recorded into a SQLExpress database.
Fully automated and remotely accessible, the BioSentry system offers low cost of ownership and minimal maintenance requirements. It integrates easily into existing SCADA or MIS systems, and can be custom configured for facility-specific performance requirements. Whether used as a biological monitoring device or as an overall quality process enhancement, BioSentry brings state-of-the-art performance to water safety.
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