SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR NON-INVASIVE DETERMINATION OF COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS INFECTION

SYSTEMES ET METHODES POUR LA DETERMINATION NON INVASIVE DE L'INFECTION PAR LE CORONAVIRUS COVID-19

English Abstract

A high throughput method for label-free, noncontact, noninvasive, and nondestructive detection of at least one virus infected or virus free individual from at least one tested individual is provided. The method includes collecting a sample from exhaled breath of a subject for analysis of the sample. The collecting includes the subject exhaling into at least one sampler and collecting aerosols and/or any airborne compound from the exhaled breath by passing the exhaled breath through a metamaterial membrane within the sampler. The metamaterial membrane is arranged transverse to a flow of exhaled breath through the sampler. The method further includes analyzing the sample for detection of at least one virus infected individual from at least one tested individual.

French Abstract

L'invention concerne une méthode à haut rendement pour la détection sans marqueur, sans contact, non invasive et non destructive d'au moins un individu infecté par un virus ou exempt de virus par rapport à au moins un individu testé. La méthode comprend la collecte d'un échantillon de l'haleine expirée d'un sujet pour l'analyse de l'échantillon. La collecte comprend l'expiration du sujet dans au moins un échantillonneur et la collecte des aérosols et/ou de tout composé en suspension dans l'air à partir de l'haleine expirée en faisant passer l'haleine expirée à travers une membrane métamatériau à l'intérieur de l'échantillonneur. La membrane métamatériau est disposée transversalement à un flux d'haleine expirée à travers l'échantillonneur. La méthode comprend en outre l'analyse de l'échantillon pour la détection d'au moins un individu infecté par un virus parmi au moins un individu testé.

Claims

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CLAIMS
1. A high throughput system for label-free, noncontact, noninvasive, and
nondestructive
detection of at least one virus infected individual from at least one tested
individual, the
system comprising.
at least one sampler comprising at least one metamaterial membrane absorber
located at
the propagation path of at least one collected media being selected from a
group consisting
of aerosol, any airborne compound, volatile compounds, VCs, and any
combination
thereof, released by said at least one tested individual breath, said
metamaterial membrane
absorber being configured and operable for trapping the collected media; and
a control unit configured and operable for receiving data indicative of the
collected media
being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range and
processing said data
for identifying a signature being indicative of virus infected individuals to
thereby provide
detection of said virus infected individuals.
2 The system of claim 1, wherein said THz range is between 200 GHz
to 1200 GHz.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein said tested individual is asymptomatic
and has no symptom
related to said virus.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein said system distinguishes between a healthy
individual, a
virus recovered individual and an infected individual.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein detection of said virus infected individuals
provides
clearance to healthy individuals and/or virus recovered individuals.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein said signature is information indicative of
said virus; said
information being selected from a group consisting of cell unit of said virus,
viral proteins,
cellular debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said virus, hydrates of
debris of said virus,
hydrates of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell, aggregates of said
virus, cytokines,
increased level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2
receptor (IL-2R),
interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor, interferon-y,
inducible protein
10, monocyte chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a,
and
tumor necrosis factor-a, and any combination thereof.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein said media create spoof surface plasmon
polaritons
(SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
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8. The system of claim 1, wherein said virus is selected from a group selected
from COV
viruses family, COVID-19, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination
thereof.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein said sampler is at least one selected
from a group consisting
of a breathalyzer, a straw-like device, any handheld device, any IOT device
into which
human breath is exhaled.
0_ The system of claim I , wherein said sampler comprises a proximal end and a
distal end
interconnected by a main longitudinal axis, along which said at least one
metamaterial
membrane is positioned; and into which said tested individual exhaled breath,
such that the
propagation path of said exhaled breath and said collected media therewithin
intersect said
at least one metamaterial membrane and absorbed therewithin.
1 1 The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one metamaterial membrane
and/or said
sampler is placed in an electromagnetic testing unit; said electromagnetic
testing unit is in
communication with (a) a THz generator means, adapted to generate THz
frequencies; and,
(b) a THz scanner comprises at least 2 photo-mixers, one of which is adapted
to transmit a
THz signal and the other is adapted to receive the same; said electromagnetic
testing unit
adapted to (a) scan in the THz range said metamaterial membrane absorbed with
said
volatile media in said exhale breath of said tested individual; and, (b)
transmit data
indicative of the collected media to said control unit.
12. The system of claim 1, wherein said sampler comprises two parts reversibly
coupled to
each other along a main longitudinal axis, such that (a) said at least one
metamaterial
membrane is positioned therebetween along said main longitudinal axis; and,
(b) into said
sampler said tested individual exhale breath, such that the propagation path
of said exhaled
breath and said collected media therewithin intersect said at least one
metamaterial
membrane and absorbed therewithin.
13. The system of claim 1, wherein said sampler is airtight sealed such that
said collected media
released by said at least one tested individuals breath are prevented from
exiting said
sampler.
14. The system of claim 1, wherein said membrane is enclosed within at least
one capsule;
wherein said capsule is sealed by means of at least one o-ring.
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15. The system of claim 1, wherein said sampler is RFID tagged with each of
said tested
individual, such that detection of said virus infected individuals is traced
back to each of
said tested individual.
16. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the following us being held
true (a) said
sampler is a disposable unit, (b) said sampler comprises at least one sealing
element
adapted to seal thereof.
1 7_ The system of claim 11, wherein said electromagnetic testing unit
comprising at least one
electromagnetic radiation transmitter and at least one electromagnetic
radiation detector.
18_ The system of claim 17, wherein the membrane is positionable within the
electromagnetic
radiation emitted by the transmitter.
19_ The system of claim 1, wherein said data being processed by said control
unit is at least
one absorption spectrum of said membrane.
20_ The system of claim 1, wherein processing of said at least one absorption
spectrum of said
membrane additionally comprising pattern recognition of said at least one
absorption
spectrum_
21. The system of claim 20, wherein said pattern recognition comprising at
least one selected
from a group consisting identification of special features of the pattern,
identification of
main and side peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the width of the peaks
and the
distance therebetween and any combination thereof.
22. The system of claim 1, wherein said membrane is in communication with a
vacuum source,
a gas collection device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein the membrane is
capable of
capturing said collected media.
23. The system of claim 1, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying at
least one selected
from a group consisting of positive/negative pressure or electricity to
release said collected
media.
24. The system of claim 1, wherein said membrane is coated with at least one
material selected
from a group consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene, acting as a
reflector, and any
combination thereof.
25. The system of claim 1, wherein said membrane is made of at least one
material selected
from a group consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure Permeable
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Membrane, meta-material, PET, open-cell foam-based melamine and any
combination
thereof
26. The system of claim 1, wherein said control unit is configured and
operable for performing
a pattern recognition of said signature.
27. The system of claim 1, wherein said system additionally comprising at one
communicable
and readable database; said database conlprising said collected media being
scanned with
an electromagnetic radiation in the TT-1z range.
28. The system of claim 27, wherein said system has 2 modes of operation: (a)
a learning phase;
and, (b) a detection phase.
29. The system of claim 28, wherein, in said learning phase, said control unit
trains
a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter in the absorption
spectrum of
said membrane with said collected media being scanned with an electromagnetic
radiation
in the THz range of a plurality of membrane stored in said communicable and
readable
database in order to generate information data being indicative of said virus
infected
individuals.
30. The system of claim 29, wherein said parameter selected from a group
consisting of, trends
in said database of said at least one tested individuals, eigenvector of said
database of said
at least one tested individuals, eigenvalues of said database of said at least
one tested
individuals, feature extraction step being configured to estimate the most
relevant vectors
defining the data using a principal component analysis, a pattern
classification using a
combined linear and nonlinear pattern recognition approach, known symptoms of
said
virus, known healthy individuals, healthy individual vital signs selected from
fever, sweat,
body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate
(respiratory rate)
and any combination thereof, infected individual vital signs selected from
fever, sweat,
body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate
(respiratory rate)
and any combination thereof, medicaments being administered to said tested
individual,
and any combination thereof.
31. The system of claim 29, wherein, in said learning phase, said data is
either supervised or
unsupervised data; and, said training by said control unit is performed by at
least one
algorithm selected from a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm,
Principal
Component Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors
algorithm,
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Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant,
Network
Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine learning algorithm and any
combination
thereof on said collected media being scanned with an electromagnetic
radiation in the THz
range stored in said communicable and readable database in order to generate
information
data being indicative of at least one said virus infected individuals.
32. The system of claim 29, wherein, in said detection phase, said data is
either supervised or
unsupervised data; and, said control unit performs at least one algorithm
selected from a
group consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component
Analysis
algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature,
Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm
(NNA),
any machine learning algorithm and any combination thereof on said collected
media being
scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range stored in said
communicable
and readable database in order to generate information data being indicative
of at least one
said virus infected individuals.
33 The system of claim 29, wherein, in said detection phase, said control unit
detects said
signature the absorption spectrum of said membrane with said collected media
being
indicative of at least one said virus infected individuals by means of said
trained
machine learning model.
34. The system of claim 28, wherein said system additionally comprising at
least one
communicable and readable database storing instructions which, when executed
by the at
least one data processor, result in operations comprising:
training a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter of said
collected
media being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range of at
least one
tested individuals stored in said communicable and readable database in order
to generate
information data being indicative of said virus infected individuals; and,
after said step of training, real time detecting said parameter by means of
said
trained machine learning model.
35. The system of claim 1, wherein said data is either supervised or
unsupervised data; and,
said control unit performs at least one algorithm selected from a group
consisting of Leave
One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm, canberra
distance, k-
nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant,
Fisher's nonlinear
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discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine learning
algorithm
and any combination thereof in order to generate information data being
indicative of said
virus infected individuals.
36. The system of claims 1-35, wherein said control unit additionally performs
Fast Fourier
Transformation in order to generate information data being indicative of said
virus infected
indivi duals .
3 7_ The system of claim 1, wherein said membrane is made of hardened extruded
plastic.
38. The system of claim 1, wherein said membrane is able to trap at least one
selected from a
group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture thereof,
Ketones,
aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl benzene,
hexanal,
phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl tri
sulfide, phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl- 1 -hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl- 1 -methyl-1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hy drofluorocarbon s
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2 and any combination thereof.
39. The system of claim 1, wherein said membrane is single-use, disposable
membrane.
40. The system of claim 1, wherein said membrane is reusable.
41. The system of claim 1, wherein said collected media comprising at least
one selected from
a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture thereof,
Ketones,
aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl benzene,
hexanal,
phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl- 1 -hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl- 1 -methyl-1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hydrofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2 and any combination thereof.
42. The system of claim 1, wherein said membrane is removable from the
sampling apparatus.
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43. The system of claim 1, wherein said detection is completed within a period
of time being
less than 40 seconds.
44. The system of any one of' the preceding claims, further comprising a
spectroscopic
assembly including a radiation transmitter unit being configured and operable
to scan said
meinbrane holding collected media by generating an electromagnetic radiation
in the range
of THz within a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit being
configured
and operable to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said collected
media.
45. The system of any of claims 1 -44, wherein said system additionally
comprising signaling
means adapted to signal the user that sufficient enough of collected media
have been
captured in said membrane or that said detection has been completed.
46. The system of claim 45, wherein said signaling means are either optical or
vocal means.
47. The system of claim 1, wherein said sampler additionally comprising at
least one Lego-
like connection adapted to enable the stacking of multiple samplers one on the
other.
48. The system of claim 1, wherein said sampler additionally comprising
focusing means
adapted to focus the collected media exhaled from the individuals being tested
onto said
membrane.
49. The system of claim 17, wherein said system additionally comprising a
conveyor upon
which a stack of multiple samplers is being disposed.
50. The system of claim 47, wherein said system additionally comprising
optical means
adapted to ensure correct positioning of each of said samplers in between said
at least one
electromagnetic radiation transmitter and at least one electromagnetic
radiation detector.
51. The system of claim 1, additionally comprising at least one waste
container adapted to
contain said samplers prior to and/or after the same have been scanned.
52. A high throughput system for label-free, noncontact, noninvasive, and
nondestructive
detection of at least one virus infected individuals from at least one tested
individual, the
system
comprising:
at least one sampler comprising at least one metamaterial membrane absorber
located at
the propagation path of a collected media being selected from a group
consisting of
aerosol, any airborne compound, volatile compounds, VCs, and any combination
thereof,
released by said at least one tested individuals breath, said metamaterial
membrane
absorber being configured and operable for trapping said collected media;
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at least one electromagnetic testing unit in communication with at least one
THz generator
module, comprising at least one electromagnetic radiation transmitter and at
least one
electromagnetic radiation detector; said membrane, after absorbing said
collected media,
being positionable within the electromagnetic radiation emitted by said at
least one
transmitter; such that said electromagnetic testing unit adapted to (a) scan
in the THz range
said metamaterial membrane absorbed with said collected media in said exhaled
breath of
said tested individual; and, (b) transmit data indicative of the said
collected media to said
control unit;
a control unit configured and operable for receiving data indicative of said
collected media
from said electromagnetic testing unit and processing said data for
identifying a signature
being indicative of virus infected individuals to thereby provide detection of
said virus
infected individuals.
53. The system of claim 52, wherein said THz range is between 200 GHz to 1200
GHz.
54. The system of claim 52, wherein said tested individual is asymptomatic and
has no
symptom related to said virus.
55. The system of claim 52, wherein said system distinguishes between a
healthy individual, a
virus recovered individual and an infected individual.
56. The system of claim 52, wherein detection of said virus infected
individuals provides
clearance to healthy individuals and/or virus recovered individuals.
57. The system of claim 52, wherein said signature is information indicative
of said virus; said
information being selected from a group consisting of cell unit of said virus,
viral proteins,
cellular debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said virus, hydrates of
debris of said virus,
hydrates of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell, aggregates of said
virus, cytokines,
increased level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2
receptor (IL-2R),
interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor, interferon-y,
inducible protein
10, monocyte chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-
cc, and
tumor necrosis factor-cc, and any combination thereof.
58. The system of claim 52, wherein said collected media create spoof surface
plasmon
polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
59. The system of claim 52, wherein said virus is selected from a group
selected from COV
viruses family, COVID-19, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination
thereof.
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60. The system of claim 52, wherein said sampler is at least one selected from
a group
consisting of a breathalyzer, a straw-like device, any handheld device, any
IOT device into
which human breath is exhaled.
61. The system of claim 52, wherein said sampler comprises a proximal end and
a distal end
interconnected by a main longitudinal axis, along which said at least one
metamaterial
membrane is positioned; and into which said tested individual exhale breath,
such that the
propagation path of said exhaled breath and said collected media therewithin
intersect said
at least one metamaterial membrane and absorbed therewithin.
62. The system of claim 52, wherein said sampler is airtight sealed such that
said collected
media released by said at least one tested individuals breath are prevented
from exiting said
sampl er.
63. The system of claim 52, wherein said membrane is enclosed within at least
one capsule;
wherein said capsule is sealed.
64. The system of claim 52, wherein said sampler is RFID tagged with each of
said tested
individual, such that detection of said virus infected individuals is traced
back to each of
said tested individual.
65. The system of claim 52, wherein at least one of the following us being
held true (a) said
sampler is a disposable unit; (b) said sampler comprises at least one sealing
element
adapted to seal thereof
66. The system of claim 52, wherein said data being processed by said control
unit is at least
one absorption spectrum of said membrane.
67. The system of claim 52, wherein processing of said at least one absorption
spectrum of
said membrane additionally comprising pattern recognition of said at least one
absorption
spectrum.
68. The system of claim 67, wherein said pattern recognition comprising at
least one selected
from a group consisting identification of special features of the pattern,
identification of
main and side peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the width of the peaks
and the
distance therebetween and any combination thereof.
69. The system of claim 52, wherein said membrane is in communication with a
vacuum
source, a gas collection device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein the
membrane is
capable of capturing said collected media.
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70. The system of claim 52, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying at
least one
selected from a group consisting of positive/negative pressure or electricity
to release said
collected media.
71. The system of claim 52, wherein said membrane is coated with at least one
material
selected from a group consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene, acting as a
reflector, and
any combination thereof.
72. The system of claim 52, wherein said membrane is made of at least one
material selected
from a group consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure Permeable
Membrane, meta-material, PET, open-cell foam-based melamine and any
combination
thereof
71 The system of claim 52, wherein said control unit is configured and
operable for
performing a pattern recognition of said signature.
74. The system of claim 52, wherein said system additionally comprising at one
communicable
and readable database; said database comprising said collected media being
scanned with
an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
75. The system of claim 74, wherein said system has 2 modes of operation: (a)
a learning phase;
and, (b) a detection phase.
76. The system of claim 75, wherein, in said learning phase, said control unit
trains
a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter in the absorption
spectrum of
said membrane with said collected media being scanned with an electromagnetic
radiation
in the THz range of a plurality of membrane stored in said communicable and
readable
database in order to generate information data being indicative of said virus
infected
individuals.
77. The system of claim 76, wherein aid parameter selected from a group
consisting of, trends
in said database of said at least one tested individuals, eigenvector of said
database of said
at least one tested individuals, eigenvalues of said database of said at least
one tested
individuals, feature extraction step being configured to estimate the most
relevant vectors
defining the data using a principal component analysis, a pattern
classification using a
combined linear and nonlinear pattern recognition approach, known symptoms of
said
virus, known healthy individuals, healthy individual vital signs selected from
fever, sweat,
body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate
(respiratory rate)
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and any combination thereof, infected individual vital signs selected from
fever, sweat,
body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate
(respiratory rate)
and any combinati on thereof, medi cam ents being administered to said tested
i ndivi dual,
and any combination thereof.
78. The system of claim 75, wherein, in said learning phase, said data is
either supervised or
unsupervised data; and, said training by said control unit is performed by at
least one
algorithm selected from a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm,
Principal
Component Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors
algorithm,
Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant,
Network
Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine learning algorithm and any
combination
thereof on said collected media being scanned with an electromagnetic
radiation in the THz
range stored in said communicable and readable database in order to generate
information
data being indicative of at least one said virus infected individuals.
79. The system of claim 75, wherein, in said detection phase, said data is
either supervised or
unsupervised data; and, said control unit performs at least one algorithm
selected from a
group consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component
Analysis
algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature,
Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm
(NNA),
any machine learning algorithm and any combination thereof on said collected
media being
scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range stored in said
communicable
and readable database in order to generate information data being indicative
of at least one
said virus infected individuals.
80. The system of claim 75, wherein, in said detection phase, said control
unit detects said
signature the absorption spectrum of said membrane with said collected media
being
indicative of at least one said virus infected individuals by means of said
trained
machine learning model.
81. The system of claim 74, wherein said system additionally comprising at
least one
communicable and readable database storing instructions which, when executed
by the at
least one data processor, result in operations comprising:
training a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter of said
collected
media being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range of at
least one
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tested individuals stored in said communicable and readable database in order
to generate
information data being indicative of said virus infected individuals; and,
after said step of training, real time detecting said parameter by means of
said
trained machine learning model.
82. The system of claim 52, wherein said data is either supervised or
unsupervised data, and,
said control unit performs at least one algorithm selected from a group
consisting of Leave
One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm, canberra
distance, k-
nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant,
Fisher's nonlinear
discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine learning
algorithm
and any combination thereof in order to generate information data being
indicative of said
virus infected individuals.
83. The system of claims 52-82, wherein said control unit additionally
performs Fast Fourier
Transformation in order to generate information data being indicative of said
virus infected
individuals.
84 The system of claim 52, wherein said membrane is made of hardened extruded
plastic.
85. The system of claim 52, wherein said membrane is able to trap at least one
selected from a
group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture thereof,
Ketones,
aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl benzene,
hexanal,
phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl- 1 -hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl- 1 -methyl-1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hydrofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2,
interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6),
granulocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof.
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86. The system of claim 52, wherein said membrane is single-use, disposable
membrane.
87. The system of claim 52, wherein said membrane is reusable.
88. The system of claim 52, wherein said collected media comprising at least
one selected from
a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture thereof,
Ketones,
aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl benzene,
hexanal,
phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl tri
sulfide, phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl-I -hexanol,
5 -isopropenyl-1 -methyl -1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hydrofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2,
interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6),
granulocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof.
89. The system of claim 52, wherein said membrane is removable from the
sampling apparatus.
90. The system of claim 52, wherein said detection is completed within a
period of time being
less than 40 seconds.
91. The system of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a
spectroscopic
assembly including a radiation transmitter unit being configured and operable
to scan said
membrane holding said collected media by generating an electromagnetic
radiation in the
range of THz within a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit
being
configured and operable to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said
collected
media.
92. The system of any of claims 52 -86, wherein said system additionally
comprising signaling
means adapted to signal the user that sufficient enough of collected media
have been
captured in said membrane or that said detection has been completed.
93. The system of claim 92, wherein said signaling means are either optical or
vocal means.
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94. The system of claim 52, wherein said sampler additionally comprising at
least one Lego-
like connection adapted to enable the stacking of multiple samplers one on the
other.
95. The system of claim 52, wherein said sampler additionally comprising
focusing means
adapted to focus the collected media exhaled from the individuals being tested
onto said
meinbrane.
96. The system of claim 52, wherein said system additionally comprising a
conveyor upon
which a stack of multiple samplers is being disposed.
97. The system of claim 52, wherein said system additionally comprising
optical means
adapted to ensure correct positioning of each of said samplers in between said
at least one
electromagnetic radiation transmitter and at least one electromagnetic
radiation detector.
98. The system of claim 52, additionally comprising at least one waste
container adapted to
contain said samplers prior to and/or after the same have been scanned.
99. A sampler to be integrated into a system for label-free, noncontact,
noninvasive, and
nondestructive detection of at least one virus infected individuals from at
least one tested
individual, the sampler comprising:
a proximal end and a distal end interconnected by a main longitudinal axis,
along which at
least one metamaterial membrane absorber is positioned; and into which said
tested
individual exhale breath, such that the propagation path of said exhaled
breath and a
collected media; said collected media being selected from a group consisting
of aerosol,
any airborne compound, volatile compounds, VCs, and any combination thereof,
therewithin intersect said at least one metamaterial membrane and absorbed
therewithin;
said metamaterial membrane absorber being configured and operable for trapping
said
collected media.
100. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said system additionally comprising a
control
unit configured and operable for receiving data indicative of said collected
media being
scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range and processing said
data for
identifying a signature being indicative of virus infected individuals to
thereby provide
detection of said virus infected individuals.
101. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said sampler is airtight sealed such
that said
collected media released by said at least one tested individuals breath are
prevented from
exiting said sampler.
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102. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said membrane is enclosed within at
least one
capsule; wherein said capsule is sealed.
103. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said sampler is RFID tagged with each
of said
tested individual, such that detection of said virus infected individuals is
traced back to
each of said tested individual.
104. The sampler of claim 89, wherein at least one of the following us
being held true
(a) said sampler is a disposable unit; (b) said sampler comprises at least one
sealing element
adapted to seal thereof.
105. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said THz range is between 200 GHz to
1200
GHz.
106. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said tested individual is
asymptomatic and has
no symptom related to said virus.
107. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said system distinguishes between a
healthy
individual, a virus recovered individual and an infected individual.
108. The sampler of claim 99, wherein detection of said virus infected
individuals
provides c 1 earance to healthy i n di vi duals and/or virus recovered
individual s.
109. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said signature is information
indicative of said
virus; said information being selected from a group consisting of cell unit of
said virus,
viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said virus,
hydrates of debris
of said virus, hydrates of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell,
aggregates of said virus,
cytokines, increased level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7,
interleukin-2 receptor (IL-
2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor, interferon-
y, inducible
protein 10, monocyte chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage, inflammatory
protein 1-ct,
and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any combination thereof.
110. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said collected media create spoof
surface
plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
111. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said virus is selected from a group
selected from
COV viruses family, COVID-19, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination
thereof.
112. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said sampler is at least one selected
from a group
consisting of a breathalyzer, a straw-like device, any handheld device, any
IOT device into
which human breath is exhaled.
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113. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said at least one metamaterial
membrane is
extracted from said sampler and is placed in an electromagnetic testing unit;
said
electromagnetic testing unit adapted to (a) scan in the THz range said
metamaterial
membrane absorbed with said collected media in said exhaled breath of said
tested
individual, and, (b) transmit data indicative of said collected media to said
control unit.
114. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said sampler comprises two parts
reversibly
coupled to each other along a main longitudinal axis, such that (a) said at
least one
metamaterial membrane is positioned therebetween along said main longitudinal
axis; and,
(b) into said sampler said tested individual exhale breath, such that the
propagation path of
said exhaled breath and said collected media therewithin intersect said at
least one
metamateri al membrane and absorbed therewithin.
115. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said electromagnetic testing unit
comprising at
least one electromagnetic radiation transmitter and at least one
electromagnetic radiation
detector.
I 16 The sampler of claim 115, wherein the membrane is positionable
within the
electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitter.
I 17,
The sampler of claim 99, wherein said data being processed by said control
unit is
at least one absorption spectrum of said membrane.
118. The sampler of claim 99, wherein processing of said at least one
absorption
spectrum of said membrane additionally comprising pattern recognition of said
at least one
absorption spectrum.
119. The sampler of claim 118, wherein said pattern recognition comprising
at least one
selected from a group consisting identification of special features of the
pattern,
identification of main and side peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the
width of the
peaks and the distance therebetween and any combination thereof.
120. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said membrane is in communication
with a
vacuum source, a gas collection device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein
the
membrane is capable of capturing said collected media.
121. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying
at least
one selected from a group consisting of positive/negative pressure or
electricity to release
said collected media.
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1//.
The sampler of claim 99, wherein said membrane is coated with at least one
material selected from a group consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene,
acting as a
reflector, and any combination thereof.
123. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said membrane is made of at least one
material
selected from a group consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure
Permeable
Membrane, meta-material, PET, open-cell foam-based melamine and any
combination
thereof.
124. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said control unit is configured and
operable for
performing a pattern recognition of said signature.
125. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said system additionally comprising
at one
communicable and readable database; said database comprising said collected
media being
scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
126. The sampler of claim 125, wherein said system has 2 modes of
operation: (a) a
learning phase; and, (b) a detection phase.
I 27 The sampler of claim 126, wherein, in said learning phase, said
control unit trains
a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter in the absorption
spectrum of
said membrane with said collected media being scanned with an electromagnetic
radiation
in the THz range of a plurality of membrane stored in said communicable and
readable
database in order to generate information data being indicative of said virus
infected
individuals.
128.
The sampler of claim 127, wherein aid parameter selected from a group
consisting
of, trends in said database of said at least one tested individuals,
eigenvector of said
database of said at least one tested individuals, eigenvalues of said database
of said at least
one tested individuals, feature extraction step being configured to estimate
the most
relevant vectors defining the data using a principal component analysis, a
pattern
classification using a combined linear and nonlinear pattern recognition
approach, known
symptoms of said virus, known healthy individuals, healthy individual vital
signs selected
from fever, sweat, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and
breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any combination thereof, infected individual vital
signs selected from
fever, sweat, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and
breathing rate
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(respiratory rate) and any combination thereof, medicaments being administered
to said
tested individual, and any combination thereof
129. The sampler of claim 126, wherein, in said learning phase, said data
is either
supervised or unsupervised data; and, said training by said control unit is
performed by at
least one algorithm selected from a group consisting of Leav e One Out (L00)
algorithm,
Principal Component Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors
algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear
discriminant,
Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine learning algorithm and any
combination thereof on said collected media being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range stored in said communicable and readable database
in order to
generate information data being indicative of at least one said virus infected
individuals.
130. The sampler of claim 126, wherein, in said detection phase, said data
is either
supervised or unsupervised data; and, said control unit performs at least one
algorithm
selected from a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal
Component
Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm,
Quadrature, Fisher's
linear discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration
algorithm
(NNA), any machine learning algorithm and any combination thereof on said
collected
media being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range stored
in said
communicable and readable database in order to generate information data being
indicative
of at least one said virus infected individuals.
131. The sampler of claim 126, wherein, in said detection phase, said
control unit detects
said signature the absorption spectrum of said membrane with said collected
media being
indicative of at least one said virus infected individuals by means of said
trained
machine learning model.
132. The sampler of claim 125, wherein said system additionally comprising
at least one
communicable and readable database storing instructions which, when executed
by the at
least one data processor, result in operations comprising:
training a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter of said
collected
media being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range of at
least one
tested individuals stored in said communicable and readable database in order
to generate
information data being indicative of said virus infected individuals; and,
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after said step of training, real time detecting said parameter by means of
said
trained machine learning model.
1 33.
The sampler of claim 99, wherein said data is either supervised or
unsupervised
data; and, said control unit performs at least one algorithm selected from a
group consisting
of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm,
canberra
distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's
nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine
learning
algorithm and any combination thereof in order to generate information data
being
indicative of said virus infected individuals.
134. The sampler of claims 99-133, wherein said control unit additionally
performs Fast
Fourier Transformation in order to generate information data being indicative
of said virus
infected individuals.
135. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said membrane is made of hardened
extruded
plastic.
I 36 The sampler of claim 99, wherein said membrane is able to trap at
least one selected
from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture
thereof,
Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl
benzene,
hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-
(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl- 1 -hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl- 1 -methyl- 1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hydrofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2,
interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6),
granulocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof
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137. The
sampler of claim 99, wherein said membrane is single-use, disposable
membrane.
1 38. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said membrane is reusable.
139. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said collected media comprising at
least one
selected from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound,
mixture
thereof, Ketones, aromati c al cohol s, al dehydes, I -butanol, di m ethyl di
sul fi de, methyl
benzene, hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfi de,
phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl-1 -methyl -1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hydrofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2,
i liter] euki n IL-7, i nterl euki n -2 receptor (IL-2R), i nterl euki n- 6
(IL-6), gran ul ocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof.
140. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said membrane is removable from the
sampling
apparatus.
141. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said detection is completed within a
period of
time being less than 40 seconds.
142. The sampler of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a
spectroscopic
assembly including a radiation transmitter unit being configured and operable
to scan said
membrane holding said collected media by generating an electromagnetic
radiation in the
range of THz within a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit
being
configured and operable to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said
collected
media.
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143. The sampler of any of claims 99, wherein said system additionally
comprising
signaling means adapted to signal the user that sufficient enough of collected
media have
been captured in said membrane or that said detection has been completed.
144. The sampler of claim 143, wherein said signaling means are either
optical or vocal
means.
45. The
sampler of claim 99, comprising at least 2 parts: a distal part and a proximal
part reversibly connectable to one another; wherein said distal part is
adapted to in
proximity with said tested individual.
146. The sampler of claim 145, wherein said sampler is characterized by at
least two
configurations: an open configuration in which said proximal part and said
distal part are
disconnected and said metamaterial membrane absorber can be inserted; and, a
closed
configuration in which said proximal part and said distal part are connected.
147. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said sampler additionally comprising
at least one
Lego-like connection adapted to enable the stacking of multiple samplers one
on the other.
I 48 The
sampler of claim 99, wherein said sampler additionally comprising focusing
means adapted to focus the collected media exhaled from the individuals being
tested onto
said membrane.
149. A high throughput method for label-free, noncontact, noninvasive, and
nondestructive detection of at least one virus infected individual from at
least one tested
individual, the method comprising:
receiving data indicative of a collected media being selected from a group
consisting of aerosol, any airborne compound, volatile compounds, VCs, and any
combination thereof, being scanned with electromagnetic radiation in the THz
range; and
processing said data for identifying a signature being indicative of said
virus
infected individuals.
150. The method of claim 149, wherein said THz range is between 200 GHz to
1200
GHz.
151. The method of claim 149, wherein said tested individual is
asymptomatic and has
no symptom related to said virus.
152. The method of claim 149, wherein said system distinguishes between a
healthy
individual, a virus recovered individual and an infected individual.
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153. The method of claim 149, wherein detection of said virus infected
individuals
provides clearance to healthy individuals and/or virus recovered individuals.
154. The method of claim 149, wherein said signature is information
indicative of said
virus; said information being selected from a group consisting of cell unit of
said virus,
viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of said virus, hy drates of said
virus, hy drates of debris
of said virus, hydrates of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell,
aggregates of said virus,
cytok i n es, increased 1 evel of interleukin (IL)-2, inter] eukin IL-7, i
nterl euki n -2 receptor (IL-
2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor, interferon-
y, inducible
protein 10, monocyte chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage, inflammatory
protein 1-ct,
and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any combination thereof
155. The rnethod of claim 149, wherein said processing comprises performing
a pattern
recognition of said signature.
156. The method of claim 155, further comprising scanning the collected
media with
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range within a scanning window of about
100 GHz.
I 57 The method of claim 156, further comprising trapping said
collected media by
suction, wherein said trapping is performed within a period of time being less
than 40
seconds.
158. The method of claim 156, additionally comprising the step of providing
at one
communicable and readable database; said database comprising absorption
spectra of said
collected media captured in a membrane being scanned with an electromagnetic
radiation
in the THz range.
159. The method of claim 156, wherein said collected media create spoof
surface
plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
160. The method of claim 156, wherein said virus is selected from a group
selected from
COV viruses family, COVID-19, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination
thereof.
161. The method of claim 156, wherein said method is performed by a system
being
selected from a group consisting of a breathalyzer, any handheld device, any
IOT
device into which human breath is exhaled.
162. The method of claim 156, wherein said data being processed by said
control unit is
at least one absorption spectrum of said membrane.
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163. The method of claim 162, wherein processing of said at least one
absorption
spectrum of said membrane additionally comprising pattern recognition of said
at least one
absorption spectrum.
164. The method of claim 163, wherein said pattern recognition comprising
at least one
selected from a group consisting identification of special features of the
pattern,
identification of main and side peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the
width of the
peaks and the distance therebetween and any combination thereof.
165. The method of claim 149, wherein said membrane is in communication
with a
vacuum source, a gas collection device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein
the
membrane is capable of capturing said collected media.
I 66.
The method of claim 149, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying at
least
one selected from a group consisting of positive/negative pressure or
electricity to release
said collected media.
167.
The method of claim 149, wherein said membrane is coated with at least one
material selected from a group consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene,
acting as a
reflector, and any combination thereof.
I 68.
The method of claim 149, wherein said membrane is made of at least one
material
selected from a group consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure
Permeable
Membrane, meta-material, PET, open-cell foam-based melamine and any
combination
thereof.
169. The method of claim 149, additionally comprising an electromagnetic
radiation
transmitter and detector.
170. The method of claim 149, wherein the membrane is positionable within
the
electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitter.
171. The method of claim 149, additionally comprising at one communicable
and
readable database; said database comprising said collected media being scanned
with an
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
172. The method of claim 149, wherein said method has 2 modes of operation:
(a) a
learning phase; and, (b) a detection phase.
173. The method of claim 172, wherein, in said learning phase, said control
unit trains
a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter in the absorption
spectrum of
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said membrane with said collected media being scanned with an electromagnetic
radiation
in the THz range of a plurality of membrane stored in said communicable and
readable
database in order to generate information data being indicative of said virus
infected
individuals.
174.
The method of claim 173, wherein aid parameter selected from a group
consisting
of, trends in said database of said at least one tested individuals,
eigenvector of said
database of said at least one tested individuals, eigenvalues of said database
of said at least
one tested individuals, feature extraction step being configured to estimate
the most
relevant vectors defining the data using a principal component analysis, a
pattern
classification using a combined linear and nonlinear pattern recognition
approach, known
symptoms of said virus, known healthy individuals, healthy individual vital
signs selected
from fever, sweat, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and
breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any combination thereof, infected individual vital
signs selected from
fever, sweat, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and
breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any combination thereof, medicaments being administered
to said
tested individual, and any combination thereof.
I 75,
The method of claim 172, wherein, in said learning phase, said data is
either
supervised or unsupervised data; and, said training by said control unit is
performed by at
least one algorithm selected from a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00)
algorithm,
Principal Component Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors
algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear
discriminant,
Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine learning algorithm and any
combination thereof on said collected media being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range stored in said communicable and readable database
in order to
generate information data being indicative of at least one said virus infected
individuals.
176.
The method of claim 172, wherein, in said detection phase, said data is
either
supervised or unsupervised data; and, said control unit performs at least one
algorithm
selected from a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal
Component
Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm,
Quadrature, Fisher's
linear discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration
algorithm
(NNA), any machine learning algorithm and any combination thereof on said
collected
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media being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range stored
in said
communicable and readable database in order to generate information data being
indicative
of at least one said virus infected individuals.
177. The method of claim 172, wherein, in said detection phase, said
control unit detects
said signature the absorption spectrum of said membrane with said collected
media being
indicative of at least one said virus infected individuals by means of said
trained
machine learning model.
178. The method of claim 171, additionally comprising at least one
communicable and
readable database storing instructions which, when executed by the at least
one data
processor, result in operations comprising:
training a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter of said
collected
media being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range of at
least one
tested individuals stored in said communicable and readable database in order
to generate
information data being indicative of said virus infected individuals; and,
after said step of training, real time detecting said parameter by means of
said
trained machine learning model.
I 79.
The method of claim 149, wherein said control unit additionally performs
Fast
Fourier Transformation in order to generate information data being indicative
of said virus
infected individuals.
180. The method of claim 149, wherein said membrane is made of hardened
extruded
plastic.
181. The method of claim 149, wherein said membrane is able to trap at
least one
selected from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound,
mixture
thereof, Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide,
methyl
benzene, hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide,
phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl-l-hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl-1 -methyl -1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hydrofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
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hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin
interleuki n IL-7, i nterl euki n -2 receptor (IL-2R), i nterl euki n- 6 (IL-
6), gran ul ocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-u, and tumor necrosis factor-u, and any
combination
thereof.
182. The method of claim 149, wherein said membrane is single-use,
disposable
membrane.
183. The method of claim 149, wherein said membrane is reusable.
184. The method of claim 149, wherein said membrane is removable from the
sampling
apparatus.
185. The method of claim 149, further comprising a spectroscopic assembly
including a
radiation transmitter unit being configured and operable to scan said membrane
holding
said collected media by generating an electromagnetic radiation in the range
of THz within
a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit being configured and
operable
to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said collected media.
I 86.
The method of claim 149, additionally comprising signaling means adapted to
signal the user that sufficient enough of said collected media have been
captured in said
membrane or that said detection has been completed.
187. The method of 186, wherein said signaling means are either optical or
vocal means.
188. The method of claim 158, additionally comprising the step of inserting
said
membrane into a sampler.
189. The method of claim 149, additionally comprising the step of
extracting said
membrane from said sampler.
190. The method of claim 189, additionally comprising the step of inserting
said
membrane into a dedicated capsule.
191. The method of claim 190, additionally comprising the step of inserting
said capsule
in a THz scanner.
192. The method of claim 149, wherein said sampler comprising at least 2
parts: a distal
part and a proximal part reversibly connectable to one another; wherein said
distal part is
adapted to in proximity with said tested individual.
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193. The method of claim 192, wherein said sampler is
characterized by at least two
configurations: an open configuration in which said proximal part and said
distal part are
disconnected and said metamaterial membrane absorber can be inserted; and, a
closed
configuration in which said proximal part and said distal part are connected.
194. The method of claim 193, additionally comprising at least
one step selected from.
a. decoupling said distal part from said proximal part;
b. inserting said membrane into said sampler;
c. coupling said distal part to said proximal part.
195. The method of claim 194, additionally comprising at least
one step selected from:
a. extracting said membrane into said sampler;
b. inserting said membrane into a dedicated capsule;
c. inserting said dedicated capsule into a THz scanner.
196. The method of claim 195, additionally comprising the step
of inserting said distal
part of said sampler into the mouth of said tested individual.
I 97 The method of claim 149, wherein said sampler additionally
comprising at least
one Lego-like connection adapted to enable the stacking of multiple samplers
one on the
other.
198. The method of claim 149, wherein said sampler additionally
comprising focusing
means adapted to focus the collected media exhaled from the individuals being
tested onto
said membrane.
199 The method of claim 149, wherein said system additionally
comprising a conveyor
upon which a stack of multiple samplers is being disposed.
200. The method of claim 149, wherein said system additionally comprising
optical
means adapted to ensure correct positioning of each of said samplers in
between said at
least one electromagnetic radiation transmitter and at least one
electromagnetic radiation
detector.
201. The method of claim 149, additionally comprising the step of disposing
said
samplers into at least one waste container prior to and/or after the same have
been scanned.
202. A high throughput method for label-free, noncontact, noninvasive, and
nondestructive detection of at least one virus infected individual from at
least one tested
individual, the method comprising:
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providing at least one sampler comprising at least one metamaterial membrane
absorber located at the propagation path of at least one collected media being
selected from
a group consisting of aerosol, any airborne compound, volatile compounds, VCs,
and any
combination thereof, released by said at least one tested individual breath,
said
metamaterial membrane absorber being configured and operable for trapping the
collected
media;
receiving data indicative of said collected media
being scanned with
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range; and
processing said data for identifying a signature being indicative of said
virus
infected individuals.
203. The
method of claim 202, additionally comprising the step of inserting said
membrane into said sampler.
204. The
method of claim 202, additionally comprising the step of extracting said
membrane from said sampler.
205. The
method of claim 204, additionally comprising the step of inserting said
membrane into a dedicated capsule.
206. The
method of claim 205, additionally comprising the step of inserting said
capsule
in a THz scanner.
207. The
method of claim 202, wherein said sampler comprising at least 2 parts: a
distal
part and a proximal part reversibly connectable to one another; wherein said
distal part is
adapted to in proximity with said tested individual.
208. The
method of claim 207, wherein said sampler is characterized by at least two
configurations: an open configuration in which said proximal part and said
distal part are
disconnected and said metamaterial membrane absorber can be inserted; and, a
closed
configuration in which said proximal part and said distal part are connected.
209. The
method of claim 208, additionally comprising at least one step selected from:
a. decoupling said distal part from said proximal part;
b. inserting said membrane into said sampler;
c. coupling said distal part to said proximal part.
210. The
method of claim 208, additionally comprising at least one step selected from:
a. extracting said membrane into said sampler;
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b. inserting said membrane into a dedicated capsule;
c. inserting said dedicated capsule into a THz scanner.
211. The method of claim 210, additionally comprising the step of inserting
said distal
part of said sampler into the mouth of said tested individual.
212. The method of claim 202, wherein said THz range is between 200 GHz to
1200
GHz.
213. The rnethod of claim 202, wherein said tested individual is
asymptomatic and has
no symptom related to said virus.
214. The method of claim 202, wherein said system distinguishes between a
healthy
individual, a virus recovered individual and an infected individual.
215. The method of claim 202, wherein detection of said virus infected
individuals
provides clearance to healthy individuals and/or virus recovered individuals.
216. The method of claim 202, wherein said signature is information
indicative of said
virus; said information being selected from a group consisting of cell unit of
said virus,
viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said virus,
hydrates of debris
of said virus, hydrates of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell,
aggregates of said virus,
cytokines, increased level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7,
interleukin-2 receptor (IL-
2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor, interferon-
y, inducible
protein 10, monocyte chemoattractant, protein 174, macrophage, inflammatory
protein 1-
a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any combination thereof.
217. The method of claim 202, wherein said collected media create spoof
surface
plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
218. The method of claim 202, wherein said virus is selected from a group
selected from
COV viruses family, COVID-19, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination
thereof.
219. The method of claim 202, wherein said sampler is at least one selected
from a group
consisting of a breathalyzer, a straw-like device, any handheld device, any
IOT device into
which human breath is exhaled.
//0.
The method of claim 202, wherein said sampler comprises a proximal end and
a
distal end interconnected by a main longitudinal axis, along which said at
least one
metamaterial membrane is positioned; and into which said tested individual
exhaled breath,
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such that the propagation path of said exhaled breath and said collected media
therewithin
intersect said at least one metamaterial membrane and absorbed therewithin.
771.
The method of claim 185, wherein said sampler is airtight sealed such that
said
collected media released by said at least one tested individuals breath are
prevented from
exiting said sampler.
222.
The method of claim 202, wherein said membrane is enclosed within at least
one
capsule; wherein said capsule is sealed.
223.
The method of claim 202, wherein said sampler is RFID tagged with each of
said
tested individual, such that detection of said virus infected individuals is
traced back to
each of said tested individual.
224.
The method of claim 202, wherein at least one of the following us being
held true
(a) said sampler is a disposable unit; (b) said sampler comprises at least one
sealing element
adapted to seal thereof
225.
The method of claim 202, wherein said at least one metamaterial membrane is
extracted from said sampler and is placed in an electromagnetic testing unit;
said
electromagnetic testing unit adapted to (a) scan in the THz range said
metamaterial
membrane absorbed with said collected media in said exhale breath of said
tested
individual; and, (b) transmit data indicative of said collected media to said
control unit.
226.
The method of claim 202, wherein said sampler comprises two parts
reversibly
coupled to each other along a main longitudinal axis, such that (a) said at
least one
metamaterial membrane is positioned therebetween along said main longitudinal
axis; and,
(b) into said sampler said tested individual exhale breath, such that the
propagation path of
said exhaled breath and said collected media therewithin intersect said at
least one
metamaterial membrane and absorbed therewithin.
227. The method of claim 202, wherein said electromagnetic testing unit
comprising at
least one electromagnetic radiation transmitter and at least one
electromagnetic radiation
detector.
118.
The method of claim 227, wherein the membrane is positionable within the
electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitter.
229.
The method of claim 202, wherein said data being processed by said control
unit is
at least one absorption spectrum of said membrane.
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230. The method of claim 202, wherein processing of said at least one
absorption
spectrum of said membrane additionally comprising pattern recognition of said
at least one
absorption spectrum.
231. The method of claim 202, wherein said pattern recognition comprising
at least one
selected from a group consisting identification of special features of the
pattern,
identification of main and side peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the
width of the
peaks and the distance therebetween and any combination thereof.
232. The method of claim 202, wherein said membrane is in communication
with a
vacuum source, a gas collection device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein
the
membrane is capable of capturing said collected media.
233. The method of claim 202, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying
at least
one selected from a group consisting of positive/negative pressure or
electricity to release
said collected media.
234. The method of claim 202, wherein said membrane is coated with at least
one
material selected from a group consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene,
acting as a
reflector, and any combination thereof.
235. The method of claim 202, wherein said membrane is made of at least one
material
selected from a group consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure
Permeable
Membrane, meta-material, PET, open-cell foam-based melamine and any
combination
thereof.
236, The method of claim 202, wherein said control unit is
configured and operable for
performing a pattern recognition of said signature.
237. The method of claim 202, wherein said system additionally comprising
at one
communicable and readable database; said database comprising collected said
collected
media being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
238. The method of claim 202, wherein said data is either supervised or
unsupervised
data; and, said control unit performs at least one algorithm selected from a
group consisting
of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm,
canberra
distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's
nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine
learning
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algorithm and any combination thereof in order to generate information data
being
indicative of said virus infected individuals.
239. The method of claims 202, wherein said control unit additionally
performs Fast
Fourier Transformation in order to generate information data being indicative
of said virus
infected individuals.
240. The method of claim 202, wherein said membrane is made of hardened
extruded
plasti c.
241. The method of claim 202, wherein said membrane is able to trap at
least one
selected from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound,
mixture
thereof, Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide,
methyl
benzene, hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfi de,
phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl- 1 -hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl- 1 -methyl-1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hy drofluorocarbon s
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2,
interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6),
granulocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof.
242. The method of claim 202, wherein said membrane is single-use,
disposable
membrane.
243. The method of claim 202, wherein said membrane is reusable.
244. The method of claim 202, wherein said collected media comprising at
least one
selected from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound,
mixture
thereof, Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide,
methyl
benzene, hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide,
phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl- 1 -hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl- 1 -methyl-1 cyclohexene,
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acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hy drofl uorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2,
interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6),
granulocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof.
245. The method of claim 202, wherein said membrane is removable from the
sampling
apparatus.
246. The method of claim 202, wherein said detection is completed within a
period of
time being less than 40 seconds_
247. The method of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a
spectroscopic
assembly including a radiation transmitter unit being configured and operable
to scan said
membrane holding said collected media by generating an electromagnetic
radiation in the
range of THz within a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit
being
configured and operable to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said
collected
media.
248. The method of any of claims 202, wherein said system additionally
comprising
signaling means adapted to signal the user that sufficient enough of said
collected media
have been captured in said membrane or that said detection has been completed.
249. The method of claim 248, wherein said signaling means are either
optical or vocal
means.
250. The method of claim 202, wherein said processing comprises performing
a pattern
recognition of said signature.
251 I.
The method of claim 202, further comprising scanning said collected media
with
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range within a scanning window of about
100 GHz.
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252. The method of claim 202, further comprising trapping said collected
media by
suction, wherein said trapping is performed within a period of time being less
than 40
seconds.
253. The method of claim 202, additionally comprising the step of providing
at one
communicable and readable database, said database comprising absorption
spectra of said
collected media captured in said membrane being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the TI-Iz range.
254. The method of claim 202, wherein said collected media create spoof
surface
plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
255. The method of claim 202, wherein said virus is selected from a group
selected from
Coy viruses family, COVID-19, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination
thereof.
256. The method of claim 202, wherein said method is performed by a system
being
selected from a group consisting of a breathalyzer, any handheld device, any
IOT
device into which human breath is exhaled.
257 The method of claim 202, wherein said data being processed by said
control unit is
at least one absorption spectrum of said membrane.
258. The method of claim 202, wherein processing of said at least one
absorption
spectrum of said membrane additionally comprising pattern recognition of said
at least one
absorption spectrum.
259. The method of claim 258, wherein said pattern recognition comprising
at least one
selected from a group consisting identification of special features of the
pattern,
identification of main and side peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the
width of the
peaks and the distance therebetween and any combination thereof.
260. The method of claim 202, wherein said membrane is in communication
with a
vacuum source, a gas collection device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein
the
membrane is capable of capturing said collected media.
261. The method of claim 202, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying
at least
one selected from a group consisting of positive/negative pressure or
electricity to release
said collected media.
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262. The method of claim 202, wherein said membrane is coated with at least
one
material selected from a group consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene,
acting as a
reflector, and any combination thereof.
263. The method of claim 202, wherein said membrane is made of at least one
material
selected from a group consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure
Permeable
Membrane, meta-material, PET, open-cell foam-based melamine and any
combination
thereof.
264. The method of claim 202, additionally comprising an electromagnetic
radiation
transmitter and detector.
265. The method of claim 202, wherein the membrane is positionable within
the
electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitter.
266. The method of claim 202, additionally comprising at one communicable
and
readable database; said database comprising said collected media being scanned
with an
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
267 The method of claim 266, wherein said method has 2 modes of
operation: (a) a
learning phase; and, (b) a detection phase.
268. The method of claim 267, wherein, in said learning phase, said control
unit trains
a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter in the absorption
spectrum of
said membrane with said collected media being scanned with an electromagnetic
radiation
in the THz range of a plurality of membrane stored in said communicable and
readable
database in order to generate information data being indicative of said virus
infected
individuals.
269. The method of claim 268, wherein aid parameter selected from a group
consisting
of, trends in said database of said at least one tested individuals,
eigenvector of said
database of said at least one tested individuals, eigenvalues of said database
of said at least
one tested individuals, feature extraction step being configured to estimate
the most
relevant vectors defining the data using a principal component analysis, a
pattern
classification using a combined linear and nonlinear pattern recognition
approach, known
symptoms of said virus, known healthy individuals, healthy individual vital
signs selected
from fever, sweat, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and
breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any combination thereof, infected individual vital
signs selected from
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fever, sweat, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and
breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any combination thereof, medicaments being administered
to said
tested indivi dual, and any combination thereof.
270. The method of claim 267, wherein, in said learning phase, said data is
either
supervised or unsupervised data, and, said training by said control unit is
performed by at
least one algorithm selected from a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00)
algorithm,
Principal Component Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors
algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear
discriminant,
Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine learning algorithm and any
combination thereof on said collected media being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range stored in said communicable and readable database
in order to
generate information data being indicative of at least one said virus infected
individuals.
271. The method of claim 267, wherein, in said detection phase, said data
is either
supervised or unsupervised data; and, said control unit performs at least one
algorithm
selected from a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal
Component
A na lys i s al gorithrn, canberra di stance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm,
Quadrature, Fi sher's
linear discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration
algorithm
(NNA), any machine learning algorithm and any combination thereof on said
collected
media being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range stored
in said
communicable and readable database in order to generate information data being
indicative
of at least one said virus infected individuals.
777. The
method of claim 267, wherein, in said detection phase, said control unit
detects
said signature the absorption spectrum of said membrane with said collected
media being
indicative of at least one said virus infected individuals by means of said
trained
machine learning model.
273. The
method of claim 266, additionally comprising at least one communicable and
readable database storing instructions which, when executed by the at least
one data
processor, result in operations comprising:
training a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter of said
collected
media being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range of at
least one
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tested individuals stored in said communicable and readable database in order
to generate
information data being indicative of said virus infected individuals; and,
after said step of training, real time detecting said parameter by means of
said
trained machine learning model.
274. The method of claim 202, wherein said control unit additionally
performs Fast
Fourier Transformation in order to generate information data being indicative
of said virus
infected i ndivi duals.
275. The method of claim 202, wherein said membrane is made of hardened
extruded
plastic.
276. The method of claim 202, wherein said membrane is able to trap at
least one
selected from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound,
mixture
thereof, Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide,
methyl
benzene, hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide,
phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl- 1 -hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl- 1 -methyl-1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1 ,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hydrofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2,
interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6),
granulocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof.
277. The method of claim 202, wherein said membrane is single-use,
disposable
membrane.
278. The method of claim 202, wherein said membrane is reusable.
279. The method of claim 202, wherein said membrane is removable from the
sampling
apparatus.
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280. The method of claim 202, further comprising a spectroscopic assembly
including a
radiation transmitter unit being configured and operable to scan said membrane
holding
said collected media by generating an electromagnetic radiation in the range
of THz within
a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit being configured and
operable
to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said collected media.
281. The method of claim 202, additionally comprising signaling means
adapted to
signal the user that sufficient enough of said collected media have been
captured in said
membrane or that said detection has been completed.
282. The method of claim 281, wherein said signaling means are either
optical or vocal
means.
283. The method of claim 202, wherein said sampler additionally comprising
at least
one Lego-like connection adapted to enable the stacking of multiple samplers
one on the
other.
284. The method of claim 202, wherein said sampler additionally comprising
focusing
means adapted to focus the collected media exhaled from the individuals being
tested onto
said membrane.
285. The method of claim 202, wherein said system additionally comprising a
conveyor
upon which a stack of multiple samplers is being disposed.
286. The method of claim 202, wherein said system additionally comprising
optical
means adapted to ensure correct positioning of each of said samplers in
between said at
least one electromagnetic radiation transmitter and at least one
electromagnetic radiation
detector.
287. The method of claim 202, additionally comprising the step of disposing
said
samplers into at least one waste container prior to and/or after the same have
been scanned.
288. The system of claim 1, utilized for homeland security applications.
289. The system of claim 1, utilized in public places selected from
airports, schools,
public clinic, convention centers, parks, kindergartens, stadiums and any
combination
thereof.
290. The system of claim 52, utilized for homeland security applications.
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291. The system of claim 52, utilized in public places selected from
airports, schools,
public clinic, convention centers, parks, kindergartens, stadiums and any
combination
thereof.
292. The sampler of claim 99, utilized in a system for homeland security
applications.
293. The sampler of claim 99, utilized in a system for public places
selected from
airports, sch ool s, publ ic clin ic, conventi on centers, parks,
kindergartens, stadiums and any
combinati on thereof.
294. The method of claim 149, utilized for homeland security applications.
295. The method of claim 149, utilized in public places selected from
airports, schools,
public clinic, convention centers, parks, kindergartens, stadiums and any
combination
thereof.
296. The method of claim 202, utilized for homeland security applications.
297. The method of claim 202, utilized in public places selected from
airports, schools,
public clinic, convention centers, parks, kindergartens, stadiums and any
combination
thereof.
298. The systern of claim 1, additionally comprising at least one filter
disposed on said
membrane.
299. The system of claim 299, wherein said filter is adapted to affect the
absorption
signal detected in the absorption spectrum when said collected media are
absorbed on said
membrane.
300. The system of claim 299, wherein said filter is at least one selected
from a group
consisting of ring resonator, directional antenna, antenna, band-stop filter,
notch filter and
any combination thereof.
301. The system of claim 52, additionally comprising at least one filter
disposed on said
membrane.
302. The system of claim 301, wherein said filter is adapted to affect the
absorption
signal detected in the absorption spectrum when said collected media are
absorbed on said
membrane.
303. The system of claim 301, wherein said filter is at least one selected
from a group
consisting of ring resonator, directional antenna, antenna, band-stop filter,
notch filter and
any combination thereof.
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304. The sampler of claim 99, additionally comprising at least one filter
disposed on said
membrane.
305. The sampler of claim 304, wherein said filter is adapted to affect the
absorption
signal detected in the absorption spectrum when said collected media are
absorbed on said
meinbrane.
306. The sampler of claim 304, wherein said filter is at least one selected
from a group
consisting of ring resonator, directional antenna, antenna, band-stop filter,
notch filter and
any combination thereof.
307. The method of claim 149, additionally comprising at least one filter
disposed on
said membrane.
308. The method of claim 307, wherein said filter is adapted to affect the
absorption
signal detected in the absorption spectrum when said collected media are
absorbed on said
membrane.
309. The method of claim 307, wherein said filter is at least one selected
from a group
consisting of ring resonator, directional antenna, antenna, band-stop filter,
notch filter and
any combination thereof
310,
The method of claim 202, additionally comprising at least one filter
disposed on
said membrane.
311. The method of claim 310, wherein said filter is adapted to affect the
absorption
signal detected in the absorption spectrum when said collected media are
absorbed on said
membrane.
312. The method of claim 310, wherein said filter is at least one selected
from a group
consisting of ring resonator, directional antenna, antenna, band-stop filter,
notch filter and
any combination thereof
313 The method of claim 158, wherein said sampler is made of
polyoxymethylene-
based (aka Delrin).
314. The method of claim 202, wherein said sampler is made of
polyoxymethylene-
based (aka Delrin).
315. The sampler of claim 99, wherein said sampler is made of
polyoxymethylene-based
(aka Delrin).
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316. The method of claim 205, wherein said capsule is made of PTFE
(Polytetrafluoroethylene, aka. Teflon).
317. The system of claim 1, wherein said sampler comprising at least 2
parts: a distal
part and a proximal part reversibly connectable to one another; wherein said
distal part is
adapted to in proximity with said tested individual.
3 1 8. The
system of claim 212, wherein said sampler is characterized by at least two
configurations: an open configuration in which said proximal part and said
distal part are
disconnected and said metamaterial membrane absorber can be inserted; and, a
closed
configuration in which said proximal part and said distal part are connected.
319. The system of claim 52, wherein said sampler comprising at least 2
parts: a distal
part and a proximal part reversibly connectable to one another; wherein said
distal part is
adapted to in proximity with said tested individual.
320. The system of claim 319, wherein said sampler is characterized by at
least two
configurations: an open configuration in which said proximal part and said
distal part are
disconnected and said metamaterial membrane absorber can be inserted; and, a
closed
configuration in which said proximal part and said distal part are connected.
321, A high
throughput method for label-free, noncontact, noninvasive, and
nondestructive detection of at least one virus infected individual from at
least one tested
individual, the method comprising:
collecting a sample from exhaled breath of a subject for analysis of said
sample,
said collecting comprising said subject exhaling into at least one sampler,
collecting
aerosols and/or any airborne compound, from said exhaled breath by passing
said exhaled
breath through a metamaterial membrane within said sampler, wherein said
metamaterial
membrane is arranged transverse to a flow of exhaled breath through the
sampler; and,
analyzing said sample for detection of at least one virus infected individual
from at
least one tested individual.
322. The
method of claim 321, additionally comprising the step of providing said at
least
one sampler with at least one metamaterial membrane absorber located at the
propagation
path of at least one collected media being selected from a group consisting of
aerosol, any
airborne compound, volatile compounds, VCs, and any combination thereof,
released by
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said at least one tested individual breath, said metamaterial membrane
absorber being
configured and operable for trapping the collected media.
323. The
method of claim 321, additionally comprising the step of receiving data
indicativ e of said collected media being scanned with electromagnetic
radiation in the
THz range.
324. The
method of claim 321, wherein said step of analyzing said sample for detection
of at least one virus infected individual from at least one tested individual
additionally
comprising the step of processing said data for identifying a signature being
indicative of
said virus infected individuals.
325. The
method of claim 321, additionally comprising the step of inserting said
membrane into said sampler.
326. The
method of claim 321, additionally comprising the step of extracting said
membrane from said sampler.
327. The
method of claim 326, additionally comprising the step of inserting said
membrane into a dedicated capsule.
328. The
method of claim 327, additionally comprising the step of inserting said
capsule
in a THz scanner.
329. The
method of claim 321, wherein said sampler comprising at least 2 parts: a
distal
part and a proximal part reversibly connectable to one another; wherein said
distal part is
adapted to in proximity with said tested individual.
330. The
method of claim 329, wherein said sampler is characterized by at least two
configurations: an open configuration in which said proximal part and said
distal part are
disconnected and said metamaterial membrane absorber can be inserted; and, a
closed
configuration in which said proximal part and said distal part are connected.
331. The
method of claim 330, additionally comprising at least one step selected from:
a. decoupling said distal part from said proximal part;
b. inserting said membrane into said sampler;
c. coupling said distal part to said proximal part.
332. The
method of claim 330, additionally comprising at least one step selected from:
a. extracting said membrane into said sampler;
b. inserting said membrane into a dedicated capsule;
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c. inserting said dedicated capsule into a THz scanner.
333. The method of claim 332, additionally comprising the step of inserting
said distal
part of said sampler into the mouth of said tested individual.
334. The method of claim 321, wherein said THz range is between 200 GHz to
1200
GHz.
335. The method of claim 321, wherein said tested individual is
asymptomatic and has
no symptom related to said virus.
336. The method of claim 321, wherein said system distinguishes between a
healthy
individual, a virus recovered individual and an infected individual.
337. The method of claim 321, wherein detection of said virus infected
individuals
provides c 1 earance to healthy i n di vi duals and/or virus recovered
individual s.
338. The method of claim 321, wherein said signature is information
indicative of said
virus; said information being selected from a group consisting of cell unit of
said virus,
viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said virus,
hydrates of debris
of said virus, hydrates of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell,
aggregates of said virus,
cytok i n es, increased 1 evel of interleukin (IL)-2, inter] eukin IL-7, i
nterl euki n -2 receptor (IL-
2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor, interferon-
7, inducible
protein 10, monocyte chemoattractant, protein 174, macrophage, inflammatory
protein 1-
a, and tumor necrosis factor-ct, and any combination thereof.
339. The method of claim 321, wherein said collected media create spoof
surface
plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
340. The method of claim 321, wherein said virus is selected from a group
selected from
COV viruses family, COVID-19, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination
thereof.
341. The method of claim 321, wherein said sampler is at least one selected
from a group
consisting of a breathalyzer, a straw-like device, any handheld device, any
IOT device into
which human breath is exhaled.
342. The method of claim 321, wherein said sampler comprises a proximal end
and a
distal end interconnected by a main longitudinal axis, along which said at
least one
metamaterial membrane is positioned; and into which said tested individual
exhaled breath,
such that the propagation path of said exhaled breath and said collected media
therewithin
intersect said at least one metamaterial membrane and absorbed therewithin.
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343. The
method of claim 321, wherein said sampler is airtight sealed such that said
collected media released by said at least one tested individuals breath are
prevented from
exiting said sampler.
344. The
method of claim 321, wherein said membrane is enclosed within at least one
capsule, wherein said capsule is sealed.
345. The
method of claim 321, wherein said sampler is RFID tagged with each of said
tested individual, such that detection of said virus infected individuals is
traced back to
each of said tested individual.
346. The
method of claim 321, wherein at least one of the following us being held true
(a) said sampler is a disposable unit; (b) said sampler comprises at least one
sealing element
adapted to seal thereof.
347. The
method of claim 321, wherein said at least one metamaterial membrane is
extracted from said sampler and is placed in an electromagnetic testing unit;
said
electromagnetic testing unit adapted to (a) scan in the THz range said
metamaterial
membrane absorbed with said collected media in said exhale breath of said
tested
individual; and, (b) transmit data indicative of said collected media to said
control unit.
348. The
method of claim 321, wherein said sampler comprises two parts reversibly
coupled to each other along a main longitudinal axis, such that (a) said at
least one
metamaterial membrane is positioned therebetween along said main longitudinal
axis; and,
(b) into said sampler said tested individual exhale breath, such that the
propagation path of
said exhaled breath and said collected media therewithin intersect said at
least one
metamaterial membrane and absorbed therewithin.
349. The
method of claim 321, wherein said electromagnetic testing unit comprising at
least one electromagnetic radiation transmitter and at least one
electromagnetic radiation
detector.
350. The
method of claim 349, wherein the membrane is positionable within the
electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitter.
351. The
method of claim 321, wherein said data being processed by said control unit is
at least one absorption spectrum of said membrane.
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352. The method of claim 321, wherein processing of said at least one
absorption
spectrum of said membrane additionally comprising pattern recognition of said
at least one
absorption spectrum.
353. The method of claim 321, wherein said pattern recognition comprising
at least one
selected from a group consisting identification of special features of the
pattern,
identification of main and side peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the
width of the
peaks and the distance therebetween and any combination thereof.
354. The method of claim 321, wherein said membrane is in communication
with a
vacuum source, a gas collection device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein
the
membrane is capable of capturing said collected media.
355. The method of claim 321, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying
at least
one selected from a group consisting of positive/negative pressure or
electricity to release
said collected media.
356. The method of claim 321, wherein said membrane is coated with at least
one
material selected from a group consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene,
acting as a
reflector, and any combination thereof.
357. The method of claim 321, wherein said membrane is made of at least one
material
selected from a group consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure
Permeable
Membrane, meta-material, PET, open-cell foam-based melamine and any
combination
thereof.
358. The method of claim 321, wherein said control unit is configured and
operable for
performing a pattern recognition of said signature.
359. The method of claim 321, wherein said system additionally comprising
at one
communicable and readable database; said database comprising collected said
collected
media being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
360. The method of claim 321, wherein said data is either supervised or
unsupervised
data; and, said control unit performs at least one algorithm selected from a
group consisting
of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm,
canberra
distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's
nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine
learning
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algorithm and any combination thereof in order to generate information data
being
indicative of said virus infected individuals.
361. The method of claims 321, wherein said control unit additionally
performs Fast
Fourier Transformation in order to generate information data being indicative
of said virus
infected individuals.
362. The method of claim 321, wherein said membrane is made of hardened
extruded
plasti c.
363. The method of claim 321, wherein said membrane is able to trap at
least one
selected from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound,
mixture
thereof, Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide,
methyl
benzene, hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfi de,
phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl-1 -methyl -1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hy drofluorocarbon s
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2,
interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6),
granulocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof.
364. The method of claim 321, wherein said membrane is single-use,
disposable
membrane.
365. The method of claim 321, wherein said membrane is reusable.
366. The method of claim 321, wherein said collected media comprising at
least one
selected from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound,
mixture
thereof, Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide,
methyl
benzene, hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide,
phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol,
5 -is oprop eny 1-1 -methyl -1 cyclohexene,
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acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hy drofl uorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2,
interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6),
granulocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof.
367. The method of claim 321, wherein said membrane is removable from the
sampling
apparatus.
368. The method of claim 321, wherein said detection is completed within a
period of
time being less than 40 seconds_
369. The method of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a
spectroscopic
assembly including a radiation transmitter unit being configured and operable
to scan said
membrane holding said collected media by generating an electromagnetic
radiation in the
range of THz within a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit
being
configured and operable to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said
collected
media.
370. The method of any of claims 321, wherein said system additionally
comprising
signaling means adapted to signal the user that sufficient enough of said
collected media
have been captured in said membrane or that said detection has been completed.
371. The method of claim 370, wherein said signaling means are either
optical or vocal
means.
372. The method of claim 321, wherein said processing comprises performing
a pattern
recognition of said signature.
373. The method of claim 321, further comprising scanning said collected
media with
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range within a scanning window of about
100 GHz.
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374. The method of claim 321, further comprising trapping said collected
media by
suction, wherein said trapping is performed within a period of time being less
than 40
seconds.
375. The method of claim 321, additionally comprising the step of providing
at one
communicable and readable database, said database comprising absorption
spectra of said
collected media captured in said membrane being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the TI-Iz range.
376. The method of claim 321, wherein said collected media create spoof
surface
plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
377. The method of claim 321, wherein said virus is selected from a group
selected from
Coy viruses family, COVID-19, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination
thereof.
378. The method of claim 321, wherein said method is performed by a system
being
selected from a group consisting of a breathalyzer, any handheld device, any
IOT
device into which human breath is exhaled.
379 The method of claim 321, wherein said data being processed by said
control unit is
at least one absorption spectrum of said membrane.
380. The method of claim 321, wherein processing of said at least one
absorption
spectrum of said membrane additionally comprising pattern recognition of said
at least one
absorption spectrum.
381. The method of claim 380, wherein said pattern recognition comprising
at least one
selected from a group consisting identification of special features of the
pattern,
identification of main and side peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the
width of the
peaks and the distance therebetween and any combination thereof.
382. The method of claim 321, wherein said membrane is in communication
with a
vacuum source, a gas collection device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein
the
membrane is capable of capturing said collected media.
383. The method of claim 321, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying
at least
one selected from a group consisting of positive/negative pressure or
electricity to release
said collected media.
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384. The method of claim 321, wherein said membrane is coated with at least
one
material selected from a group consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene,
acting as a
reflector, and any combination thereof.
385. The method of claim 321, wherein said membrane is made of at least one
material
selected from a group consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure
Permeable
Membrane, meta-material, PET, open-cell foam-based melamine and any
combination
thereof.
386. The method of claim 321, additionally comprising an electromagnetic
radiation
transmitter and detector.
387. The method of claim 321, wherein the membrane is positionable within
the
electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitter.
388. The method of claim 321, additionally comprising at one communicable
and
readable database; said database comprising said collected media being scanned
with an
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
389. The method of claim 388, wherein said method has 2 modes of operation:
(a) a
learning phase; and, (b) a detection phase.
390. The method of claim 389, wherein, in said learning phase, said control
unit trains
a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter in the absorption
spectrum of
said membrane with said collected media being scanned with an electromagnetic
radiation
in the THz range of a plurality of membrane stored in said communicable and
readable
database in order to generate information data being indicative of said virus
infected
individuals.
391. The method of claim 390, wherein aid parameter selected from a group
consisting
of, trends in said database of said at least one tested individuals,
eigenvector of said
database of said at least one tested individuals, eigenvalues of said database
of said at least
one tested individuals, feature extraction step being configured to estimate
the most
relevant vectors defining the data using a principal component analysis, a
pattern
classification using a combined linear and nonlinear pattern recognition
approach, known
symptoms of said virus, known healthy individuals, healthy individual vital
signs selected
from fever, sweat, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and
breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any combination thereof, infected individual vital
signs selected from
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fever, sweat, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and
breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any combination thereof, medicaments being administered
to said
tested indivi dual, and any combination thereof.
392. The method of claim 390, wherein, in said learning phase, said data is
either
supervised or unsupervised data, and, said training by said control unit is
performed by at
least one algorithm selected from a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00)
algorithm,
Principal Component Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors
algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear
discriminant,
Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine learning algorithm and any
combination thereof on said collected media being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range stored in said communicable and readable database
in order to
generate information data being indicative of at least one said virus infected
individuals.
393. The method of claim 390, wherein, in said detection phase, said data
is either
supervised or unsupervised data; and, said control unit performs at least one
algorithm
selected from a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal
Component
A na lys i s al gorithrn, canberra di stance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm,
Quadrature, Fi sher's
linear discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration
algorithm
(NNA), any machine learning algorithm and any combination thereof on said
collected
media being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range stored
in said
communicable and readable database in order to generate information data being
indicative
of at least one said virus infected individuals.
394. The method of claim 390, wherein, in said detection phase, said
control unit detects
said signature the absorption spectrum of said membrane with said collected
media being
indicative of at least one said virus infected individuals by means of said
trained
machine learning model.
395. The method of claim 389, additionally comprising at least one
communicable and
readable database storing instructions which, when executed by the at least
one data
processor, result in operations comprising:
training a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter of said
collected
media being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range of at
least one
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tested individuals stored in said communicable and readable database in order
to generate
information data being indicative of said virus infected individuals; and,
after said step of training, real time detecting said parameter by means of
said
trained machine learning model.
396. The method of claim 321, wherein said control unit additionally
performs Fast
Fourier Transformation in order to generate information data being indicative
of said virus
infected i ndivi duals.
397. The method of claim 321, wherein said membrane is made of hardened
extruded
plastic.
398. The method of claim 321, wherein said membrane is able to trap at
least one
selected from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound,
mixture
thereof, Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide,
methyl
benzene, hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide,
phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl-1 -methyl -1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hydrofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2,
interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6),
granulocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof.
399. The method of claim 321, wherein said membrane is single-use,
disposable
membrane.
400. The method of claim 321, wherein said membrane is reusable.
401. The method of claim 321, wherein said membrane is removable from the
sampling
apparatus.
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402. The method of claim 321, further comprising a spectroscopic assembly
including a
radiation transmitter unit being configured and operable to scan said membrane
holding
said collected media by generating an electromagnetic radiation in the range
of THz within
a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit being configured and
operable
to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said collected media.
403. The method of claim 321, additionally comprising signaling means
adapted to
signal the user that sufficient enough of said collected media have been
captured in said
membrane or that said detection has been completed.
404. The method of claim 403, wherein said signaling means are either
optical or vocal
means.
405. The method of claim 321, wherein said sampler additionally comprising
at least
one Lego-like connection adapted to enable the stacking of multiple samplers
one on the
other.
406. The method of claim 321, wherein said sampler additionally comprising
focusing
means adapted to focus the collected media exhaled from the individuals being
tested onto
said membrane.
407. The method of claim 321, wherein said system additionally comprising a
conveyor
upon which a stack of multiple samplers is being disposed.
408. The method of claim 321, wherein said system additionally comprising
optical
means adapted to ensure correct positioning of each of said samplers in
between said at
least one electromagnetic radiation transmitter and at least one
electromagnetic radiation
detector.
409. The method of claim 321, additionally comprising the step of disposing
said
samplers into at least one waste container prior to and/or after the same have
been scanned.
410. The system of claim 1, wherein said data is calibrated and/or
normalized with at
least one parameter.
411. The system of claim 410, wherein said parameter is selected from a
group
consisting of PCR Ct, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, the location
at which
said sample is taken, a predefined gold standard and any combination thereof.
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412. The system of claim 411, wherein said predefined gold standard could
be a non-
used membrane, a non Covid-19 infected subject (i.e., a healthy subject), a
Covid-19
infected subject (i.e., a sick subject).
413. The system of claim 52, wherein said data is calibrated and/or
normalized with at
least one parameter.
414. The system of claim 413, wherein said parameter is selected from a
group
consisting of PCR Ct, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, the location
at which
said sample is taken, a predefined gold standard and any combination thereof.
41 5. The
system of claim 414, wherein said predefined gold standard could be a non-
used membrane, a non Covid-19 infected subject (i.e., a healthy subject), a
Covid-19
infected subject (i.e., a sick subject).
416. The sampler of claim 100, wherein said data is calibrated and/or
normalized with
at least one parameter.
417. The sampler of claim 416, wherein said parameter is selected from a
group
consisting of PCR Ct, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, the location
at which
said sample is taken, a predefined gold standard and any combination thereof
418. The sampler of claim 417, wherein said predefined gold standard could
be a non-
used membrane, a non Covid-19 infected subject (i.e., a healthy subject), a
Covid-19
infected subject (i.e., a sick subject).
419. The method of claim 149, additionally comprising the step of
calibrating and/or
normalizing said sample with at least one parameter.
420. The method of claim 419, wherein said parameter is selected from a
group
consisting of PCR Ct, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, the location
at which
said sample is taken, a predefined gold standard and any combination thereof
421. The method of claim 420, wherein said predefined gold standard could
be a non-
used membrane, a non Covid-19 infected subject (i.e., a healthy subject), a
Covid-19
infected subject (i.e., a sick subject).
411. The
method of claim 202, additionally comprising the step of calibrating and/or
normalizing said sample with at least one parameter.
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423. The method of claim 422, wherein said parameter is selected from a
group
consisting of PCR Ct, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, the location
at which
said sample is taken, a predefined gold standard and any combination thereof.
424. The method of claim 423, wherein said predefined gold standard could
be a non-
used membrane, a non Covid-19 infected subject (i.e., a healthy subject), a
Covid-19
infected subject (i.e., a sick subject).
425. The method of claim 158, additionally comprising the step of
calibrating and/or
normalizing said sample with at least one parameter.
426. The method of claim 425, wherein said parameter is selected from a
group
consisting of PCR Ct, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, the location
at which
said sample is taken, a predefined gold standard and any combination thereof.
427. The method of claim 426, wherein said predefined gold standard could
be a non-
used membrane, a non Covid-19 infected subject (i.e., a healthy subject), a
Covid-19
infected subject (i.e., a sick subject).
428. The method of claim 321, additionally comprising the step of
calibrating and/or
normalizing said sample with at least one parameter.
429. The method of claim 428, wherein said parameter is selected from a
group
consisting of PCR Ct, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, the location
at which
said sample is taken, a predefined gold standard and any combination thereof
430. The method of claim 429, wherein said predefined gold standard could
be a non-
used membrane, a non Covid-19 infected subject (i.e., a healthy subject), a
Covid-19
infected subject (i.e., a sick subject).
431. A high throughput system for label-free, noncontact, noninvasive, and
nondestructive detection of at least one virus free individual from at least
one tested
individual, the system comprising:
at least one sampler comprising at least one metamaterial membrane absorber
located at
the propagation path of at least one collected media being selected from a
group consisting
of aerosol, any airborne compound, volatile compounds, VCs, and any
combination
thereof, released by said at least one tested individual breath, said
metamaterial membrane
absorber being configured and operable for trapping the collected media; and
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a control unit configured and operable for receiving data indicative of the
collected media
being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range and
processing said data
for identifying a signature being indicative of virus free individuals to
thereby provide
detection of said virus free individuals.
432. The system of claim 431, wherein said THz range is between 200 GHz to
1200
GHz,
433. The system of claim 431, wherein said tested individual is
asymptomatic and has
no symptom related to said virus.
434. The system of claim 431, wherein said system distinguishes between a
healthy
individual, a virus recovered individual and an infected individual.
435. The system of claim 431, wherein detection of said virus free
individuals provides
clearance to healthy individuals and/or virus recovered individuals.
436. The system of claim 431, wherein said signature is information
indicative of said
virus; said information being selected from a group consisting of cell unit of
said virus,
viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said virus,
hydrates of debris
of said virus, hydrates of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell,
aggregates of said virus,
cytokines, increased level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7,
interleukin-2 receptor (IL-
2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor, interferon-
y, inducible
protein 10, monocyte chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage, inflammatory
protein 1-a,
and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any combination thereof.
437. The system of claim 431, wherein said media create spoof surface
plasmon
polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
438. The system of claim 431, wherein said virus is selected from a group
selected from
COV viruses family, COVID-19, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination
thereof.
439. The system of claim 431, wherein said sampler is at least one selected
from a group
consisting of a breathalyzer, a straw-like device, any handheld device, any
IOT device into
which human breath is exhaled.
440. The system of claim 431, wherein said sampler comprises a proximal end
and a
distal end interconnected by a main longitudinal axis, along which said at
least one
metamaterial membrane is positioned; and into which said tested individual
exhaled breath,
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such that the propagation path of said exhaled breath and said collected media
therewithin
intersect said at least one metamaterial membrane and absorbed therewithin.
441. The system of claim 431, wherein said at least one metamaterial
membrane and/or
said sampler and is placed in an electromagnetic testing unit; said
electromagnetic testing
unit is in communication with (a) a THz generator means, adapted to generate
THz
frequencies; and, (b) a THz scanner comprises at least 2 photo-mixers, one of
which is
adapted to transmit a THz signal and the other is adapted to receive the same;
said
electromagnetic testing unit adapted to (a) scan in the THz range said
metamaterial
membrane absorbed with said media in said exhale breath of said tested
individual; and,
(b) transmit data indicative of the collected media to said control unit.
442. The system of claim 431, wherein said sampler comprises two parts
reversibly
coupled to each other along a main longitudinal axis, such that (a) said at
least one
metamaterial membrane is positioned therebetween along said main longitudinal
axis; and,
(b) into said sampler said tested individual exhale breath, such that the
propagation path of
said exhaled breath and said collected media therewithin intersect said at
least one
metarnateri al membran e and absorbed th erewith in.
443. The system of claim 431, wherein said sampler is airtight sealed such
that said
collected media released by said at least one tested individuals breath are
prevented from
exiting said sampler.
444. The system of claim 431, wherein said membrane is enclosed within at
least one
capsule; wherein said capsule is sealed by means of at least one o-ring.
445. The system of claim 431, wherein said sampler is RFID tagged with each
of said
tested individual, such that detection of said virus free individuals is
traced back to each of
said tested individual.
446 The system of claim 431, wherein at least one of the following us
being held true
(a) said sampler is a disposable unit; (b) said sampler comprises at least one
sealing element
adapted to seal thereof
447.
The system of claim 441, wherein said electromagnetic testing unit
comprising at
least one electromagnetic radiation transmitter and at least one
electromagnetic radiation
detector.
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448. The system of claim 447, wherein the membrane is positionable within
the
electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitter.
449. The system of claim 431, wherein said data being processed by said
control unit is
at least one absorption spectrum of said membrane.
450. The system of claim 431, wherein processing of said at least one
absorption
spectrum of said membrane additionally comprising pattern recognition of said
at least one
absorption spectrum.
451. The system of claim 450, wherein said pattern recognition comprising
at least one
selected from a group consisting identification of special features of the
pattem,
identification of main and side peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the
width of the
peaks and the distance therebetween and any combination thereof.
452. The system of claim 431, wherein said membrane is in communication
with a
vacuum source, a gas collection device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein
the
membrane is capable of capturing said collected media.
453. The system of claim 431, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying
at least
one selected from a group consisting of positive/negative pressure or
electricity to release
said collected media.
454. The system of claim 431, wherein said membrane is coated with at least
one
material selected from a group consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene,
acting as a
reflector, and any combination thereof.
455. The system of claim 431, wherein said membrane is made of at least one
material
selected from a group consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure
Permeable
Membrane, meta-material, PET, open-cell foam-based melamine and any
combination
thereof.
456. The system of claim 431, wherein said control unit is configured and
operable for
performing a pattern recognition of said signature.
457. The system of claim 431, wherein said system additionally comprising
at one
communicable and readable database; said database comprising said collected
media being
scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
458. The system of claim 457, wherein said system has 2 modes of operation:
(a) a
learning phase; and, (b) a detection phase.
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459. The system of claim 458, wherein, in said learning phase, said control
unit trains
a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter in the absorption
spectrum of
said membrane with said collected media being scanned with an electromagnetic
radiation
in the THz range of a plurality of membrane stored in said communicable and
readable
database in order to generate information data being indicativ e of said virus
free
indivi duals.
460. The system of claim 459, wherein said parameter selected from a group
consisting
of, trends in said database of said at least one tested individuals,
eigenvector of said
database of said at least one tested individuals, eigenvalues of said database
of said at least
one tested individuals, feature extraction step being configured to estimate
the most
relevant vectors defining the data using a principal component analysis, a
pattern
classification using a combined linear and nonlinear pattern recognition
approach, known
symptoms of said virus, known healthy individuals, healthy individual vital
signs selected
from fever, sweat, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and
breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any combination thereof, virus free individual vital
signs selected
from fever, sweat, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and
breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any combination thereof, medicaments being administered
to said
tested individual, and any combination thereof
461. The system of claim 459, wherein, in said learning phase, said data is
either
supervised or unsupervised data; and, said training by said control unit is
performed by at
least one algorithm selected from a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00)
algorithm,
Principal Component Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors
algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear
discriminant,
Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine learning algorithm and any
combination thereof on said collected media being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range stored in said communicable and readable database
in order to
generate information data being indicative of at least one said virus free
individuals.
462. The system of claim 459, wherein, in said detection phase, said data
is either
supervised or unsupervised data; and, said control unit performs at least one
algorithm
selected from a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal
Component
Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm,
Quadrature, Fisher's
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linear discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration
algorithm
(NNA), any machine learning algorithm and any combination thereof on said
collected
rnedia being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range stored
in said
communicable and readable database in order to generate information data being
indicative
of at least one said virus free individuals.
463. The system of claim 459, wherein, in said detection phase, said
control unit detects
said signature the absorption spectrum of said membrane with said collected
media being
indicative of at least one said virus free individuals by means of said
trained
machine learning model.
464. The system of claim 458, wherein said system additionally comprising
at least one
communicable and readable database storing instructions which, when executed
by the at
least one data processor, result in operations comprising:
training a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter of said
collected
media being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range of at
least one
tested individuals stored in said communicable and readable database in order
to generate
information data being indicative of said virus free individuals; and,
after said step of training, real time detecting said parameter by means of
said
trained machine learning model.
465. The system of claim 431, wherein said data is either supervised or
unsupervised
data; and, said control unit performs at least one algorithm selected from a
group consisting
of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm,
canberra
distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's
nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine
learning
algorithm and any combination thereof in order to generate information data
being
indicativ e of said virus free individuals.
466. The system of claims 431-465, wherein said control unit additionally
performs Fast
Fourier Transformation in order to generate information data being indicative
of said virus
free individuals.
467. The system of claim 431, wherein said membrane is made of hardened
extruded
plastic.
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468. The system of claim 431, wherein said membrane is able to trap at
least one selected
from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture
thereof,
Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1 -butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl
benzene,
hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-
(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl- 1 -hexanol,
5 -is oprop eny 1- 1 -methyl-1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonan one, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1 ,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1 ,3 -diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hydrofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2 and any combination thereof
469. The system of claim 431 , wherein said membrane is single-use,
disposable
membrane.
470. The system of claim 431, wherein said membrane is reusable.
471. The system of claim 431, wherein said collected media comprising at
least one
selected from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound,
mixture
thereof, Ketones, aromati c al cohol s, al dehydes, 1 -butanol, di m ethyl di
sul fi de, methyl
benzene, hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide,
phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl- 1 -hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl- 1 -methyl-1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hydrofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2 and any combination thereof
472. The system of claim 431, wherein said membrane is removable from the
sampling
apparatus.
473. The system of claim 431, wherein said detection is completed within a
period of
time being less than 40 seconds.
474. The system of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a
spectroscopic
assembly including a radiation transmitter unit being configured and operable
to scan said
membrane holding said collected media by generating an electromagnetic
radiation in the
range of THz within a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit
being
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configured and operable to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said
collected
media.
475. The system of any of claims 431-474, wherein said systern additionally
comprising
signaling means adapted to signal the user that sufficient enough of said
collected media
have been captured in said membrane or that said detection has been completed.
476. The system of claim 475, wherein said signaling means are either
optical or vocal
means.
477. The system of claim 431, wherein said sampler additionally comprising
at least one
Lego-like connection adapted to enable the stacking of multiple samplers one
on the other.
478. The system of claim 431, wherein said sampler additionally comprising
focusing
means adapted to focus the collected media exhaled from the individuals being
tested onto
said membrane.
479. The system of claim 447, wherein said system additionally comprising a
conveyor
upon which a stack of multiple samplers is being disposed.
480. The system of claim 479, wherein said system additionally comprising
optical
means adapted to ensure correct positioning of each of said samplers in
between said at
least one electromagnetic radiation transmitter and at least one
electromagnetic radiation
detector.
481. The system of claim 431, additionally comprising at least one waste
container
adapted to contain said samplers prior to and/or after the same have been
scanned.
482. A high throughput system for label-free, noncontact, noninvasive, and
nondestructive detection of at least one virus free individuals from at least
one tested
individual, the system
comprising:
at least one sampler comprising at least one metamaterial membrane absorber
located at
the propagation path of a collected media being selected from a group
consisting of
aerosol, any airborne compound, volatile compounds, VCs, and any combination
thereof,
released by said at least one tested individuals breath, said metamaterial
membrane
absorber being configured and operable for trapping said collected media;
at least one electromagnetic testing unit comprising at least one
electromagnetic radiation
transmitter and at least one electromagnetic radiation detector; said
membrane, after
absorbing said collected media, being positionable within the electromagnetic
radiation
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emitted by said at least one transmitter; such that said electromagnetic
testing unit adapted
to (a) scan in the THz range said metamaterial membrane absorbed with said
collected
rnedia in said exhaled breath of said tested individual; and, (b) transmit
data indicative of
said collected media to said control unit;
a control unit configured and operable for receiving data indicative of said
collected media
from said electromagnetic testing unit and processing said data for
identifying a signature
being indicative of virus free individuals to thereby provide detection of
said virus free
individuals.
483. The system of claim 482, wherein said THz range is between 200 GHz to
1200
GHz.
484. The system of claim 482, wherein said tested individual is
asymptomatic and has
no symptom related to said virus.
485. The system of claim 482, wherein said system distinguishes between a
healthy
individual, a virus recovered individual and an infected individual.
486 The system of claim 482, wherein detection of said virus free
individuals provides
clearance to healthy individuals and/or virus recovered individuals.
487. The system of claim 482, wherein said signature is information
indicative of said
virus; said information being selected from a group consisting of cell unit of
said virus,
viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said virus,
hydrates of debris
of said virus, hydrates of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell,
aggregates of said virus,
cytokines, increased level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7,
interleukin-2 receptor (IL-
2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor, interferon-
y, inducible
protein 10, monocyte chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage, inflammatory
protein 1-ct,
and tumor necrosis factor-et, and any combination thereof.
488. The system of claim 482, wherein said collected media create spoof
surface
plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
489. The system of claim 482, wherein said virus is selected from a group
selected from
COV viruses family, COVID-19, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination
thereof.
490. The system of claim 482, wherein said sampler is at least one selected
from a group
consisting of a breathalyzer, a straw-like device, any handheld device, any
IOT device into
which human breath is exhaled.
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491. The system of claim 482, wherein said sampler comprises a proximal end
and a
distal end interconnected by a main longitudinal axis, along which said at
least one
rnetamateri al membrane is positioned; and into which said tested individual
exhale breath,
such that the propagation path of said exhaled breath and said collected media
therewithin
intersect said at least one metainaterial membrane and absorbed therewithin.
492. The system of claim 482, wherein said sampler is airtight sealed such
that said
collected media released by said at least one tested individuals breath are
prevented from
exiting said sampler.
493. The system of claim 482, wherein said membrane is enclosed within at
least one
capsule; wherein said capsule is sealed.
494. The system of claim 482, wherein said sampler is RFID tagged with each
of said
tested individual, such that detection of said virus free individuals is
traced back to each of
said tested individual.
495. The system of claim 482, wherein at least one of the following us
being held true
(a) said sampler is a disposable unit; (b) said sampler comprises at least one
sealing element
adapted to seal thereof
496. The system of claim 482, wherein said data being processed by said
control unit is
at least one absorption spectrum of said membrane.
497. The system of claim 482, wherein processing of said at least one
absorption
spectrum of said membrane additionally comprising pattern recognition of said
at least one
absorption spectrum.
498. The system of claim 497, wherein said pattern recognition comprising
at least one
selected from a group consisting identification of special features of the
pattern,
identification of main and side peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the
width of the
peaks and the distance therebetween and any combination thereof.
499. The system of claim 482, wherein said membrane is in communication
with a
vacuum source, a gas collection device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein
the
membrane is capable of capturing said collected media.
500. The system of claim 482, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying
at least
one selected from a group consisting of positive/negative pressure or
electricity to release
said collected media.
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501. The system of claim 482, wherein said membrane is coated with at least
one
material selected from a group consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene,
acting as a
reflector, and any combination thereof.
502. The system of claim 482, wherein said membrane is made of at least one
material
selected from a group consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure
Permeable
Membrane, meta-material, PET, open-cell foam-based melamine and any
combination
thereof.
503. The system of claim 482, wherein said control unit is configured and
operable for
performing a pattern recognition of said signature.
504. The system of claim 482, wherein said system additionally comprising
at one
communicable and readable database; said database comprising said collected
media being
scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
505. The system of claim 504, wherein said system has 2 modes of operation:
(a) a
learning phase; and, (b) a detection phase.
506 The system of claim 505, wherein, in said learning phase, said
control unit trains
a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter in the absorption
spectrum of
said membrane with said collected media being scanned with an electromagnetic
radiation
in the THz range of a plurality of membrane stored in said communicable and
readable
database in order to generate information data being indicative of said virus
free
individuals.
507
The system of claim 506, wherein aid parameter selected from a group
consisting
of, trends in said database of said at least one tested individuals,
eigenvector of said
database of said at least one tested individuals, eigenvalues of said database
of said at least
one tested individuals, feature extraction step being configured to estimate
the most
relevant vectors defining the data using a principal component analysis, a
pattern
classification using a combined linear and nonlinear pattern recognition
approach, known
symptoms of said virus, known healthy individuals, healthy individual vital
signs selected
from fever, sweat, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and
breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any combination thereof, virus free individual vital
signs selected
from fever, sweat, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and
breathing rate
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(respiratory rate) and any combination thereof, medicaments being administered
to said
tested individual, and any combination thereof
508. The system of claim 505, wherein, in said learning phase, said data is
either
supervised or unsupervised data; and, said training by said control unit is
performed by at
least one algorithm selected from a group consisting of Leav e One Out (L00)
algorithm,
Principal Component Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors
algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear
discriminant,
Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine learning algorithm and any
combination thereof on said collected media being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range stored in said communicable and readable database
in order to
generate informati on data being indicative of at least on e said virus free
in divi dual s.
509. The system of claim 504, wherein, in said detection phase, said data
is either
supervised or unsupervised data; and, said control unit performs at least one
algorithm
selected from a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal
Component
Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm,
Quadrature, Fisher's
linear discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration
algorithm
(NNA), any machine learning algorithm and any combination thereof on said
collected
media being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range stored
in said
communicable and readable database in order to generate information data being
indicative
of at least one said virus free individuals.
510. The system of claim 504, wherein, in said detection phase, said
control unit detects
said signature the absorption spectrum of said membrane with said collected
media being
indicative of at least one said virus free individuals by means of said
trained
machine learning model.
511. The system of claim 504, wherein said system additionally comprising
at least one
communicable and readable database storing instructions which, when executed
by the at
least one data processor, result in operations comprising:
training a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter of said
collected
media being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range of at
least one
tested individuals stored in said communicable and readable database in order
to generate
information data being indicative of said virus free individuals; and,
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after said step of training, real time detecting said parameter by means of
said
trained machine learning model.
512. The system of claim 482, wherein said data is either supervised or
unsupervised
data; and, said control unit performs at least one algorithm selected from a
group consisting
of Leave Oite Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm,
canberra
distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's
nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine
learning
algorithm and any combination thereof in order to generate information data
being
indicative of said virus free individuals.
513. The system of claims 482-512, wherein said control unit additionally
performs Fast
Fourier Transformation in order to generate information data being indicative
of said virus
free individuals.
514. The system of claim 482, wherein said membrane is made of hardened
extruded
plastic.
j 5 The system of claim 482, wherein said membrane is able to trap at
least one selected
from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture
thereof,
Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl
benzene,
hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-
(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethy1-1-hexanol,
5 -is oprop eny1-1-methy1-1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hydrofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2,
interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6),
granulocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof
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516. The system of claim 482, wherein said membrane is single-use,
disposable
membrane.
517. The system of claim 482, wherein said membrane is reusable.
518. The system of claim 482, wherein said collected media comprising at
least one
selected from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound,
mixture
thereof, Ketones, aromati c al cohol s, al dehydes, I -butanol, di m ethyl di
sul fi de, methyl
benzene, hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfi de,
phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl-1 -methyl -1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hydrofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2,
interleuki n IL-7, i nterl euki n -2 receptor (IL-2R), i nterl euki n- 6 (IL-
6), gran ul ocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
macrophage, inflammatory protein I-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof.
519. The system of claim 482, wherein said membrane is removable from the
sampling
apparatus.
520. The system of claim 482, wherein said detection is completed within a
period of
time being less than 40 seconds.
521. The system of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a
spectroscopic
assembly including a radiation transmitter unit being configured and operable
to scan said
membrane holding said collected media by generating an electromagnetic
radiation in the
range of THz within a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit
being
configured and operable to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said
collected
media.
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522. The system of any of claims 483-517, wherein said system additionally
comprising
signaling means adapted to signal the user that sufficient enough of collected
media have
been captured in said membrane or that said detection has been completed.
523. The system of claim 521, wherein said signaling means are either
optical or vocal
means.
524. The system of claim 482, wherein said sampler additionally comprising
at least one
Lego-like connection adapted to enable the stacking of multiple samplers one
on the other.
525. The system of claim 482, wherein said sampler additionally comprising
focusing
means adapted to focus the collected media exhaled from the individuals being
tested onto
said membrane.
526. The system of claim 482, wherein said system additionally comprising a
conveyor
upon which a stack of multiple samplers is being disposed.
527. The system of claim 482, wherein said system additionally comprising
optical
means adapted to ensure correct positioning of each of said samplers in
between said at
least one electromagnetic radiation transmitter and at least one
electromagnetic radiation
detector.
528. The system of claim 482, additionally comprising at least one waste
container
adapted to contain said samplers prior to and/or after the same have been
scanned.
529. A sampler to be integrated into a system for label-free, noncontact,
noninvasive,
and nondestructive detection of at least one virus free individuals from at
least one tested
individual, the sampler comprising:
a proximal end and a distal end interconnected by a main longitudinal axis,
along which at
least one metamaterial membrane absorber is positioned; and into which said
tested
individual exhale breath, such that the propagation path of said exhaled
breath and a
collected media; said collected media being selected from a group consisting
of aerosol,
any airborne compound, volatile compounds, VCs, and any combination thereof,
therewithin intersect said at least one metamaterial membrane and absorbed
therewithin;
said metamaterial membrane absorber being configured and operable for trapping
said
collected media.
530. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said system additionally comprising
a control
unit configured and operable for receiving data indicative of said collected
media being
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scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range and processing said
data for
identifying a signature being indicative of virus free individuals to thereby
provide
detection of said virus free individuals.
531. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said sampler is airtight sealed such
that said
collected media released by said at least one tested individuals breath are
prevented from
exiting said sampler.
532. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said membrane is enclosed within at
least one
capsule; wherein said capsule is sealed.
533. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said sampler is RFID tagged with
each of said
tested individual, such that detection of said virus free individuals is
traced back to each of
said tested individual.
534. The sampler of claim 529, wherein at least one of the following us
being held true
(a) said sampler is a disposable unit; (b) said sampler comprises at least one
sealing element
adapted to seal thereof
535 The sampler of claim 529, wherein said THz range is between 200 GHz
to 1200
GHz.
536. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said tested individual is
asymptomatic and has
no symptom related to said virus.
537. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said system distinguishes between a
healthy
individual, a virus recovered individual and an infected individual.
538. The sampler of claim 529, wherein detection of said virus free
individuals provides
clearance to healthy individuals and/or virus recovered individuals.
539. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said signature is information
indicative of said
virus; said information being selected from a group consisting of cell unit of
said virus,
viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said virus,
hydrates of debris
of said virus, hydrates of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell,
aggregates of said virus,
cytokines, increased level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7,
interleukin-2 receptor (IL-
2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor, interferon-
7, inducible
protein 10, monocyte chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage, inflammatory
protein 1-a,
and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any combination thereof
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540. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said collected media create spoof
surface
plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
541. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said virus is selected from a group
selected from
COV viruses family, COVID-19, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination
thereof.
542. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said sampler is at least one
selected from a group
consisting of a breathalyzer, a straw-like device, any handheld device, any
IOT device into
which human breath is exhaled.
543. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said at least one metamaterial
membrane is
extracted from said sampler and is placed in an electromagnetic testing unit;
said
electromagnetic testing unit adapted to (a) scan in the THz range said
metamaterial
membrane absorbed with said collected media in said exhaled breath of said
tested
individual; and, (b) transmit data indicative of said collected media to said
control unit.
544. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said sampler comprises two parts
reversibly
coupled to each other along a main longitudinal axis, such that (a) said at
least one
metamaterial membrane is positioned therebetween along said main longitudinal
axis; and,
(b) into said sampler said tested individual exhale breath, such that the
propagation path of
said exhaled breath and said collected media therewithin intersect said at
least one
metamaterial membrane and absorbed therewithin.
545. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said electromagnetic testing unit
comprising at
least one electromagnetic radiation transmitter and at least one
electromagnetic radiation
detector.
546. The sampler of claim 545, wherein the membrane is positionable within
the
electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitter.
547. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said data being processed by said
control unit
is at least one absorption spectrum of said membrane.
548. The sampler of claim 529, wherein processing of said at least one
absorption
spectrum of said membrane additionally comprising pattern recognition of said
at least one
absorption spectrum.
549. The sampler of claim 548, wherein said pattern recognition comprising
at least one
selected from a group consisting identification of special features of the
pattern,
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identification of main and side peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the
width of the
peaks and the distance therebetween and any combination thereof
550. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said membrane is in communication
with a
vacuum source, a gas collection device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein
the
membrane is capable of capturing said collected media.
551. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying
at least
one selected from a group consisting of positive/negative pressure or
electricity to release
said collected media.
552. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said membrane is coated with at
least one
material selected from a group consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene,
acting as a
reflector, and any combination thereof.
553. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said membrane is made of at least
one material
selected from a group consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure
Permeable
Membrane, meta-material, PET, open-cell foam-based melamine and any
combination
thereof
554. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said control unit is configured and
operable for
performing a pattern recognition of said signature.
555. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said system additionally comprising
at one
communicable and readable database; said database comprising said collected
media being
scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
556, The sampler of claim 555, wherein said system has 2 modes of
operation: (a) a
learning phase; and, (b) a detection phase.
557, The sampler of claim 556, wherein, in said learning phase, said
control unit trains
a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter in the absorption
spectrum of
said membrane with said collected media being scanned with an electromagnetic
radiation
in the THz range of a plurality of membrane stored in said communicable and
readable
database in order to generate information data being indicative of said virus
free
individuals.
558.
The sampler of claim 557, wherein aid parameter selected from a group
consisting
of, trends in said database of said at least one tested individuals,
eigenvector of said
database of said at least one tested individuals, eigenvalues of said database
of said at least
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one tested individuals, feature extraction step being configured to estimate
the most
relevant vectors defining the data using a principal component analysis, a
pattern
classification using a combined linear and nonlinear pattern recognition
approach, known
symptoms of said virus, known healthy individuals, healthy individual vital
signs selected
from fever, sweat, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and
breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any combination thereof, virus free individual vital
signs selected
from fever, sweat, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and
breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any combination thereof, medicaments being administered
to said
tested individual, and any combination thereof
559. The sampler of claim 556, wherein, in said learning phase, said data
is either
supervised or unsupervised data; and, said training by said control unit is
performed by at
least one algorithm selected from a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00)
algorithm,
Principal Component Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors
algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear
discriminant,
Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine learning algorithm and any
combination thereof on said collected media being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range stored in said communicable and readable database
in order to
generate information data being indicative of at least one said virus free
individuals.
560. The sampler of claim 556, wherein, in said detection phase, said data
is either
supervised or unsupervised data; and, said control unit performs at least one
algorithm
selected from a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal
Component
Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm,
Quadrature, Fisher's
linear discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration
algorithm
(NNA), any machine learning algorithm and any combination thereof on said
collected
media being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range stored
in said
communicable and readable database in order to generate information data being
indicative
of at least one said virus free individuals.
561. The sampler of claim 556, wherein, in said detection phase, said
control unit detects
said signature the absorption spectrum of said membrane with said collected
media being
indicative of at least one said virus free individuals by means of said
trained
machine learning model.
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562. The sampler of claim 555, wherein said system additionally comprising
at least one
communicable and readable database storing instructions which, when executed
by the at
1 east one data processor, result in operations comprising:
training a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter of said
collected
media being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range of at
least one
tested individuals stored in said communicable and readable database in order
to generate
information data being indicative of said virus free individuals; and,
after said step of training, real time detecting said parameter by means of
said
trained machine learning model.
563. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said data is either supervised or
unsupervised
data; and, said control unit performs at least one algorithm selected from a
group consisting
of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm,
canberra
distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's
nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine
learning
algorithm and any combination thereof in order to generate information data
being
indicative of said virus free individuals.
564. The sampler of claims 529-563, wherein said control unit additionally
performs
Fast Fourier Transformation in order to generate information data being
indicative of said
virus free individuals.
565. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said membrane is made of hardened
extruded
plastic.
566. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said membrane is able to trap at
least one
selected from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound,
mixture
thereof, Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide,
methyl
benzene, hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide,
phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl- 1 -hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl- 1 -methyl-1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hydrofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
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hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2,
interleuki n IL-7, i nterl euki n -2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin- 6 (IL-6),
gran ul ocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-u, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof.
567. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said membrane is single-use,
disposable
membrane.
568. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said membrane is reusable.
569. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said collected media comprising at
least one
selected frorn a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound,
mixture
thereof, Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide,
methyl
benzene, hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide,
phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl- 1 -hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl- 1 -methyl-1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1 ,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hydrofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2,
interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6),
granulocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof.
570. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said membrane is removable from the
sampling
apparatus.
571. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said detection is completed within a
period of
time being less than 40 seconds.
572. The sampler of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a
spectroscopic
assembly including a radiation transmitter unit being configured and operable
to scan said
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membrane holding said collected media by generating an electromagnetic
radiation in the
range of THz within a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit
being
configured and operable to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said
collected
media.
573. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said system additionally comprising
signaling
means adapted to signal the user that sufficient enough of said collected
media have been
captured in said membrane or that said detection has been completed.
574. The sampler of claim 573, wherein said signaling means are either
optical or vocal
means.
575. The sampler of claim 529, comprising at least 2 parts: a distal part
and a proximal
part reversibly connectable to one another; wherein said distal part is
adapted to in
proximity with said tested individual.
576. The sampler of claim 579, wherein said sampler is characterized by at
least two
configurations: an open configuration in which said proximal part and said
distal part are
disconnected and said metamaterial membrane absorber can be inserted; and, a
closed
configuration in which said proximal part and said distal part are connected.
577. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said sampler additionally comprising
at least
one Lego-like connection adapted to enable the stacking of multiple samplers
one on the
other.
578. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said sampler additionally comprising
focusing
means adapted to focus the collected media exhaled from the individuals being
tested onto
said membrane.
579. A high throughput method for label-free, noncontact, noninvasive, and
nondestructive detection of at least one virus free individual from at least
one tested
individual, the method comprising:
receiving data indicative of a collected media being selected from a group
consisting of aerosol, any airborne compound, volatile compounds, VCs, and any
combination thereof, being scanned with electromagnetic radiation in the THz
range; and
processing said data for identifying a signature being indicative of said
virus free
individuals.
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580. The method of claim 579, wherein said THz range is between 200 GHz to
1200
GHz.
581. The method of claim 579, wherein said tested individual is
asymptomatic and has
no symptom related to said virus.
582. The method of claim 579, wherein said system distinguishes between a
healthy
individual, a virus recovered individual and an infected individual.
583. The method of claim 579, wherein detection of said virus free
individuals provides
clearance to healthy individuals and/or virus recovered individuals.
584. The method of claim 579, wherein said signature is information
indicative of said
virus; said information being selected from a group consisting of cell unit of
said virus,
viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said virus,
hydrates of debris
of said virus, hydrates of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell,
aggregates of said virus,
cytokines, increased level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7,
interleukin-2 receptor (IL-
2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor, interferon-
7, inducible
protein 10, monocyte chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage, inflammatory
protein 1-a,
and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any combination thereof
585. The method of claim 579, wherein said processing comprises performing
a pattern
recognition of said signature.
586. The method of claim 585, further comprising scanning the collected
media with
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range within a scanning window of about
100 GHz.
587. The method of claim 586, further comprising trapping said collected
media by
suction, wherein said trapping is performed within a period of time being less
than 40
seconds.
588. The method of claim 586, additionally comprising the step of providing
at one
communicable and readable database; said database comprising absorption
spectra of said
collected media captured in said membrane being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range.
589. The method of claim 586, wherein said collected media create spoof
surface
plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
590. The method of claim 586, wherein said virus is selected from a group
selected from
COV viruses family, COVID-19, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination
thereof.
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591. The method of claim 586, wherein said method is performed by a system
being
selected from a group consisting of a breathalyzer, any handheld device, any
IOT
device into which human breath is exhaled.
592. The method of claim 586, wherein said data being processed by said
control unit is
at least one absorption spectrum of said membrane.
593. The method of claim 592, wherein processing of said at least one
absorption
spectrum of said membrane additionally comprising pattern recognition of said
at least one
absorption spectrum.
594. The method of claim 593, wherein said pattern recognition comprising
at least one
selected from a group consisting identification of special features of the
pattern,
identification of main and side peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the
width of the
peaks and the distance therebetween and any combination thereof.
595. The method of claim 579, wherein said membrane is in communication
with a
vacuum source, a gas collection device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein
the
membrane is capable of capturing said collected media.
596. The method of claim 579, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying
at least
one selected from a group consisting of positive/negative pressure or
electricity to release
said collected media.
597. The method of claim 579, wherein said membrane is coated with at least
one
material selected from a group consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene,
acting as a
reflector, and any combination thereof.
598. The method of claim 579, wherein said membrane is made of at least one
material
selected from a group consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure
Permeable
Membrane, meta-material, PET, open-cell foam-based melamine and any
combination
thereof.
599. The method of claim 579, additionally comprising an electromagnetic
radiation
transmitter and detector.
600. The method of claim 579, wherein the membrane is positionable within
the
electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitter.
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601. The method of claim 579, additionally comprising at one communicable
and
readable database; said database comprising said collected media being scanned
with an
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
602. The method of claim 579, wherein said method has 2 modes of operation:
(a) a
learning phase, and, (b) a detection phase.
603. The method of claim 602, wherein, in said learning phase, said control
unit trains
a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter in the absorption
spectrum of
said membrane with said collected media compounds being scanned with an
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range of a plurality of membrane stored
in said
communicable and readable database in order to generate information data being
indicative
of said virus free individuals.
604. The method of claim 603, wherein aid parameter selected from a group
consisting
of, trends in said database of said at least one tested individuals,
eigenvector of said
database of said at least one tested individuals, eigenvalues of said database
of said at least
one tested individuals, feature extraction step being configured to estimate
the most
relevant vectors defining the data using a principal component analysis, a
pattern
classification using a combined linear and nonlinear pattern recognition
approach, known
symptoms of said virus, known healthy individuals, healthy individual vital
signs selected
from fever, sweat, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and
breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any combination thereof, virus free individual vital
signs selected
from fever, sweat, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and
breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any combination thereof, medicaments being administered
to said
tested individual, and any combination thereof.
605. The method of claim 602, wherein, in said learning phase, said data is
either
supervised or unsupervised data; and, said training by said control unit is
performed by at
least one algorithm selected from a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00)
algorithm,
Principal Component Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors
algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear
discriminant,
Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine learning algorithm and any
combination thereof on said collected media being scanned with an
electromagnetic
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radiation in the THz range stored in said communicable and readable database
in order to
generate information data being indicative of at least one said virus free
individuals.
606. The method of claim 601, wherein, in said detection phase, said data
is either
supervised or unsupervised data; and, said control unit performs at least one
algorithm
selected from a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal
Component
Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm,
Quadrature, Fisher's
linear discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration
algorithm
(NNA), any machine learning algorithm and any combination thereof on said
collected
media being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range stored
in said
communicable and readable database in order to generate information data being
indicative
of at least one said virus free individuals.
607. The method of claim 601, wherein, in said detection phase, said
control unit detects
said signature the absorption spectrum of said membrane with said collected
media being
indicativ e of at least one said virus free individuals by means of said
trained
machine learning model.
608. The method of claim 600, additionally comprising at least one
communicable and
readable database storing instructions which, when executed by the at least
one data
processor, result in operations comprising:
training a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter of said
collected
media being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range of at
least one
tested individuals stored in said communicable and readable database in order
to generate
information data being indicative of said virus free individuals; and,
after said step of training, real time detecting said parameter by means of
said
trained machine learning model.
609. The method of claim 579, wherein said control unit additionally
performs Fast
Fourier Transformation in order to generate information data being indicative
of said virus
free individuals.
610. The method of claim 579, wherein said membrane is made of hardened
extruded
plastic.
61 I.
The method of claim 579, wherein said membrane is able to trap at least one
selected from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound,
mixture
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thereof, Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide,
methyl
benzene, hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide,
phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyeth oxy)ethan ol , 2-ethyl -1 -h exan ol ,
5 -isopropenyl-1 -methyl -1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-d iace ty lb enzene, diethyl phthalate, 1 ,3 -d iphenyl propane, Ammonia,
GT eenho use
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hy drofluorocarbon s
(includes HCFCs and FIFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris
of said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2,
interleuki n IL-7, i nterl euki n -2 receptor (IL-2R), i nterl euki n- 6 (IL-
6), gran ul ocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof
612 The method of claim 579, wherein said membrane is single-use,
disposable
membrane.
613. The method of claim 579, wherein said membrane is reusable.
614. The method of claim 579, wherein said membrane is removable from the
sampling
apparatus.
615. The method of claim 579, further comprising a spectroscopic assembly
including a
radiation transmitter unit being configured and operable to scan said membrane
holding
said collected media by generating an electromagnetic radiation in the range
of THz within
a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit being configured and
operable
to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said collected media.
616,
The method of claim 579, additionally comprising signaling means adapted to
signal the user that sufficient enough of said collected media have been
captured in said
membrane or that said detection has been completed.
617. The method of 616, wherein said signaling means are either optical or
vocal means.
618. The method of claim 587, additionally comprising the step of inserting
said
membrane into a sampler.
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619. The
method of claim 579, additionally comprising the step of extracting said
membrane from said sampler.
620. The
method of claim 619, additionally comprising the step of inserting said
membrane into a dedicated capsule.
621. The
method of claim 620, additionally comprising the step of inserting said
capsule
in a THz scanner.
622. The
method of claim 579, wherein said sampler comprising at least 2 parts: a
distal
part and a proximal part reversibly connectable to one another; wherein said
distal part is
adapted to in proximity with said tested individual.
623. The
method of claim 622, wherein said sampler is characterized by at least two
configurations: an open configuration in which said proximal part and said
distal part are
disconnected and said metamaterial membrane absorber can be inserted; and, a
closed
configuration in which said proximal part and said distal part are connected.
624. The
method of claim 623, additionally comprising at least one step selected from:
a. decoupling said distal part from said proximal part;
b. inserting said membrane into said sampler;
c. coupling said distal part to said proximal part.
625. The
method of claim 624, additionally comprising at least one step selected from:
d. extracting said membrane into said sampler;
e. inserting said membrane into a dedicated capsule;
f. inserting said dedicated capsule into a THz scanner.
626. The
method of claim 625, additionally comprising the step of inserting said distal
part of said sampler into the mouth of said tested individual.
62'7. The
method of claim 579, wherein said sampler additionally comprising at least
one Lego-like connection adapted to enable the stacking of multiple samplers
one on the
other.
628. The method of claim 579, wherein said sampler additionally comprising
focusing
means adapted to focus the collected media exhaled from the individuals being
tested onto
said membrane.
629. The method of claim 579, wherein said system additionally comprising a
conveyor
upon which a stack of multiple samplers is being disposed.
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630. The method of claim 579, wherein said system additionally comprising
optical
means adapted to ensure correct positioning of each of said samplers in
between said at
least one electromagnetic radiation transmitter and at least one
electromagnetic radiation
detector.
631. The method of claim 579, additionally comprising the step of disposing
said
samplers into at least one waste container prior to and/or after the same have
been scanned.
632. A high throughput method for label-free, noncontact, noninvasive, and
nondestructive detection of at least one virus free individual from at least
one tested
individual, the method comprising:
providing at least one sampler comprising at least one metamaterial membrane
absorber located at the propagation path of at least one collected media being
selected from
a group consisting of aerosol, any airborne compound, volatile compounds, VCs,
and any
combination thereof, released by said at least one tested individual breath,
said
metamaterial membrane absorber being configured and operable for trapping the
collected
media;
receiving data indicative of said collected media being scanned with
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range; and
processing said data for identifying a signature being indicative of said
virus free
individuals.
633. The method of claim 632, additionally comprising the step of inserting
said
membrane into said sampler.
634. The method of claim 632, additionally comprising the step of
extracting said
membrane from said sampler.
635. The method of claim 634, additionally comprising the step of inserting
said
membrane into a dedicated capsule.
636. The method of claim 635, additionally comprising the step of inserting
said capsule
in a THz scanner.
637. The method of claim 632, wherein said sampler comprising at least 2
parts: a distal
part and a proximal part reversibly connectable to one another; wherein said
distal part is
adapted to in proximity with said tested individual.
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638.
The method of claim 636, wherein said sampler is characterized by at least
two
configurations: an open configuration in which said proximal part and said
distal part are
disconnected and said metamaterial membrane absorber can be inserted; and, a
closed
configuration in which said proximal part and said distal part are connected.
639.
The method of claim 637, additionally comprising at least one step selected
from.
g. decoupling said distal part from said proximal part;
h. inserting said membrane into said sampler;
i. coupling said distal part to said proximal part.
640.
The method of claim 637, additionally comprising at least one step selected
from:
j. extracting said membrane into said sampler;
k. inserting said membrane into a dedicated capsule;
1. inserting said dedicated capsule into a THz scanner.
641.
The method of claim 639, additionally comprising the step of inserting said
distal
part of said sampler into the mouth of said tested individual.
642 The method of claim 632, wherein said THz range is between 200 GHz
to 1200
GHz,
643. The method of claim 632, wherein said tested individual is
asymptomatic and has
no symptom related to said virus.
644. The method of claim 632, wherein said system distinguishes between a
healthy
individual, a virus recovered individual and an infected individual.
645. The method of claim 632, wherein detection of said virus free
individuals provides
clearance to healthy individuals and/or virus recovered individuals.
646. The method of claim 632, wherein said signature is information
indicative of said
virus; said information being selected from a group consisting of cell unit of
said virus,
viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said virus,
hydrates of debris
of said virus, hydrates of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell,
aggregates of said virus,
cytokines, increased level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7,
interleukin-2 receptor (IL-
2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor, interferon-
7, inducible
protein 10, monocyte chemoattractant, protein 174, macrophage, inflammatory
protein 1-
a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any combination thereof.
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647. The method of claim 632, wherein said collected media create spoof
surface
plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
648. The method of claim 617, wherein said virus is selected from a group
selected from
COV viruses family, COVID-19, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination
thereof.
649. The method of claim 632, wherein said sampler is at least one selected
from a group
consisting of a breathalyzer, a straw-like device, any handheld device, any
IOT device into
which human breath is exhaled.
650. The method of claim 632, wherein said sampler comprises a proximal end
and a
distal end interconnected by a main longitudinal axis, along which said at
least one
metamaterial membrane is positioned; and into which said tested individual
exhaled breath,
such that the propagation path of said exhaled breath and said collected media
therewithin
intersect said at least one metamaterial membrane and absorbed therewithin.
651. The method of claim 632, wherein said sampler is airtight sealed such
that said
collected media released by said at least one tested individuals breath are
prevented from
exiting said sampler.
652. The method of claim 632, wherein said membrane is enclosed within at
least one
capsule; wherein said capsule is sealed.
653. The method of claim 632, wherein said sampler is RFID tagged with each
of said
tested individual, such that detection of said virus free individuals is
traced back to each of
said tested individual.
654. The method of claim 632, wherein at least one of the following us
being held true
(a) said sampler is a disposable unit; (b) said sampler comprises at least one
sealing element
adapted to seal thereof.
655. The method of claim 632, wherein said at least one metamaterial
membrane is
extracted from said sampler and is placed in an electromagnetic testing unit;
said
electromagnetic testing unit adapted to (a) scan in the THz range said
metamaterial
membrane absorbed with said collected media in said exhale breath of said
tested
individual; and, (b) transmit data indicative of said collected media to said
control unit.
656. The method of claim 632, wherein said sampler comprises two parts
reversibly
coupled to each other along a main longitudinal axis, such that (a) said at
least one
metamaterial membrane is positioned therebetween along said main longitudinal
axis; and,
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(b) into said sampler said tested individual exhale breath, such that the
propagation path of
said exhaled breath and said collected media therewithin intersect said at
least one
rnetamateri al membrane and absorbed therewithin.
657. The method of claim 632, wherein said electromagnetic testing unit
comprising at
least one electromagnetic radiation transmitter and at least one
electromagnetic radiation
detector.
658. The method of claim 656, wherein the membrane is positionable within
the
electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitter.
659. The method of claim 632, wherein said data being processed by said
control unit is
at least one absorption spectrum of said membrane.
660. The rnethod of claim 632, wherein processing of said at least one
absorption
spectrum of said membrane additionally comprising pattern recognition of said
at least one
absorption spectrum.
661. The method of claim 632, wherein said pattern recognition comprising
at least one
selected from a group consisting identification of special features of the
pattem,
identification of main and side peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the
width of the
peaks and the distance therebetween and any combination thereof.
662. The method of claim 632, wherein said membrane is in communication
with a
vacuum source, a gas collection device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein
the
membrane is capable of capturing said collected media.
663. The method of claim 632, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying
at least
one selected from a group consisting of positive/negative pressure or
electricity to release
said collected media.
664. The method of claim 632, wherein said membrane is coated with at least
one
material selected from a group consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene,
acting as a
reflector, and any combination thereof.
665. The method of claim 632, wherein said membrane is made of at least one
material
selected from a group consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure
Permeable
Membrane, meta-material, PET, open-cell foam-based melamine and any
combination
thereof
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666. The method of claim 632, wherein said control unit is configured and
operable for
performing a pattern recognition of said signature.
667. The method of claim 632, wherein said system additionally comprising
at one
communicable and readable database; said database comprising collected said
collected
media being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
668. The method of claim 632, wherein said data is either supervised or
unsupervised
data; and, said control unit performs at least one algorithm selected from a
group consisting
of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm,
canberra
distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's
nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine
learning
algorithm and any combination thereof in order to generate information data
being
indicative of said virus free individuals.
669. The method of claim 632, wherein said control unit additionally
performs Fast
Fourier Transformation in order to generate information data being indicative
of said virus
free individuals.
670. The method of claim 632, wherein said membrane is made of hardened
extruded
plastic.
671. The method of claim 632, wherein said membrane is able to trap at
least one
selected from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound,
mixture
thereof, Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide,
methyl
benzene, hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide,
phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl- 1 -hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl- 1 -methyl-1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hydrofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2,
interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6),
granulocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
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macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof
672. The method of claim 632, wherein said membrane is single-use,
disposable
membrane.
673. The method of claim 632, wherein said membrane is reusable.
674. The method of claim 632, wherein said collected media comprising at
least one
selected from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound,
mixture
thereof, Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide,
methyl
benzene, hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide,
phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl- 1 -hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl- 1 -methyl-1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonan one, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hy drofl uorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2,
interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6),
granulocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof
675. The method of claim 632, wherein said membrane is removable from the
sampling
apparatus.
676. The method of claim 632, wherein said detection is completed within a
period of
time being less than 40 seconds.
677. The method of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a
spectroscopic
assembly including a radiation transmitter unit being configured and operable
to scan said
membrane holding said collected media by generating an electromagnetic
radiation in the
range of THz within a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit
being
configured and operable to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said
collected
media.
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678. The method of claim 632, wherein said system additionally comprising
signaling
means adapted to signal the user that sufficient enough of said collected
media have been
captured in said membrane or that said detection has been completed.
679. The method of claim 677, wherein said signaling means are either
optical or vocal
means.
680. The method of claim 632, wherein said processing comprises performing
a pattern
recognition of said signature.
681. The method of claim 632, further comprising scanning said collected
media with
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range within a scanning window of about
100 GHz.
682. The method of claim 632, further comprising trapping said collected
media by
suction, wherein said trapping is performed within a period of time being less
than 40
seconds.
683. The method of claim 632, additionally comprising the step of providing
at one
communicable and readable database; said database comprising absorption
spectra of said
collected media captured in said membrane being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range.
684. The method of claim 632, wherein said collected media create spoof
surface
plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
685. The method of claim 632, wherein said virus is selected from a group
selected from
COV viruses family, COVID-19, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination
thereof.
686. The method of claim 632, wherein said method is performed by a system
being
selected from a group consisting of a breathalyzer, any handheld device, any
IOT
device into which human breath is exhaled.
687. The method of claim 632, wherein said data being processed by said
control unit is
at least one absorption spectrum of said membrane.
688. The method of claim 632, wherein processing of said at least one
absorption
spectrum of said membrane additionally comprising pattern recognition of said
at least one
absorption spectrum.
689. The method of claim 687, wherein said pattern recognition comprising
at least one
selected from a group consisting identification of special features of the
pattern,
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identification of main and side peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the
width of the
peaks and the distance therebetween and any combination thereof
690. The method of claim 632, wherein said membrane is in communication
with a
vacuum source, a gas collection device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein
the
membrane is capable of capturing said collected media.
691. The method of claim 632, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying
at least
one selected from a group consisting of positive/negative pressure or
electricity to release
said collected media.
692. The method of claim 632, wherein said membrane is coated with at least
one
material selected from a group consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene,
acting as a
reflector, and any combination thereof.
693. The method of claim 632, wherein said membrane is made of at least one
material
selected from a group consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure
Permeable
Membrane, meta-material, PET, open-cell foam-based melamine and any
combination
thereof
694. The method of claim 632, additionally comprising an electromagnetic
radiation
transmitter and detector.
695. The method of claim 632, wherein the membrane is positionable within
the
electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitter.
696. The method of claim 632, additionally comprising at one communicable
and
readable database; said database comprising said collected media being scanned
with an
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
697. The method of claim 695, wherein said method has 2 modes of operation:
(a) a
learning phase; and, (b) a detection phase.
698. The method of claim 696, wherein, in said learning phase, said control
unit trains
a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter in the absorption
spectrum of
said membrane with said collected media being scanned with an electromagnetic
radiation
in the THz range of a plurality of membrane stored in said communicable and
readable
database in order to generate information data being indicative of said virus
free
individuals.
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699. The method of claim 697, wherein aid parameter selected from a group
consisting
of, trends in said database of said at least one tested individuals,
eigenvector of said
database of said at least one tested individuals, eigenvalues of said database
of said at least
one tested individuals, feature extraction step being configured to estimate
the most
relevant vectors defining the data using a principal component analysis, a
pattern
classification using a combined linear and nonlinear pattern recognition
approach, known
symptoms of said virus, known healthy individuals, healthy individual vital
signs selected
from fever, sweat, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and
breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any combination thereof, virus free individual vital
signs selected
from fever, sweat, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and
breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any combination thereof, medicaments being administered
to said
tested individual, and any combination thereof.
700. The method of claim 696, wherein, in said learning phase, said data is
either
supervised or unsupervised data; and, said training by said control unit is
performed by at
least one algorithm selected from a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00)
algorithm,
Principal Component Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors
algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear
discriminant,
Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine learning algorithm and any
combination thereof on said collected media being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range stored in said communicable and readable database
in order to
generate information data being indicative of at least one said virus free
individuals.
701. The method of claim 696, wherein, in said detection phase, said data
is either
supervised or unsupervised data; and, said control unit performs at least one
algorithm
selected from a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal
Component
Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm,
Quadrature, Fisher's
linear discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration
algorithm
(NNA), any machine learning algorithm and any combination thereof on said
collected
media being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range stored
in said
communicable and readable database in order to generate information data being
indicative
of at least one said virus free individuals.
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702. The method of claim 696, wherein, in said detection phase, said
control unit detects
said signature the absorption spectrum of said membrane with said collected
media being
indicative of at least one said virus free individuals by means of said
trained
machine learning model.
703. The method of claim 695, additionally comprising at least one
communicable and
readable database storing instructions which, when executed by the at least
one data
processor, result in operations comprising:
training a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter of said
collected
media being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range of at
least one
tested individuals stored in said communicable and readable database in order
to generate
information data being indicative of said virus free individuals; and,
after said step of training, real time detecting said parameter by means of
said
trained machine learning model.
704. The method of claim 632, wherein said control unit additionally
performs Fast
Fourier Transformation in order to generate information data being indicative
of said virus
free individuals.
705. The method of claim 632, wherein said membrane is made of hardened
extruded
plastic.
706. The method of claim 632, wherein said membrane is able to trap at
least one
selected from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound,
mixture
thereof, Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide,
methyl
benzene, hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide,
phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl- 1 -hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl- 1 -methyl-1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hydrofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and 11FCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris
of said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (1L)-2,
interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6),
granulocytecolony,
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stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof.
707. The method of claim 632, wherein said membrane is single-use,
disposable
meinbrane.
708. The method of claim 632, wherein said membrane is reusable.
709. The method of claim 632, wherein said membrane is removable from the
sampling
apparatus.
710. The method of claim 632, further comprising a spectroscopic assembly
including a
radiation transmitter unit being configured and operable to scan said membrane
holding
said collected media by generating an electromagnetic radiation in the range
of THz within
a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit being configured and
operable
to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said collected media.
711. The method of claim 632, additionally comprising signaling means
adapted to
signal the user that sufficient enough of said collected media have been
captured in said
membrane or that said detection has been completed.
712. The method of claim 709, wherein said signaling means are either
optical or vocal
means.
713. The method of claim 632, wherein said sampler additionally comprising
at least
one Lego-like connection adapted to enable the stacking of multiple samplers
one on the
other.
714. The method of claim 632, wherein said sampler additionally comprising
focusing
means adapted to focus the collected media exhaled from the individuals being
tested onto
said membrane.
715. The method of claim 632, wherein said system additionally comprising a
conveyor
upon which a stack of multiple samplers is being disposed.
716. The method of claim 632, wherein said system additionally comprising
optical
means adapted to ensure correct positioning of each of said samplers in
between said at
least one electromagnetic radiation transmitter and at least one
electromagnetic radiation
detector.
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717. The method of claim 632, additionally comprising the step of disposing
said
samplers into at least one waste container prior to and/or after the same have
been scanned.
718. The system of claim 431, utilized for homeland security applications.
719. The system of claim 431, utilized in public places selected from
airports, schools,
public clinic, convention centers, parks, kindergartens, stadiums and any
combination
thereof.
720. The system of claim 482, utilized for homeland security applications.
721. The system of claim 482, utilized in public places selected from
airports, schools,
public clinic, convention centers, parks, kindergartens, stadiums and any
combination
thereof
722. The sampl er of cl aim 529, uti 1 i zed in a system for h om el an d
security applicati ons.
723. The sampler of claim 529, utilized in a system for public places
selected from
airports, schools, public clinic, convention centers, parks, kindergartens,
stadiums and any
combination thereof
724. The method of claim 579, utilized for homeland security applications.
725. The method of claim 579, utilized in public places selected from
airports, schools,
public clinic, convention centers, parks, kindergartens, stadiums and any
combination
thereof
726. The method of claim 632, utilized for homeland security applications.
727. The method of claim 632, utilized in public places selected from
airports, schools,
public clinic, convention centers, parks, kindergartens, stadiums and any
combination
thereof
728. The system of claim 431, additionally comprising at least one filter
disposed on
said membrane.
729. The system of claim 728, wherein said filter is adapted to affect the
absorption
signal detected in the absorption spectrum when said VCs are absorbed on said
membrane.
730. The system of claim 728, wherein said filter is at least one selected
from a group
consisting of ring resonator, directional antenna, antenna, band-stop filter,
notch filter and
any combination thereof.
731. The system of claim 482, additionally comprising at least one filter
disposed on
said membrane.
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732. The system of claim 731, wherein said filter is adapted to affect the
absorption
signal detected in the absorption spectrum when said VCs are absorbed on said
membrane.
733. The system of claim 731, wherein said filter is at least one selected
from a group
consisting of ring resonator, directional antenna, antenna, band-stop filter,
notch filter and
any combination thereof.
734. The sampler of claim 529, additionally comprising at least one filter
disposed on
sai d membrane.
735. The sampler of claim 734, wherein said filter is adapted to affect the
absorption
signal detected in the absorption spectrum when said VCs are absorbed on said
membrane.
736. The sampler of claim 734, wherein said filter is at least one selected
from a group
consisting of ring resonator, directional antenna, antenna, band-stop filter,
notch filter and
any combination thereof.
737. The method of claim 579, additionally comprising at least one filter
disposed on
said membrane.
738. The method of claim 737, wherein said filter is adapted to affect the
absorption
signal detected in the absorption spectrum when said VCs are absorbed on said
membrane.
739. The method of claim 737, wherein said filter is at least one selected
from a group
consisting of ring resonator, directional antenna, antenna, band-stop filter,
notch filter and
any combination thereof.
740. The method of claim 632, additionally comprising at least one filter
disposed on
said membrane.
741. The method of claim 739, wherein said filter is adapted to affect the
absorption
signal detected in the absorption spectrum when said VCs are absorbed on said
membrane.
742. The method of claim 738, wherein said filter is at least one selected
from a group
consisting of ring resonator, directional antenna, antenna, band-stop filter,
notch filter and
any combination thereof.
743. The method of claim 587, wherein said sampler is made of
polyoxymethylene-
based (aka Delrin).
744. The method of claim 632, wherein said sampler is made of
polyoxymethylene-
based (aka Delrin).
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745. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said sampler is made of
polyoxymethylene-
based (aka Delrin).
746. The method of claim 636, wherein said capsule is made of PTFE
(Polytetrafluoroethylene, aka. Teflon).
747. The system of claim 431, wherein said sampler comprising at least 2
parts. a distal
part and a proximal part reversibly connectable to one another; wherein said
distal part is
adapted to in proximity with said tested individual.
748. The system of claim 642, wherein said sampler is characterized by at
least two
configurations: an open configuration in which said proximal part and said
distal part are
disconnected and said metamaterial membrane absorber can be inserted; and, a
closed
configuration in which said proximal part and said distal part are connected.
749. The system of claim 482, wherein said sampler comprising at least 2
parts: a distal
part and a proximal part reversibly connectable to one another; wherein said
distal part is
adapted to in proximity with said tested individual.
750 The system of claim 749, wherein said sampler is characterized by
at least two
configurations: an open configuration in which said proximal part and said
distal part are
disconnected and said metamaterial membrane absorber can be inserted; and, a
closed
configuration in which said proximal part and said distal part are connected.
75 I.
A high throughput method for label-free, noncontact, noninvasive, and
nondestructive detection of at least one virus free individual from at least
one tested
individual:
collecting a sample from exhaled breath of a subject for analysis of said
sample,
said collecting comprising said subject exhaling into at least one sampler,
collecting
aerosols from said exhaled breath by passing said exhaled breath through a
metamaterial
membrane within said sampler, wherein said metamaterial membrane is arranged
transverse to a flow of exhaled breath through the sampler; and
analyzing said sample for detection of at least one virus free individual from
at least
one tested individual.
752.
The method of claim 751, additionally comprising the step of providing said
at least
one sampler with at least one metamaterial membrane absorber located at the
propagation
path of at least one collected media being selected from a group consisting of
aerosol, any
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airborne compound, volatile compounds, VCs, and any combination thereof,
released by
said at least one tested individual breath, said metamaterial membrane
absorber being
configured and operable for trapping the collected media.
753. The method of claim 751, additionally comprising the step of receiv
ing data
indicativ e of said collected media being scanned with electromagnetic
radiation in the THz
range.
754. The method of claim 751, wherein said step of analyzing said sample
for detection
of at least one virus infected individual from at least one tested individual
additionally
comprising the step of processing said data for identifying a signature being
indicative of
said virus infected individuals.
755. The method of claim 751, additionally comprising the step of inserting
said
membrane into said sampler.
756. The method of claim 751, additionally comprising the step of
extracting said
membrane from said sampler.
757 The method of claim 755, additionally comprising the step of
inserting said
membrane into a dedicated capsule.
758. The method of claim 756, additionally comprising the step of inserting
said capsule
in a THz scanner.
759. The method of claim 751, wherein said sampler comprising at least 2
parts: a distal
part and a proximal part reversibly connectable to one another; wherein said
distal part is
adapted to in proximity with said tested individual.
760. The method of claim 758, wherein said sampler is characterized by at
least two
configurations: an open configuration in which said proximal part and said
distal part are
disconnected and said metamaterial membrane absorber can be inserted; and, a
closed
configuration in which said proximal part and said distal part are connected.
761. The method of claim 759, additionally comprising at least one step
selected from:
decoupling said distal part from said proximal part;
inserting said membrane into said sampler;
coupling said distal part to said proximal part.
762. The method of claim 759, additionally comprising at least one step
selected from:
extracting said membrane into said sampler;
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inserting said membrane into a dedicated capsule;
inserting said dedicated capsule into a THz scanner.
763. The method of claim 761, additionally comprising the step of inserting
said distal
part of said sampler into the mouth of said tested individual.
764. The method of claim 751, wherein said THz range is between 200 GHz to
1200
GHz.
765. The rnethod of claim 751, wherein said tested individual is
asymptomatic and has
no symptom related to said virus.
766. The method of claim 751, wherein said system distinguishes between a
healthy
individual, a virus recovered individual and an infected individual.
767. The rnethod of claim 751, wherein detection of said virus infected
individuals
provides clearance to healthy individuals and/or virus recovered individuals.
768. The method of claim 751, wherein said signature is information
indicative of said
virus; said information being selected from a group consisting of cell unit of
said virus,
viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said virus,
hydrates of debris
of said virus, hydrates of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell,
aggregates of said virus,
cytokines, increased level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7,
interleukin-2 receptor (IL-
2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor, interferon-
y, inducible
protein 10, monocyte chemoattractant, protein 174, macrophage, inflammatory
protein 1-
a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any combination thereof.
769. The method of claim 751, wherein said collected media create spoof
surface
plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
770. The method of claim 751, wherein said virus is selected from a group
selected from
COV viruses family, COVID-19, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination
thereof.
771. The method of claim 751, wherein said sampler is at least one selected
from a group
consisting of a breathalyzer, a straw-like device, any handheld device, any
IOT device into
which human breath is exhaled.
772. The method of claim 751, wherein said sampler comprises a proximal end
and a
distal end interconnected by a main longitudinal axis, along which said at
least one
metamaterial membrane is positioned; and into which said tested individual
exhaled breath,
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such that the propagation path of said exhaled breath and said collected media
therewithin
intersect said at least one metamaterial membrane and absorbed therewithin.
773.
The method of claim 751, wherein said sampler is airtight sealed such that
said
collected media released by said at least one tested individuals breath are
prevented from
exiting said sampler.
774
The method of claim 751, wherein said membrane is enclosed within at least
one
capsule; wherein said capsule is sealed.
775.
The method of claim 751, wherein said sampler is RFID tagged with each of
said
tested individual, such that detection of said virus infected individuals is
traced back to
each of said tested individual.
776.
The method of claim 751, wherein at least one of the following us being
held true
(a) said sampler is a disposable unit; (b) said sampler comprises at least one
sealing element
adapted to seal thereof
777.
The method of claim 751, wherein said at least one metamaterial membrane is
extracted from said sampler and is placed in an electromagnetic testing unit;
said
electromagnetic testing unit adapted to (a) scan in the THz range said
metamaterial
membrane absorbed with said collected media in said exhale breath of said
tested
individual; and, (b) transmit data indicative of said collected media to said
control unit.
778.
The method of claim 751, wherein said sampler comprises two parts
reversibly
coupled to each other along a main longitudinal axis, such that (a) said at
least one
metamaterial membrane is positioned therebetween along said main longitudinal
axis; and,
(b) into said sampler said tested individual exhale breath, such that the
propagation path of
said exhaled breath and said collected media therewithin intersect said at
least one
metamaterial membrane and absorbed therewithin.
779.
The method of claim 751, wherein said electromagnetic testing unit
comprising at
least one electromagnetic radiation transmitter and at least one
electromagnetic radiation
detector.
780.
The method of claim 779, wherein the membrane is positionable within the
electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitter.
781.
The method of claim 751, wherein said data being processed by said control
unit is
at least one absorption spectrum of said membrane.
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782. The method of claim 751, wherein processing of said at least one
absorption
spectrum of said membrane additionally comprising pattern recognition of said
at least one
absorption spectrum.
783. The method of claim 751, wherein said pattern recognition comprising
at least one
selected from a group consisting identification of special features of the
pattern,
identification of main and side peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the
width of the
peaks and the distance therebetween and any combination thereof.
784. The method of claim 751, wherein said membrane is in communication
with a
vacuum source, a gas collection device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein
the
membrane is capable of capturing said collected media.
785. The method of claim 751, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying
at least
one selected from a group consisting of positive/negative pressure or
electricity to release
said collected media.
786. The method of claim 751, wherein said membrane is coated with at least
one
material selected from a group consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene,
acting as a
reflector, and any combination thereof.
787. The method of claim 751, wherein said membrane is made of at least one
material
selected from a group consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure
Permeable
Membrane, meta-material, PET, open-cell foam-based melamine and any
combination
thereof.
788. The method of claim 751, wherein said control unit is configured and
operable for
performing a pattern recognition of said signature.
789. The method of claim 751, wherein said system additionally comprising
at one
communicable and readable database; said database comprising collected said
collected
media being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
790. The method of claim 751, wherein said data is either supervised or
unsupervised
data; and, said control unit performs at least one algorithm selected from a
group consisting
of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm,
canberra
distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's
nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine
learning
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algorithm and any combination thereof in order to generate information data
being
indicative of said virus infected individuals.
791. The method of claim 751, wherein said control unit additionally
performs Fast
Fourier Transformation in order to generate information data being indicative
of said virus
infected individuals.
792. The method of claim 751, wherein said membrane is made of hardened
extruded
plasti c.
793. The method of claim 751, wherein said membrane is able to trap at
least one
selected from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound,
mixture
thereof, Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide,
methyl
benzene, hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfi de,
phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl-1 -methyl -1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hy drofluorocarbon s
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2,
interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6),
granulocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof.
794. The method of claim 751, wherein said membrane is single-use,
disposable
membrane.
795. The method of claim 751, wherein said membrane is reusable.
796. The method of claim 751, wherein said collected media comprising at
least one
selected from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound,
mixture
thereof, Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide,
methyl
benzene, hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide,
phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl- 1 -hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl-1 -methyl -1 cyclohexene,
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acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hy drofl uorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2,
interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6),
granulocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof.
797. The method of claim 751, wherein said membrane is removable from the
sampling
apparatus.
798. The method of claim 751, wherein said detection is completed within a
period of
time being less than 40 seconds_
799. The method of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a
spectroscopic
assembly including a radiation transmitter unit being configured and operable
to scan said
membrane holding said collected media by generating an electromagnetic
radiation in the
range of THz within a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit
being
configured and operable to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said
collected
media.
800. The method of claim 751, wherein said system additionally comprising
signaling
means adapted to signal the user that sufficient enough of said collected
media have been
captured in said membrane or that said detection has been completed.
801 The method of claim 800, wherein said signaling means are either
optical or vocal
means.
802. The method of claim 751, wherein said processing comprises performing
a pattern
recognition of said signature.
803. The method of claim 751, further comprising scanning said collected
media with
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range within a scanning window of about
100 GHz.
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804. The method of claim 751, further comprising trapping said collected
media by
suction, wherein said trapping is performed within a period of time being less
than 40
seconds.
805. The method of claim 751, additionally comprising the step of providing
at one
communicable and readable database, said database comprising absorption
spectra of said
collected media captured in said membrane being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the TI-Iz range.
806. The method of claim 751, wherein said collected media create spoof
surface
plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
807. The method of claim 751, wherein said virus is selected from a group
selected from
Coy viruses family, COVID-19, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination
thereof.
808. The method of claim 751, wherein said method is performed by a system
being
selected from a group consisting of a breathalyzer, any handheld device, any
IOT
device into which human breath is exhaled.
809 The method of claim 751, wherein said data being processed by said
control unit is
at least one absorption spectrum of said membrane.
810,
The method of claim 751, wherein processing of said at least one absorption
spectrum of said membrane additionally comprising pattern recognition of said
at least one
absorption spectrum.
811. The method of claim 810, wherein said pattern recognition comprising
at least one
selected from a group consisting identification of special features of the
pattern,
identification of main and side peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the
width of the
peaks and the distance therebetween and any combination thereof.
812. The method of claim 751, wherein said membrane is in communication
with a
vacuum source, a gas collection device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein
the
membrane is capable of capturing said collected media.
813. The method of claim 751, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying
at least
one selected from a group consisting of positive/negative pressure or
electricity to release
said collected media.
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814. The method of claim 751, wherein said membrane is coated with at least
one
material selected from a group consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene,
acting as a
reflector, and any combination thereof.
815. The method of claim 751, wherein said membrane is made of at least one
material
selected from a group consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure
Permeable
Membrane, meta-material, PET, open-cell foam-based melamine and any
combination
thereof.
816. The method of claim 751, additionally comprising an electromagnetic
radiation
transmitter and detector.
817. The method of claim 751, wherein the membrane is positionable within
the
electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitter.
818. The method of claim 751, additionally comprising at one communicable
and
readable database; said database comprising said collected media being scanned
with an
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
819 The method of claim 817, wherein said method has 2 modes of
operation: (a) a
learning phase; and, (b) a detection phase.
820. The method of claim 818, wherein, in said learning phase, said control
unit trains
a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter in the absorption
spectrum of
said membrane with said collected media being scanned with an electromagnetic
radiation
in the THz range of a plurality of membrane stored in said communicable and
readable
database in order to generate information data being indicative of said virus
infected
individuals.
821. The method of claim 819, wherein aid parameter selected from a group
consisting
of, trends in said database of said at least one tested individuals,
eigenvector of said
database of said at least one tested individuals, eigenvalues of said database
of said at least
one tested individuals, feature extraction step being configured to estimate
the most
relevant vectors defining the data using a principal component analysis, a
pattern
classification using a combined linear and nonlinear pattern recognition
approach, known
symptoms of said virus, known healthy individuals, healthy individual vital
signs selected
from fever, sweat, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and
breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any combination thereof, infected individual vital
signs selected from
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fever, sweat, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and
breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any combination thereof, medicaments being administered
to said
tested indivi dual, and any combination thereof.
822. The method of claim 820, wherein, in said learning phase, said data is
either
supervised or unsupervised data, and, said training by said control unit is
performed by at
least one algorithm selected from a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00)
algorithm,
Principal Component Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors
algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear
discriminant,
Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine learning algorithm and any
combination thereof on said collected media being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range stored in said communicable and readable database
in order to
generate information data being indicative of at least one said virus infected
individuals.
823. The method of claim 820, wherein, in said detection phase, said data
is either
supervised or unsupervised data; and, said control unit performs at least one
algorithm
selected from a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal
Component
A na lys i s al gorithrn, canberra di stance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm,
Quadrature, Fi sher's
linear discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration
algorithm
(NNA), any machine learning algorithm and any combination thereof on said
collected
media being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range stored
in said
communicable and readable database in order to generate information data being
indicative
of at least one said virus infected individuals.
824. The method of claim 820, wherein, in said detection phase, said
control unit detects
said signature the absorption spectrum of said membrane with said collected
media being
indicative of at least one said virus infected individuals by means of said
trained
machine learning model.
825. The method of claim 819, additionally comprising at least one
communicable and
readable database storing instructions which, when executed by the at least
one data
processor, result in operations comprising:
training a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter of said
collected
media being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range of at
least one
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tested individuals stored in said communicable and readable database in order
to generate
information data being indicative of said virus infected individuals; and,
after said step of training, real time detecting said parameter by means of
said
trained machine learning model.
826. The method of claim 751, wherein said control unit additionally
performs Fast
Fourier Transformation in order to generate information data being indicative
of said virus
infected i ndivi duals.
827. The method of claim 751, wherein said membrane is made of hardened
extruded
plastic.
828. The method of claim 751, wherein said membrane is able to trap at
least one
selected from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound,
mixture
thereof, Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide,
methyl
benzene, hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide,
phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl- 1 -hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl- 1 -methyl-1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1 ,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hydrofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2,
interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6),
granulocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof.
829. The method of claim 751, wherein said membrane is single-use,
disposable
membrane.
830. The method of claim 751, wherein said membrane is reusable.
831. The method of claim 751, wherein said membrane is removable from the
sampling
apparatus.
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832. The method of claim 751, further comprising a spectroscopic assembly
including a
radiation transmitter unit being configured and operable to scan said membrane
holding
said collected media by generating an electromagnetic radiation in the range
of THz within
a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit being configured and
operable
to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said collected media.
833. The method of claim 751, additionally comprising signaling means
adapted to
signal the user that sufficient enough of said collected media have been
captured in said
membrane or that said detection has been completed.
834. The method of claim 833, wherein said signaling means are either
optical or vocal
means.
835. The method of claim 751, wherein said sampler additionally comprising
at least
one Lego-like connection adapted to enable the stacking of multiple samplers
one on the
other.
836. The method of claim 751, wherein said sampler additionally comprising
focusing
means adapted to focus the collected media exhaled from the individuals being
tested onto
sai d membrane.
837. The method of claim 751, wherein said system additionally comprising a
conveyor
upon which a stack of multiple samplers is being disposed.
838. The method of claim 751, wherein said system additionally comprising
optical
means adapted to ensure correct positioning of each of said samplers in
between said at
least one electromagnetic radiation transmitter and at least one
electromagnetic radiation
detector.
839. The method of claim 751, additionally comprising the step of disposing
said
samplers into at least one waste container prior to and/or after the same have
been scanned.
840. The system of claim 431, wherein said data is calibrated and/or
normalized with at
least one parameter.
841. The system of claim 840, wherein said parameter is selected from a
group
consisting of PCR Ct, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, the location
at which
said sample is taken, a predefined gold standard and any combination thereof.
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842. The system of claim 841, wherein said predefined gold standard could
be a non-
used membrane, a non Covid-19 infected subject (i.e., a healthy subject), a
Covid-19
infected subject (i.e., a sick subject).
843. The system of claim 482, wherein said data is calibrated and/or
normalized with at
least one parameter.
844. The system of claim 843, wherein said parameter is selected from a
group
consisting of PCR Ct, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, the location
at which
said sample is taken, a predefined gold standard and any combination thereof.
845. The system of claim 844, wherein said predefined gold standard could
be a non-
used membrane, a non Covid-19 infected subject (i.e., a healthy subject), a
Covid-19
infected subject (i.e., a sick subject).
846. The sampler of claim 529, wherein said data is calibrated and/or
normalized with
at least one parameter.
847. The sampler of claim 846, wherein said parameter is selected from a
group
consisting of PCR Ct, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, the location
at which
said sample is taken, a predefined gold standard and any combination thereof
848. The sampler of claim 847, wherein said predefined gold standard could
be a non-
used membrane, a non Covid-19 infected subject (i.e., a healthy subject), a
Covid-19
infected subject (i.e., a sick subject).
849. The method of claim 579, additionally comprising the step of
calibrating and/or
normalizing said sample with at least one parameter.
850. The method of claim 849, wherein said parameter is selected from a
group
consisting of PCR Ct, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, the location
at which
said sample is taken, a predefined gold standard and any combination thereof
851. The method of claim 850, wherein said predefined gold standard could
be a non-
used membrane, a non Covid-19 infected subject (i.e., a healthy subject), a
Covid-19
infected subject (i.e., a sick subject).
852. The method of claim 632, additionally comprising the step of
calibrating and/or
normalizing said sample with at least one parameter.
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853. The method of claim 852, wherein said parameter is selected from a
group
consisting of PCR Ct, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, the location
at which
said sample is taken, a predefined gold standard and any combination thereof.
854. The method of claim 853, wherein said predefined gold standard could
be a non-
used membrane, a non Covid-19 infected subject (i.e., a healthy subject), a
Covid-19
infected subject (i.e., a sick subject).
855. The method of claim 587, additionally comprising the step of
calibrating and/or
normalizing said sample with at least one parameter.
856. The method of claim 855, wherein said parameter is selected from a
group
consisting of PCR Ct, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, the location
at which
said sample is taken, a predefined gold standard and any combination thereof.
857. The method of claim 856, wherein said predefined gold standard could
be a non-
used membrane, a non Covid-19 infected subject (i.e., a healthy subject), a
Covid-19
infected subject (i.e., a sick subject).
858. The method of claim 751, additionally comprising the step of
calibrating and/or
normalizing said sample with at least one parameter.
859. The method of claim 858, wherein said parameter is selected from a
group
consisting of PCR Ct, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, the location
at which
said sample is taken, a predefined gold standard and any combination thereof
860. The method of claim 859, wherein said predefined gold standard could
be a non-
used membrane, a non Covid-19 infected subject (i.e., a healthy subject), a
Covid-19
infected subject (i.e., a sick subject).
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Description

WO 2021/186412
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SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR NON-INVASIVE DETERMINATION OF
COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS INFECTION
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent
Application No.
16/749,611, filed on January 22, 2020, which claims priority to and the
benefit of U.S.
Provisional Application No. 62/960,159, filed on January 13, 2020, U.S.
Provisional
Application No. 62/952,509, filed on December 23, 2019, and U.S. Provisional
Application No. 62/904,405, filed on September 23, 2019. U.S. Patent
Application No.
16/749,611 is a bypass continuation-in-part of PCT/IL2018/050814, filed on
July 23,
2018, which claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application
No.
62/535,917, filed on July 23, 2017.
[0002] This application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S.
Patent Application No.
16/321,261, filed on January 28, 2019, which is a national stage entry of
International
Patent Application No. PCT/US2017/044609, filed on July 31, 2017, which claims
priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/368,623,
filed on July
29,2016.
[0003] This application also claims priority to and the benefit of
the following
provisional applications: U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/992,627, filed
on March
20, 2020; U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/000,077; filed on March 26,
2020, U.S.
Provisional Application No. 63/002,404, filed on March 31, 2020, U.S.
Provisional
Application No. 63/012,682, filed on April 20, 2020, U.S. Provisional
Application No.
63/012,672, filed on April 20, 2020, U.S. Provisional Application No.
63/015,714, filed
on April 27, 2020, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/015,723, filed on April
27, 2020,
U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/032,732, filed on June 1, 2020, U.S.
Provisional
Application No. 63/032,735, filed on June 1, 2020, U.S. Provisional
Application No.
63/038,920, filed on June 15, 2020, U.S. Provisional Application No.
63/038,921, filed
on June 15, 2020, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/051,398, filed on July
14, 2020,
U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/051,399, filed on July 14, 2020, U.S.
Provisional
Application No. 63/057,319, filed on July 28, 2020, U.S. Provisional
Application No.
63/057,318, filed on July 28, 2020, U.S. Provisional Application No.
63/075,324, filed on
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September 8, 2020, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/075,316, filed on
September 8,
2020, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/111,089, filed on November 9, 2020,
and U.S.
Provisional Application No. 63/111,091, filed on November 9, 2020.
[0004] This application also claims priority to Israel Patent
Application No. 273709, filed
on March 31, 2020.
[0005] All of the foregoing applications are incorporated herein
by reference in their
entireties.
FIELD
[0006] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for
non-invasively
determination of whether individuals are infected by the COVID-19 coronavirus,
and in
particular, the presence or absence of COVTD-19.
BACKGROUND
[0007] Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that
cause illness ranging from
the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory
Syndrome
(MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).
[0008] Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a new strain that was
discovered in 2019 and
has not been previously identified in individuals.
[0009] Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted
between animals and
people. Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet
cats to
humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known
coronaviruses
are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.
[0010] Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms,
fever, cough, shortness
of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can
cause pneumonia,
severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
[0011] Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread
include regular hand
washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly
cooking meat
and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory
illness such
as coughing and sneezing. Until now no quick, label free, nondestructive
method of
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identifying and distinguishing between a healthy human from an infected one
has been
presented.
[0012] Thus, there is still a long felt need for means and method
for a label-free detection
of Coronavirus.
[0013] The analysis of exhaled human breath is a very promising
tool for medical
applications. Since it is completely non-invasive, it has the potential to
become a very
convenient method for medical diagnoses or screenings. Furthermore, in
contrast to a blood
test, breath can be sampled fast and as often as required and an on-site
measurement is
possible. This allows also for the use of real-time analysis and detection.
[0014] The large amount of information in breath offers a path
towards a better
understanding of metabolism and medical diagnosis. At least some of which
could be
indicative to Coronavirus (COVID-19).
[0015] Thus, there is a long felt need for systems and methods to
provide a noninvasive,
label free determination of infection status, and namely, whether the
individual is infected
with COVID-19 or is instead free of COVID-19.
SUMMARY
[0016] It is one object of the present invention to provide a high
throughput system for
label-free, noncontact, noninvasive, and nondestructive detection of at least
one virus free
individual from at least one tested individual, the system comprising:
at least one sampler comprising at least one metamaterial membrane absorber
located at the propagation path of volatile compounds, VCs, and/or aerosols
released by
said at least one tested individual breath, said metamaterial membrane
absorber being
configured and operable for trapping the collected volatile compounds and/or
aerosols; and
a control unit configured and operable for receiving data indicative of the
collected
volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic
radiation in the
THz range and processing said data for identifying a signature being
indicative of virus
free individuals to thereby provide detection of said virus free individuals.
[0017] It is one object of the present invention to provide a
system for label-free,
noncontact, noninvasive, and nondestructive detection of at least one virus
infected
individual from at least one tested individual, the system comprising:
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at least one metamaterial membrane absorber located at the propagation path of
volatile compounds, VCs, and/or aerosols and/or any airborne compound,
released by said
at least one tested individuals breath, said metamaterial membrane absorber
being
configured and operable for trapping the collected volatile compounds and/or
aerosols; and
a control unit configured and operable for receiving data indicative of the
collected
volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic
radiation in the
TTlz range and processing said data for identifying a signature being
indicative of virus
infected individuals to thereby provide detection of said virus infected
individuals.
[0018]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said THz range is between 200 GHz to 1200 GHz.
[0019]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said tested individual is asymptomatic and has no symptom
related to said
virus.
[0020]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said system distinguishes between a healthy individual, a virus
recovered
individual and an infected individual.
[0021]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein detection of said virus free individuals provides clearance to
healthy
individuals and/or virus recovered individuals.
[0022]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said signature is information indicative of said virus; said
information
being selected from a group consisting of cell unit of said virus, viral
proteins, cellular
debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of
said virus, hydrates
of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus,
cytokines, increased
level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R),
interleukin-6
(IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein
10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor
necrosis
factor-a, and any combination thereof.
[0023]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said volatile compounds and/or aerosols create spoof surface
plasmon
polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
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[0024]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said virus is selected from a group selected from COV viruses
family,
COVID-19, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination thereof.
[0025]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said virus is COVID-19.
[0026]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said sampler is at least one selected from a group consisting
of a
breathalyzer, a straw-like device, any handheld device, any TOT device into
which human
breath is exhaled.
[0027]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said system is at least one selected from a group consisting of
a
breathalyzer, any handheld device, any TOT device into which human breath is
exhaled.
[0028]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said sampler comprises a proximal end and a distal end
interconnected by
a main longitudinal axis, along which said at least one metamaterial membrane
is
positioned; and into which said tested individual exhaled breath, such that
the propagation
path of said exhaled breath and volatile compounds and/or aerosols therewithin
intersect
said at least one metamaterial membrane and absorbed therewithin.
[0029]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said at least one metamaterial membrane is extracted from said
sampler
and is placed in an electromagnetic testing unit; said electromagnetic testing
unit adapted
to (a) scan in the THz range said metamaterial membrane absorbed with said
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols in said exhale breath of said tested individual;
and, (b) transmit
data indicative of the collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols to said
control unit.
[0030]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said sampler comprises two parts reversibly coupled to each
other along a
main longitudinal axis, such that (a) said at least one metamaterial membrane
is positioned
therebetween along said main longitudinal axis; and, (b) into said sampler
said tested
individual exhale breath, such that the propagation path of said exhaled
breath and volatile
compounds and/or aerosols therewithin intersect said at least one metamaterial
membrane
and absorbed therewithin.
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[0031]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said sampler is airtight sealed such that said volatile
compounds, VCs,
and/or aerosols released by said at least one tested individuals breath are
prevented from
exiting said sampler.
[0032]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is enclosed within at least one capsule; wherein
said
capsule is sealed.
[0033]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said sampler is RFID tagged with each of said tested
individual, such that
detection of said virus free individuals is traced back to each of said tested
individual.
[0034]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said sampler is a disposable unit.
[0035]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said electromagnetic testing unit comprising at least one
electromagnetic
radiation transmitter and at least one electromagnetic radiation detector.
[0036]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein the membrane is positionable within the electromagnetic
radiation emitted
by the transmitter.
[0037]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said data being processed by said control unit is at least one
absorption
spectrum of said membrane.
[0038]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein processing of said at least one absorption spectrum of said
membrane
additionally comprising pattern recognition of said at least one absorption
spectrum.
[0039]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said pattern recognition comprising at least one selected from
a group
consisting identification of special features of the pattern, identification
of main and side
peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the width of the peaks and the
distance
therebetween and any combination thereof.
[0040]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is in communication with a vacuum source, a gas
collection
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device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein the membrane is capable of
capturing
volatile compounds and/or aerosols.
[0041]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is in communication with a vacuum source, a gas
collection
device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein the membrane is capable of
capturing at
least one selected from a group consisting of aerosols, volatile compounds,
VCs, and any
combination thereof.
[0042]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying at least one selected from
a group
consisting of positive/negative pressure or electricity to release said VCs
and/or aerosols.
[0043]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is coated with at least one material selected
from a group
consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene, acting as a reflector, and any
combination
thereof
[0044]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is made of at least one material selected from a
group
consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure Permeable Membrane, meta-
material, PET, open-cell foam-based melamine and any combination thereof.
[0045]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, additionally comprising an electromagnetic radiation transmitter and
detector.
[0046]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein the membrane is positionable within the electromagnetic radiation
emitted by the
transmitter.
[0047]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said control unit is configured and operable for performing a
pattern
recognition of said signature.
[0048]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said system additionally comprising at one communicable and
readable
database; said database comprising collected volatile compounds and/or
aerosols being
scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
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[0049]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said system additionally comprising at one communicable and
readable
database; said database comprising at least one selected from a group
consisting of aerosol,
volatile compounds, VCs, and any combination thereof collected and being
scanned with
an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range of at least one tested
individual.
[0050]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said system has 2 modes of operation: (a) a learning phase;
and, (b) a
detection phase.
[005 1 ]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein, in said learning phase, said control unit trains a machine
learning model
to detect at least one parameter in the absorption spectrum of said membrane
with said
collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range of a plurality of membrane stored in said
communicable and
readable database in order to generate information data being indicative of
said virus free
individuals.
[0052]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein, in said learning phase, said control unit trains a machine
learning model
to detect at least one parameter in the absorption spectrum of said membrane
with said
collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range of a plurality of membrane stored in said
communicable and
readable database in order to generate information data being indicative of
said virus
infected individuals.
[0053]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said parameter selected from a group consisting of, trends in
said database
of said at least one tested individuals, eigenvector of said database of said
at least one tested
individuals, eigenvalues of said database of said at least one tested
individuals, feature
extraction step being configured to estimate the most relevant vectors
defining the data
using a principal component analysis, a pattern classification using a
combined linear and
nonlinear pattern recognition approach, and any combination thereof.
[0054]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said parameter selected from a group consisting of, trends in
said database
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of said at least one tested individuals, eigenvector of said database of said
at least one tested
individuals, eigenvalues of said database of said at least one tested
individuals, feature
extraction step being configured to estimate the most relevant vectors
defining the data
using a principal component analysis, a pattern classification using a
combined linear and
nonlinear pattern recognition approach, known symptoms of said virus, known
healthy
individuals, healthy individual vital signs selected from fever, sweat, body
temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any
combination thereof, virus free individual vital signs selected from fever,
sweat, body
temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any
combination thereof, medicaments being administered to said tested individual,
and any
combination thereof.
[0055]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein, in said learning phase, said data is either supervised or
unsupervised data;
and, said training by said control unit is performed by at least one algorithm
selected from
a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component
Analysis
algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature,
Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm
(NNA),
any machine learning algorithm and any combination thereof on said collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in
the THz
range stored in said communicable and readable database in order to generate
information
data being indicative of at least one said virus free individuals.
[0056]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein, in said learning phase, said training by said control unit is
performed by at
least one algorithm selected from a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00)
algorithm,
Principal Component Analysis algorithm, k-nearest neighbors algorithm,
Quadrature,
Fisher's linear discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant, Network
Acceleration
algorithm (NNA), any machine learning algorithm and any combination thereof on
said
collected volatile compounds (and/or aerosols) being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range stored in said communicable and readable database
in order to
generate information data being indicative of at least one said virus infected
individuals.
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[0057]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein, in said detection phase, said data is either supervised or
unsupervised data;
and, said control unit performs at least one algorithm selected from a group
consisting of
Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm,
canberra
distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's
nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine
learning
algorithm and any combination thereof on said collected volatile compounds
and/or
aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range
stored in said
communicable and readable database in order to generate information data being
indicative
of at least one said virus free individuals.
[0058]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein, in said detection phase, said control unit detects said
signature the
absorption spectrum of said membrane with said VCs and/or aerosols being
indicative of
at least one said virus free individuals by means of said trained machine
learning model.
[0059]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein, in said detection phase, said control unit detects said
signature the
absorption spectrum of said membrane with said VCs and/or aerosols being
indicative of
at least one said virus infected individuals by means of said trained
machine learning model.
[0060]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said system additionally comprising at least one communicable
and
readable database storing instructions which, when executed by the at least
one data
processor, result in operations comprising training a machine learning model
to detect at
least one parameter of said collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols being
scanned
with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range of at least one tested
individuals stored
in said communicable and readable database in order to generate information
data being
indicative of said virus free or virus-free individuals; and, after said step
of training, real
time detecting said parameter by means of said trained machine learning model.
[0061]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said data is either supervised or unsupervised data; and, said
control unit
performs at least one algorithm selected from a group consisting of Leave One
Out (L00)
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algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-
nearest
neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant, Fisher's
nonlinear
discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine learning
algorithm
and any combination thereof in order to generate information data being
indicative of said
virus free individuals.
[0062]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said control unit performs at least one algorithm selected from
a group
consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component Analysis
algorithm,
k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant,
Fisher's nonlinear
discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine learning
algorithm and
any combination thereof in order to generate information data being indicative
of said virus
infected individuals.
[0063]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said Principal Component Analysis is characterized by the
following
formula:
(a? +0,D
where J is the power of separation between two groups.
[0064]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said control unit additionally performs Fast Fourier
Transformation in
order to generate information data being indicative of said virus free or
virus infected
individuals.
[0065]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is made of hardened extruded plastic.
[0066]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is able to trap at least one selected from a
group consisting
of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture thereof, Ketones, aromatic
alcohols,
aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl benzene, hexanal,
phenylethane,
heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl-I -
hexanol, 5-isopropeny1-1-methyl-lcyclohexene, acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-
decanone,
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2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-undecanone, 1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl
phthalate,
1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia, Greenhouse gases selected from Water vapor
Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous oxide (N20), Ozone (03),
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Hydrofluorocarbons (includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO,
NO2
and any combination thereof.
[0067]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is single-use, disposable membrane.
[0068]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is reusable.
[0069]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said volatile compounds and/or aerosols comprising at least one
selected
from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture
thereof,
Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl
benzene,
hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-
(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl- 1 -hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl- 1-methyl-1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonan one, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hydrofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2 and any combination thereof.
[0070]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said at least one selected from a group consisting of aerosol,
volatile
compounds, VCs, and any combination thereof comprising at least one selected
from a
group consisting of organic compound, non organic compound, mixture thereof,
Ketones,
aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl benzene,
hexanal,
phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl- 1 -hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl- 1-methyl-1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
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(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hydrofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2 and any combination thereof
[0071]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is removable from the sampling apparatus.
[0072]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said detection is completed within a period of time being less
than 40
seconds.
[0073]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, further comprising a spectroscopic assembly including a radiation
transmitter unit
being configured and operable to scan said membrane holding the collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols by generating an electromagnetic radiation in the
range of THz
within a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit being
configured and
operable to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols.
[0074]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said system additionally comprising signaling means adapted to
signal the
user that sufficient enough of VCs and/or aerosols have been captured in said
membrane
or that said detection has been completed.
[0075]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said signaling means are either optical or vocal means.
[0076]
It is another object of the present invention to provide a high throughput
system for
label-free, noncontact, noninvasive, and nondestructive detection of at least
one virus free
individuals from at least one tested individual, the system comprising: at
least one sampler
comprising at least one metamaterial membrane absorber located at the
propagation path
of volatile compounds, VCs, and /or aerosols released by said at least one
tested individuals
breath, said metamaterial membrane absorber being configured and operable for
trapping
the collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols;
[0077]
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for label-
free,
noncontact, noninvasive, and nondestructive detection of at least one virus
infected
individual from at least one tested individual, the method comprising:
receiving data indicative of collected at least one selected from a group
consisting of
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aerosol, volatile compounds, VCs, and any combination thereof being scanned
with
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range; and processing said data for
identifying a
signature being indicative of' said virus infected individuals.
[0078]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said processing comprises performing a pattern recognition of
said
signature.
[0079]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, further comprising at least one electromagnetic testing unit comprising
at least one
electromagnetic radiation transmitter and at least one electromagnetic
radiation detector;
wherein said membrane, after absorbing said volatile compounds and/or
aerosols, being
positionable within the electromagnetic radiation emitted by said at least one
transmitter;
such that said electromagnetic testing unit is adapted to (a) scan in the THz
range said
metamaterial membrane absorbed with said volatile compounds and/or aerosols in
said
exhaled breath of said tested individual; and, (b) transmit data indicative of
the collected
volatile compounds and/or aerosols to said control unit; and further
comprising a control
unit configured and operable for receiving data indicative of the collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols from said electromagnetic testing unit and
processing said data
for identifying a signature being indicative of virus free individuals to
thereby provide
detection of said virus free individuals.
[0080]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, further comprising performing a THz spectroscopy of said membrane
capturing said
collected volatile compounds or aerosols.
[0081]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, further comprising scanning the collected volatile compounds or
aerosols with
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range within a scanning window of about
100 GHz.
[0082]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, further comprising trapping collected volatile compounds and/or
aerosols by
suction, wherein said trapping is performed within a period of time being less
than 40
seconds.
[0083]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, additionally comprising the step of providing at one communicable and
readable
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database; said database comprising absorption spectra of collected volatile
compounds
and/or aerosols captured in said membrane being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range.
[0084]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said THL range is between 200 GEIL to 1200 GI-IL.
[0085]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method or
system as
defined above, wherein said tested individual is asymptomatic and has no
symptom related
to said virus.
[0086]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method or
system as
defined above, wherein said system distinguishes between a healthy individual,
a virus
recovered individual and an infected individual.
[0087]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method or
system as
defined above, wherein detection of said virus free individuals provides
clearance to
healthy individuals and/or virus recovered individuals.
[0088]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said signature is information indicative of said virus; said
information
being selected from a group consisting of cell unit of said virus, viral
proteins, cellular
debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of
said virus, hydrates
of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus,
cytokines, increased
level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R),
interleukin-6
(IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein
10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor
necrosis
factor-a, and any combination thereof.
[0089]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method or
system as
defined above, wherein said volatile compounds and/or aerosols create spoof
surface
plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
[0090]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said virus is COVID-19.
[0091]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said virus is selected from a group selected from COV viruses
family,
COVID-19, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination thereof
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[0092]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said sampler is at least one selected from a group consisting
of a
breathalyzer, a straw-like device, any handheld device, any TOT device into
which human
breath is exhaled.
[0093]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said method is performed by a system being selected from a
group
consisting of a breathalyzer, any handheld device, any TOT device into which
human breath
is exhaled.
[0094]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said sampler comprises a proximal end and a distal end
interconnected by
a main longitudinal axis, along which said at least one metamaterial membrane
is
positioned; and into which said tested individual exhale breath, such that the
propagation
path of said exhaled breath and volatile compounds and/or aerosols therewithin
intersect
said at least one metamaterial membrane and absorbed therewithin.
[0095]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said sampler is airtight sealed such that said volatile
compounds, VCs,
and/or aerosols released by said at least one tested individuals breath are
prevented from
exiting said sampler.
[0096]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is enclosed within at least one capsule; wherein
said
capsule is sealed.
[0097]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said sampler is RFID tagged with each of said tested
individual, such that
detection of said virus free individuals is traced back to each of said tested
individual.
[0098]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said sampler is a disposable unit.
[0099]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method or
system as
defined above, wherein said data being processed by said control unit is at
least one
absorption spectrum of said membrane.
[0100]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method or
system as
defined above, wherein processing of said at least one absorption spectrum of
said
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membrane additionally comprising pattern recognition of said at least one
absorption
spectrum.
[0101]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method or
system as
defined above, wherein said pattern recognition comprising at least one
selected from a
group consisting identification of special features of the pattern,
identification of main and
side peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the width of the peaks and the
distance
therebetween and any combination thereof.
[0102]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is in communication with a vacuum source, a gas
collection
device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein the membrane is capable of
capturing at
least one selected from a group consisting of aerosols, volatile compounds,
VCs, and any
combination thereof.
[0103]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is in communication with a vacuum source, a gas
collection
device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein the membrane is capable of
capturing
volatile compounds and/or aerosols.
[0104]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method or
system as
defined above, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying at least one
selected from a
group consisting of positive/negative pressure or electricity to release said
VCs and/or
aerosols.
[0105]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method or
system as
defined above, wherein said membrane is coated with at least one material
selected from a
group consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene, acting as a reflector, and
any combination
thereof.
[0106]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method or
system as
defined above, wherein said membrane is made of at least one material selected
from a
group consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure Permeable Membrane,
meta-
material, PET, open-cell foam-based melamine and any combination thereof.
[0107]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said control unit is configured and operable for performing a
pattern
recognition of said signature.
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[0108]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said system additionally comprising at one communicable and
readable
database; said database comprising collected volatile compounds and/or
aerosols being
scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
[0109]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said system has 2 modes of operation: (a) a learning phase;
and, (b) a
detection phase.
[0110]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein, in said learning phase, said control unit trains a machine
learning model
to detect at least one parameter in the absorption spectrum of said membrane
with said
collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range of a plurality of membrane stored in said
communicable and
readable database in order to generate information data being indicative of
said virus free
individuals.
[0111]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, additionally comprising an electromagnetic radiation transmitter and
detector.
[0112]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein the membrane is positionable within the electromagnetic
radiation emitted
by the transmitter.
[0113]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said control unit is configured and operable for performing a
pattern
recognition of said signature.
[0114]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, additionally comprising at one communicable and readable database; said
database
comprising collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
[0115]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said method has 2 modes of operation: (a) a learning phase;
and, (b) a
detection phase.
[0116]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein, in said learning phase, said control unit trains a machine
learning model
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to detect at least one parameter in the absorption spectrum of said membrane
with said
collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range of a plurality of membrane stored in said
communicable and
readable database in order to generate information data being indicative of
said virus
infected individuals.
[0117]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein, in said learning phase, said control unit trains a machine
learning model
to detect at least one parameter in the absorption spectrum of said membrane
with said
collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range of a plurality of membrane stored in said
communicable and
readable database in order to generate information data being indicative of
said virus
infected individuals.
[0118]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein aid parameter selected from a group consisting of, trends in
said database
of said at least one tested individual, eigenvector of said database of said
at least one tested
individual, eigenvalues of said database of said at least one tested
individual, feature
extraction step being configured to estimate the most relevant vectors
defining the data
using a principal component analysis, a pattern classification using a
combined linear and
nonlinear pattern recognition approach, and any combination thereof
[0119]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein aid parameter selected from a group consisting of, trends in
said database
of said at least one tested individuals, eigenvector of said database of said
at least one tested
individuals, eigenvalues of said database of said at least one tested
individuals, feature
extraction step being configured to estimate the most relevant vectors
defining the data
using a principal component analysis, a pattern classification using a
combined linear and
nonlinear pattern recognition approach, known symptoms of said virus, known
healthy
individuals, healthy individual vital signs selected from fever, sweat, body
temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any
combination thereof, virus free individual vital signs selected from fever,
sweat, body
temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any
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combination thereof, medicaments being administered to said tested individual,
and any
combination thereof
[0120]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein, in said learning phase, said data is either supervised or
unsupervised data;
and, said training by said control unit is performed by at least one algorithm
selected from
a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component
Analysis
algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature,
Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm
(NNA),
any machine learning algorithm and any combination thereof on said collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in
the THz
range stored in said communicable and readable database in order to generate
information
data being indicative of at least one said virus free individuals.
[0121]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein, in said detection phase, said control unit performs at least
one algorithm
selected from a group consisting of Leave One Out (LOU) algorithm, Principal
Component
Analysis algorithm, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm
(NNA), any
machine learning algorithm and any combination thereof on said collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in
the THz
range stored in said communicable and readable database in order to generate
information
data being indicative of at least one said virus infected individual.
[0122]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein, in said detection phase, said data is either supervised or
unsupervised data;
and, said control unit performs at least one algorithm selected from a group
consisting of
Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm,
canberra
distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's
nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine
learning
algorithm and any combination thereof on said collected volatile compounds
and/or
aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range
stored in said
communicable and readable database in order to generate information data being
indicative
of at least one said virus free individuals.
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[0123]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein, in said detection phase, said control unit detects said
signature the
absorption spectrum of said membrane with said VCs and/or aerosols being
indicative of
at least one said virus free individuals by means of said trained machine
learning model.
[0124]
As defined above, wherein, in said detection phase, said control unit
detects said
signature the absorption spectrum of said membrane with said VCs and/or
aerosols being
indicative of at least one said virus infected individual by means of said
trained
machine learning model.
[0125]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, additionally comprising at least one communicable and readable database
storing
instructions which, when executed by the at least one data processor, result
in operations
comprising: training a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter
of said
collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range of at least one tested individual stored in said
communicable
and readable database in order to generate information data being indicative
of said virus
infected individuals; and, after said step of training, real time detecting
said parameter by
means of said trained machine learning model.
[0126]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said system additionally comprising at least one communicable
and
readable database storing instructions which, when executed by the at least
one data
processor, result in operations comprising: training a machine learning model
to detect at
least one parameter of said collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols being
scanned
with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range of at least one tested
individuals stored
in said communicable and readable database in order to generate information
data being
indicative of said virus free individuals; and, after said step of training,
real time detecting
said parameter by means of said trained machine learning model.
[0127]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said data is either supervised or unsupervised data; and, said
control unit
performs at least one algorithm selected from a group consisting of Leave One
Out (L00)
algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-
nearest
neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant, Fisher's
nonlinear
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discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine learning
algorithm
and any combination thereof in order to generate information data being
indicative of said
virus free individuals.
[0128]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said control unit performs at least one algorithm selected from
a group
consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component Analysis
algorithm,
k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant,
Fisher's nonlinear
discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NINA), any machine learning
algorithm
and any combination thereof in order to generate information data being
indicative of said
virus infected individuals.
[0129]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said control unit additionally performs Fast Fourier
Transformation in
order to generate information data being indicative of said virus free
individuals.
[0130]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said Principal Component Analysis is characterized by the
following
formula:
(ma -1112
where J is the power of separation between two groups.
[0131]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said control unit additionally performs Fast Fourier
Transformation in
order to generate information data being indicative of said virus infected
individuals.
[0132]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method or
system as
defined above, wherein said membrane is made of hardened extruded plastic.
[0133]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is able to trap at least one selected from a
group consisting
of organic compound, non organic compound, mixture thereof, Ketones, aromatic
alcohols,
aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl benzene, hexanal,
phenylethane,
heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl-I -
hexanol, 5-isopropeny1-1 -methyl-lcyclohexene, acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-
decanone,
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2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-undecanone, 1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl
phthalate,
1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia, Greenhouse gases selected from Water vapor
Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous oxide (N20), Ozone (03),
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Hydrofluorocarbons (includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO,
NO2
and any combination thereof.
[0134]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is able to trap at least one selected from a
group consisting
of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture thereof, Ketones, aromatic
alcohols,
aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl benzene, hexanal,
phenylethane,
heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl-1 -
hexanol, 5-isopropeny1-1 -methyl-1 cyclohexene, acetophen one, 2-nonanone, 2-
decanone,
2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-undecanone, 1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl
phthalate,
1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia, Greenhouse gases selected from Water vapor
Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous oxide (N20), Ozone (03),
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Hydrofluorocarbons (includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO,
NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said
virus, hydrates of
debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell,
aggregates of said
virus, cytokines, increased level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7,
interleukin-2
receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor,
interferon-7,
inducible protein 10, monocyte chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage,
inflammatory
protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any combination thereof.
[0135]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method or
system as
defined above, wherein said membrane is single-use, disposable membrane.
[0136]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method or
system as
defined above, wherein said membrane is reusable.
[0137]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said at least one selected from a group consisting of aerosol,
volatile
compounds, VCs, and any combination thereof comprising at least one selected
from a
group consisting of organic compound, non organic compound, mixture thereof,
Ketones,
aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl benzene,
hexanal,
phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-(2-
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ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl- 1 -hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl- 1-methyl-1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1 ,3 -diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hy drofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2 and any combination thereof.
[0138]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said volatile compounds and/or aerosols comprise at least one
selected
from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture
thereof,
Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl
benzene,
hexanal, phenyl ethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-
(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl- 1 -hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl- 1-methyl-1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hy drofluorocarbon s
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2,
interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6),
granulocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof.
[0139]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method or
system as
defined above, wherein said membrane is removable from the sampling apparatus.
[0140]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method or
system as
defined above, wherein said detection is completed within a period of time
being less than
40 seconds.
[0141]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method or
system as
defined above, further comprising a spectroscopic assembly including a
radiation
transmitter unit being configured and operable to scan said membrane holding
the collected
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volatile compounds and/or aerosols by generating an electromagnetic radiation
in the range
of THz within a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit being
configured
and operable to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols.
[0142]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, method or additionally comprising signaling means adapted to signal the
user that
sufficient enough of VCs and/or aerosols have been captured in said membrane
or that said
detection has been completed.
[0143]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said method or system additionally comprising signaling means
adapted to
signal the user that sufficient enough of VCs and/or aerosols have been
captured in said
membrane or that said detection has been completed.
[0144]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method or
system as
defined above, wherein said signaling means are either optical or vocal means.
[0145]
It is another object of the present invention to provide a sampler to be
integrated
into a system for label-free, noncontact, noninvasive, and nondestructive
detection of at
least one virus free individuals from at least one tested individual, the
sampler comprising:
a proximal end and a distal end interconnected by a main longitudinal axis,
along which at
least one metamaterial membrane absorber is positioned; and into which said
tested
individual exhale breath, such that the propagation path of said exhaled
breath and volatile
compounds, VCs, and/or aerosols therewithin intersect said at least one
metamaterial
membrane and absorbed therewithin, said metamaterial membrane absorber being
configured and operable for trapping the collected volatile compounds and/or
aerosols.
[0146]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said system additionally comprising a control unit configured
and operable
for receiving data indicative of the collected volatile compounds and/or
aerosols being
scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range and processing said
data for
identifying a signature being indicative of virus free individuals to thereby
provide
detection of said virus free individuals.
[0147]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said sampler is airtight sealed such that said volatile
compounds, VCs,
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and/or aerosols released by said at least one tested individuals breath are
prevented from
exiting said sampler.
[0148]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is enclosed within at least one capsule; wherein
said
capsule is sealed.
[0149]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said sampler is RFID tagged with each of said tested
individual, such that
detection of said virus free individuals is traced back to each of said tested
individual.
[0150]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said sampler is a disposable unit.
[0151]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said THz range is between 200 GHz to 1200 GHz.
[0152]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said tested individual is asymptomatic and has no symptom
related to said
virus.
[0153]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said system distinguishes between a healthy individual, a virus
recovered
individual and an infected individual.
[0154]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein detection of said virus free individuals provides clearance to
healthy
individuals and/or virus recovered individuals.
[0155]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said signature is information indicative of said virus; said
information
being selected from a group consisting of cell unit of said virus, viral
proteins, cellular
debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of
said virus, hydrates
of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus,
cytokines, increased
level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R),
interleukin-6
(IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein
10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor
necrosis
factor-a, and any combination thereof
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[0156]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said volatile compounds and/or aerosols create spoof surface
plasmon
polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
[0157]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said virus is selected from a group selected from COV viruses
family,
COVID-I9, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination thereof.
[0158]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said sampler is at least one selected from a group consisting
of a
breathalyzer, a straw-like device, any handheld device, any TOT device into
which human
breath is exhaled.
[0159]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said at least one metamaterial membrane is extracted from said
sampler
and is placed in an electromagnetic testing unit; said electromagnetic testing
unit adapted
to (a) scan in the THz range said metamaterial membrane absorbed with said
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols in said exhaled breath of said tested individual;
and, (b)
transmit data indicative of the collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols
to said control
unit.
[0160]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said sampler comprises two parts reversibly coupled to each
other along a
main longitudinal axis, such that (a) said at least one metamaterial membrane
is positioned
therebetween along said main longitudinal axis; and, (b) into said sampler
said tested
individual exhale breath, such that the propagation path of said exhaled
breath and volatile
compounds and/or aerosols therewithin intersect said at least one metamaterial
membrane
and absorbed therewithin.
[0161]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said electromagnetic testing unit comprising at least one
electromagnetic
radiation transmitter and at least one electromagnetic radiation detector.
[0162]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein the membrane is positionable within the electromagnetic
radiation emitted
by the transmitter.
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[0163]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said data being processed by said control unit is at least one
absorption
spectrum of said membrane.
[0164]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein processing of said at least one absorption spectrum of said
membrane
additionally comprising pattern recognition of said at least one absorption
spectrum.
[0165]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said pattern recognition comprising at least one selected from
a group
consisting identification of special features of the pattern, identification
of main and side
peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the width of the peaks and the
distance
fherebetween and any combination thereof.
[0166]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is in communication with a vacuum source, a gas
collection
device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein the membrane is capable of
capturing
volatile compounds and/or aerosols.
[0167]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying at least one selected from
a group
consisting of positive/negative pressure or electricity to release said VCs
and/or aerosols.
[0168]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is coated with at least one material selected
from a group
consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene, acting as a reflector, and any
combination
thereof
[0169]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is made of at least one material selected from a
group
consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure Permeable Membrane, meta-
material, PET, open-cell foam-based melamine and any combination thereof.
[0170]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said control unit is configured and operable for performing a
pattern
recognition of said signature.
[0171]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said system additionally comprising at one communicable and
readable
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database; said database comprising collected volatile compounds and/or
aerosols being
scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
[0172]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said system has 2 modes of operation: (a) a learning phase;
and, (b) a
detection phase.
[0173]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein, in said learning phase, said control unit trains a machine
learning model
to detect at least one parameter in the absorption spectrum of said membrane
with said
collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range of a plurality of membrane stored in said
communicable and
readable database in order to generate information data being indicative of
said virus free
individuals.
[0174]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein aid parameter selected from a group consisting of, trends in
said database
of said at least one tested individuals, eigenvector of said database of said
at least one tested
individuals, eigenvalues of said database of said at least one tested
individuals, feature
extraction step being configured to estimate the most relevant vectors
defining the data
using a principal component analysis, a pattern classification using a
combined linear and
nonlinear pattern recognition approach, known symptoms of said virus, known
healthy
individuals, healthy individual vital signs selected from fever, sweat, body
temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any
combination thereof, virus free individual vital signs selected from fever,
sweat, body
temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any
combination thereof, medicaments being administered to said tested individual,
and any
combination thereof.
[0175]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein, in said learning phase, said data is either supervised or
unsupervised data;
and, said training by said control unit is performed by at least one algorithm
selected from
a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component
Analysis
algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature,
Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm
(NNA),
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any machine learning algorithm and any combination thereof on said collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in
the THz
range stored in said communicable and readable database in order to generate
information
data being indicative of at least one said virus free individuals.
[0176]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein, in said detection phase, said data is either supervised or
unsupervised data;
and, said control unit performs at least one algorithm selected from a group
consisting of
Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm,
canberra
distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's
nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine
learning
algorithm and any combination thereof on said collected volatile compounds
and/or
aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range
stored in said
communicable and readable database in order to generate information data being
indicative
of at least one said virus free individuals.
[0177]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein, in said detection phase, said control unit detects said
signature the
absorption spectrum of said membrane with said VCs and/or aerosols being
indicative of
at least one said virus free individuals by means of said trained machine
learning model.
[0178]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said system additionally comprising at least one communicable
and
readable database storing instructions which, when executed by the at least
one data
processor, result in operations comprising: training a machine learning model
to detect at
least one parameter of said collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols being
scanned
with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range of at least one tested
individuals stored
in said communicable and readable database in order to generate information
data being
indicative of said virus free individuals; and, after said step of training,
real time detecting
said parameter by means of said trained machine learning model.
[0179]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said data is either supervised or unsupervised data; and, said
control unit
performs at least one algorithm selected from a group consisting of Leave One
Out (L00)
algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-
nearest
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neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant, Fisher's
nonlinear
discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine learning
algorithm
and any combination thereof in order to generate information data being
indicative of said
virus free individuals.
[0180]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said control unit additionally performs Fast Fourier
Transformation in
order to generate information data being indicative of said virus free
individuals.
[0181]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is made of hardened extruded plastic.
[0182]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is able to trap at least one selected from a
group consisting
of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture thereof, Ketones, aromatic
alcohols,
aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl benzene, hexanal,
phenylethane,
heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl-I -
hexanol, 5- is opropenyl-1 -methyl-1 cyc lohexene, acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-
decanone,
2-i sopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-undecanone, 1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl
phthalate,
1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia, Greenhouse gases selected from Water vapor
Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous oxide (N20), Ozone (03),
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Hydrofluorocarbons (includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO,
NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said
virus, hydrates of
debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell,
aggregates of said
virus, cytokines, increased level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7,
interleukin-2
receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor,
interferon-y,
inducible protein 10, monocyte chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage,
inflammatory
protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any combination thereof.
[0183]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is single-use, disposable membrane.
[0184]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is reusable.
[0185]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said volatile compounds and/or aerosols comprising at least one
selected
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from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture
thereof,
Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl
benzene,
hexanal, phenyl ethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-
(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl- 1 -hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl- 1-methyl-1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1 ,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hydrofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2,
interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6),
granulocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof
[0186]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is removable from the sampling apparatus.
[0187]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said detection is completed within a period of time being less
than 40
seconds.
[0188]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, further comprising a spectroscopic assembly including a radiation
transmitter unit
being configured and operable to scan said membrane holding the collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols by generating an electromagnetic radiation in the
range of THz
within a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit being
configured and
operable to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols.
[0189]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said system additionally comprising signaling means adapted to
signal the
user that sufficient enough of VCs and/or aerosols have been captured in said
membrane
or that said detection has been completed.
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[0190]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said signaling means are either optical or vocal means.
[0191]
It is another object of the present invention to provide a high throughput
method
for label-free, noncontact, noninvasive, and nondestructive detection of at
least one virus
free individual from at least one tested individual, the method comprising,
receiving data
indicative of collected volatile compounds, VCs, and/or aerosols being scanned
with
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range; and processing said data for
identifying a
signature being indicative of said virus free individuals.
[0192]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said THz range is between 200 GHz to 1200 GHz.
[0193]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said tested individual is asymptomatic and has no symptom
related to said
virus.
[0194]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said system distinguishes between a healthy individual, a virus
recovered
individual and an infected individual.
[0195]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein detection of said virus free individuals provides clearance to
healthy
individuals and/or virus recovered individuals.
[0196]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said signature is information indicative of said virus; said
information
being selected from a group consisting of cell unit of said virus, viral
proteins, cellular
debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of
said virus, hydrates
of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus,
cytokines, increased
level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R),
interleukin-6
(IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein
10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor
necrosis
factor-a, and any combination thereof.
[0197]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said processing comprises performing a pattern recognition of
said
signature.
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[0198]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, further comprising scanning the collected volatile compounds and/or
aerosols with
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range within a scanning window of about
100 GHz.
[0199]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, additionally comprising the step of providing at one communicable and
readable
database; said database comprising absorption spectra of collected volatile
compounds
and/or aerosols captured in said membrane being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range.
[0200]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said volatile compounds and/or aerosols create spoof surface
plasmon
polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
[0201]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said virus is selected from a group selected from COV viruses
family,
COVID-19, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination thereof
[0202]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said method is performed by a system being selected from a
group
consisting of a breathalyzer, any handheld device, any TOT device into which
human breath
is exhaled.
[0203]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said data being processed by said control unit is at least one
absorption
spectrum of said membrane.
[0204]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein processing of said at least one absorption spectrum of said
membrane
additionally comprising pattern recognition of said at least one absorption
spectrum.
[0205]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said pattern recognition comprising at least one selected from
a group
consisting identification of special features of the pattern, identification
of main and side
peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the width of the peaks and the
distance
therebetween and any combination thereof.
[0206]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is in communication with a vacuum source, a gas
collection
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device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein the membrane is capable of
capturing
volatile compounds and/or aerosols.
[0207]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying at least one selected from
a group
consisting of positive/negative pressure or electricity to release said VCs
and/or aerosols.
[0208]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is coated with at least one material selected
from a group
consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene, acting as a reflector, and any
combination
thereof
[0209]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is made of at least one material selected from a
group
consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure Permeable Membrane, meta-
material, PET, open-cell foam-based melamine and any combination thereof.
[0210]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, additionally comprising an electromagnetic radiation transmitter and
detector.
[0211]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein the membrane is positionable within the electromagnetic
radiation emitted
by the transmitter.
[0212]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, additionally comprising at one communicable and readable database; said
database
comprising collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
[0213]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said method has 2 modes of operation: (a) a learning phase;
and, (b) a
detection phase.
[0214]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein, in said learning phase, said control unit trains a machine
learning model
to detect at least one parameter in the absorption spectrum of said membrane
with said
collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range of a plurality of membrane stored in said
communicable and
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readable database in order to generate information data being indicative of
said virus free
individuals.
[021 5]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein aid parameter selected from a group consisting of, trends in
said database
of said at least one tested individuals, eigenvector of said database of said
at least one tested
individuals, eigenvalues of said database of said at least one tested
individuals, feature
extraction step being configured to estimate the most relevant vectors
defining the data
using a principal component analysis, a pattern classification using a
combined linear and
nonlinear pattern recognition approach, known symptoms of said virus, known
healthy
individuals, healthy individual vital signs selected from fever, sweat, body
temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any
combination thereof, virus free individual vital signs selected from fever,
sweat, body
temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any
combination thereof, medicaments being administered to said tested individual,
and any
combination thereof
[021 6]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein, in said learning phase, said data is either supervised or
unsupervised data;
and, said training by said control unit is performed by at least one algorithm
selected from
a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component
Analysis
algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature,
Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm
(NNA),
any machine learning algorithm and any combination thereof on said collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in
the THz
range stored in said communicable and readable database in order to generate
information
data being indicative of at least one said virus free individuals.
[0217]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein, in said detection phase, said data is either supervised or
unsupervised data;
and, said control unit performs at least one algorithm selected from a group
consisting of
Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm,
canberra
distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's
nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NINA), any machine
learning
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algorithm and any combination thereof on said collected volatile compounds
and/or
aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range
stored in said
communicable and readable database in order to generate information data being
indicative
of at least one said virus free individuals.
[0218]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein, in said detection phase, said control unit detects said
signature the
absorption spectrum of said membrane with said VCs and/or aerosols being
indicative of
at least one said virus free individuals by means of said trained machine
learning model.
[0219]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, additionally comprising at least one communicable and readable database
storing
instructions which, when executed by the at least one data processor, result
in operations
comprising: training a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter
of said
collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range of at least one tested individuals stored in said
communicable
and readable database in order to generate information data being indicative
of said virus
free individuals; and, after said step of training, real time detecting said
parameter by means
of said trained machine learning model.
[0220]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said control unit additionally performs Fast Fourier
Transformation in
order to generate information data being indicative of said virus free
individuals.
[0221]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is made of hardened extruded plastic.
[0222]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is able to trap at least one selected from a
group consisting
of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture thereof, Ketones, aromatic
alcohols,
aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl benzene, hexanal,
phenylethane,
heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl-I -
hexan ol, 5- is opropenyl-1 -methyl-1 cyc lohexene, acetophenone, 2-nonanone,
2 - decanone,
2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-undecanone, 1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl
phthalate,
1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia, Greenhouse gases selected from Water vapor
Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous oxide (N20), Ozone (03),
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Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Hydrofluorocarbons (includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO,
NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said
virus, hydrates of
debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell,
aggregates of said
virus, cytokines, increased level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7,
interleukin-2
receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocy, tecolony, stimulating
factor, interferon-7,
inducible protein 10, monocyte chemoattractant, protein I, macrophage,
inflammatory
protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any combination thereof.
[0223]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is single-use, disposable membrane.
[0224]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is reusable.
[0225]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is removable from the sampling apparatus.
[0226]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, further comprising a spectroscopic assembly including a radiation
transmitter unit
being configured and operable to scan said membrane holding the collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols by generating an electromagnetic radiation in the
range of THz
within a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit being
configured and
operable to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols.
[0227]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, additionally comprising signaling means adapted to signal the user that
sufficient
enough of VCs and/or aerosols have been captured in said membrane or that said
detection
has been completed.
[0228]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said signaling means are either optical or vocal means.
[0229]
It is another object of the present invention to provide a high throughput
method
for label-free, noncontact, noninvasive, and nondestructive detection of at
least one virus
free individual from at least one tested individual, the method comprising:
providing at
least one sampler comprising at least one metamaterial membrane absorber
located at the
propagation path of volatile compounds, VCs, and/or aerosols released by said
at least one
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tested individual breath, said metamaterial membrane absorber being configured
and
operable for trapping the collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols;
receiving data
indicative of collected volatile compounds, VCs, and/or aerosols being scanned
with
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range; and processing said data for
identifying a
signature being indicative of said virus free individuals.
[0230]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said THz range is between 200 GHz to 1200 GHz.
[0231]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said tested individual is asymptomatic and has no symptom
related to said
virus.
[0232]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said system distinguishes between a healthy individual, a virus
recovered
individual and an infected individual.
[0233]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein detection of said virus free individuals provides clearance to
healthy
individuals and/or virus recovered individuals.
[0234]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said signature is information indicative of said virus; said
information
being selected from a group consisting of cell unit of said virus, viral
proteins, cellular
debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of
said virus, hydrates
of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus,
cytokines, increased
level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R),
interleukin-6
(IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein
10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 174, macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor
necrosis
factor-a, and any combination thereof.
[0235]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said volatile compounds and/or aerosols create spoof surface
plasmon
polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
[0236]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said virus is selected from a group selected from COV viruses
family,
COVID-19, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination thereof
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[0237]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said sampler is at least one selected from a group consisting
of a
breathalyzer, a straw-like device, any handheld device, any TOT device into
which human
breath is exhaled.
[0238]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said sampler comprises a proximal end and a distal end
interconnected by
a main longitudinal axis, along which said at least one metamaterial membrane
is
positioned; and into which said tested individual exhaled breath, such that
the propagation
path of said exhaled breath and volatile compounds and/or aerosols therewithin
intersect
said at least one metamaterial membrane and absorbed therewithin.
[0239]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said sampler is airtight sealed such that said volatile
compounds, VCs,
and/or aerosols released by said at least one tested individuals breath are
prevented from
exiting said sampler.
[0240]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is enclosed within at least one capsule; wherein
said
capsule is sealed.
[0241]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said sampler is RFID tagged with each of said tested
individual, such that
detection of said virus free individuals is traced back to each of said tested
individual.
[0242]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said sampler is a disposable unit.
[0243]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said at least one metamaterial membrane is extracted from said
sampler
and is placed in an electromagnetic testing unit; said electromagnetic testing
unit adapted
to (a) scan in the 'THz range said metamaterial membrane absorbed with said
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols in said exhale breath of said tested individual;
and, (b) transmit
data indicative of the collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols to said
control unit.
[0244]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said sampler comprises two parts reversibly coupled to each
other along a
main longitudinal axis, such that (a) said at least one metamaterial membrane
is positioned
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therebetween along said main longitudinal axis; and, (b) into said sampler
said tested
individual exhale breath, such that the propagation path of said exhaled
breath and volatile
compounds and/or aerosols therewithin intersect said at least one metamaterial
membrane
and absorbed therewithin.
[0245]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said electromagnetic testing unit comprising at least one
electromagnetic
radiation transmitter and at least one electromagnetic radiation detector.
[0246]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein the membrane is positionable within the electromagnetic
radiation emitted
by the transmitter.
[0247]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said data being processed by said control unit is at least one
absorption
spectrum of said membrane.
[0248]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein processing of said at least one absorption spectrum of said
membrane
additionally comprising pattern recognition of said at least one absorption
spectrum.
[0249]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said pattern recognition comprising at least one selected from
a group
consisting identification of special features of the pattern, identification
of main and side
peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the width of the peaks and the
distance
therebetween and any combination thereof.
[0250]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is in communication with a vacuum source, a gas
collection
device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein the membrane is capable of
capturing
volatile compounds and/or aerosols.
[0251]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying at least one selected from
a group
consisting of positive/negative pressure or electricity to release said VCs
and/or aerosols.
[0252]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is coated with at least one material selected
from a group
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consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene, acting as a reflector, and any
combination
thereof
[0253]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is made of at least one material selected from a
group
consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure Permeable Membrane, meta-
material, PET, open-cell foam-based melamine and any combination thereof.
[0254]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said control unit is configured and operable for performing a
pattern
recognition of said signature.
[0255]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said system additionally comprising at one communicable and
readable
database; said database comprising collected volatile compounds and/or
aerosols being
scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
[0256]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said data is either supervised or unsupervised data; and, said
control unit
performs at least one algorithm selected from a group consisting of Leave One
Out (L00)
algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-
nearest
neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant, Fisher's
nonlinear
discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine learning
algorithm
and any combination thereof in order to generate information data being
indicative of said
virus free individuals.
[0257]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said control unit additionally performs Fast Fourier
Transformation in
order to generate information data being indicative of said virus free
individuals.
[0258]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is made of hardened extruded plastic.
[0259]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is able to trap at least one selected from a
group consisting
of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture thereof, Ketones, aromatic
alcohols,
aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl benzene, hexanal,
phenylethane,
heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl-1-
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hexanol, 5 - is opropenyl- 1-methyl-1 cyclohexene, acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-
decanone,
2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-undecanone, 1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl
phthalate,
1 ,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia, Greenhouse gases selected from Water vapor
Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous oxide (N20), Ozone (03),
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Hy drofluorocarbons (includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO,
NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said
virus, hydrates of
debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell,
aggregates of said
virus, cytokines, increased level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7,
interleukin-2
receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor,
interferon-7,
inducible protein 10, monocyte chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage,
inflammatory
protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any combination thereof.
[0260]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is single-use, disposable membrane.
[0261]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is reusable.
[0262]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said volatile compounds and/or aerosols comprising at least one
selected
from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture
thereof,
Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl
benzene,
hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-
(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl-1 -hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl- 1-methyl-1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hy drofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and RFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2,
interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6),
granulocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, mono cyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
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macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof
[0263]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is removable from the sampling apparatus.
[0264]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said detection is completed within a period of time being less
than 40
seconds.
[0265]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, further comprising a spectroscopic assembly including a radiation
transmitter unit
being configured and operable to scan said membrane holding the collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols by generating an electromagnetic radiation in the
range of THz
within a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit being
configured and
operable to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols.
[0266]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said system additionally comprising signaling means adapted to
signal the
user that sufficient enough of VCs and/or aerosols have been captured in said
membrane
or that said detection has been completed.
[0267]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said signaling means are either optical or vocal means.
[0268]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said processing comprises performing a pattern recognition of
said
signature.
[0269]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, further comprising scanning the collected volatile compounds and/or
aerosols with
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range within a scanning window of about
100 GHz.
[0270]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, additionally comprising the step of providing at one communicable and
readable
database; said database comprising absorption spectra of collected volatile
compounds
and/or aerosols captured in said membrane being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range.
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[0271]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said volatile compounds and/or aerosols create spoof surface
plasmon
polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
[0272]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said virus is selected from a group selected from COV viruses
family,
COVID-I9, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination thereof.
[0273]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said method is performed by a system being selected from a
group
consisting of a breathalyzer, any handheld device, any TOT device into which
human breath
is exhaled.
[0274]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said data being processed by said control unit is at least one
absorption
spectrum of said membrane.
[0275]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein processing of said at least one absorption spectrum of said
membrane
additionally comprising pattern recognition of said at least one absorption
spectrum.
[0276]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said pattern recognition comprising at least one selected from
a group
consisting identification of special features of the pattern, identification
of main and side
peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the width of the peaks and the
distance
therebetween and any combination thereof.
[0277]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is in communication with a vacuum source, a gas
collection
device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein the membrane is capable of
capturing
volatile compounds and/or aerosols.
[0278]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying at least one selected from
a group
consisting of positive/negative pressure or electricity to release said VCs
and/or aerosols.
[0279]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is coated with at least one material selected
from a group
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consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene, acting as a reflector, and any
combination
thereof
[0280]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is made of at least one material selected from a
group
consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure Permeable Membrane, meta-
material, PET, open-cell foam-based melamine and any combination thereof.
[0281]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, additionally comprising an electromagnetic radiation transmitter and
detector.
[0282]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein the membrane is positionable within the electromagnetic
radiation emitted
by the transmitter.
[0283]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, additionally comprising at one communicable and readable database; said
database
comprising collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
[0284]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said method has 2 modes of operation: (a) a learning phase;
and, (b) a
detection phase.
[0285]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein, in said learning phase, said control unit trains a machine
learning model
to detect at least one parameter in the absorption spectrum of said membrane
with said
collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range of a plurality of membrane stored in said
communicable and
readable database in order to generate information data being indicative of
said virus free
individuals.
[0286]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein aid parameter selected from a group consisting of, trends in
said database
of said at least one tested individuals, eigenvector of said database of said
at least one tested
individuals, eigenvalues of said database of said at least one tested
individuals, feature
extraction step being configured to estimate the most relevant vectors
defining the data
using a principal component analysis, a pattern classification using a
combined linear and
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nonlinear pattern recognition approach, known symptoms of said virus, known
healthy
individuals, healthy individual vital signs selected from fever, sweat, body
temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any
combination thereof, virus free individual vital signs selected from fever,
sweat, body
temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any
combination thereof, medicaments being administered to said tested individual,
and any
combination thereof.
[0287]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein, in said learning phase, said data is either supervised or
unsupervised data;
and, said training by said control unit is performed by at least one algorithm
selected from
a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component
Analysis
algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature,
Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm
(NNA),
any machine learning algorithm and any combination thereof on said collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in
the THz
range stored in said communicable and readable database in order to generate
information
data being indicative of at least one said virus free individuals.
[0288]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined above,
wherein, in said detection phase, said data is either supervised or
unsupervised data; and,
said control unit performs at least one algorithm selected from a group
consisting of Leave
One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm, canberra
distance, k-
nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant,
Fisher's nonlinear
discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NINA), any machine learning
algorithm
and any combination thereof on said collected volatile compounds and/or
aerosols being
scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range stored in said
communicable
and readable database in order to generate information data being indicative
of at least one
said virus free individuals.
[0289]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein, in said detection phase, said control unit detects said
signature the
absorption spectrum of said membrane with said VCs and/or aerosols being
indicative of
at least one said virus free individuals by means of said trained machine
learning model.
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[0290]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, additionally comprising at least one communicable and readable database
storing
instructions which, when executed by the at least one data processor, result
in operations
comprising training a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter
of said
collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range of at least one tested individuals stored in said
communicable
and readable database in order to generate information data being indicative
of said virus
free individuals; and, after said step of training, real time detecting said
parameter by means
of said trained machine learning model.
[0291]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said control unit additionally performs Fast Fourier
Transformation in
order to generate information data being indicative of said virus free
individuals.
[0292]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is made of hardened extruded plastic.
[0293]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is able to trap at least one selected from a
group consisting
of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture thereof, Ketones, aromatic
alcohols,
aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl benzene, hexanal,
phenylethane,
heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl-1 -
hexanol, 5-isopropeny1-1-methyl-lcyclohexene, acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-
decanone,
2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-undecanone, 1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl
phthalate,
1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia, Greenhouse gases selected from Water vapor
Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous oxide (N20), Ozone (03),
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Hydrofluorocarbons (includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO,
NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said
virus, hydrates of
debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell,
aggregates of said
virus, cytokines, increased level of interleukin
interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2
receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor,
interferon-7,
inducible protein 10, monocyte chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage,
inflammatory
protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any combination thereof
48
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[0294]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is single-use, disposable membrane.
[0295]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is reusable.
[0296]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is removable from the sampling apparatus.
[0297]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, further comprising a spectroscopic assembly including a radiation
transmitter unit
being configured and operable to scan said membrane holding the collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols by generating an electromagnetic radiation in the
range of THz
within a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit being
configured and
operable to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols.
[0298]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, additionally comprising signaling means adapted to signal the user that
sufficient
enough of VCs and/or aerosols have been captured in said membrane or that said
detection
has been completed.
[0299]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said signaling means are either optical or vocal means.
[0300]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, utilized for homeland security applications.
[0301]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, utilized in public places selected from airports, schools, public
clinic, convention
centers, parks, kindergartens, stadiums and any combination thereof.
[0302]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, utilized for homeland security applications.
[0303]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, utilized in public places selected from airports, schools, public
clinic, convention
centers, parks, kindergartens, stadiums and any combination thereof.
[0304]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, utilized in a system for homeland security applications.
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[0305]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, utilized in a system for public places selected from airports, schools,
public clinic,
convention centers, parks, kindergartens, stadiums and any combination
thereof.
[0306]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, utilized for homeland security applications.
[0307]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, utilized in public places selected from airports, schools, public
clinic, convention
centers, parks, kindergartens, stadiums and any combination thereof.
[0308]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, utilized for homeland security applications.
[0309]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, utilized in public places selected from airports, schools, public
clinic, convention
centers, parks, kindergartens, stadiums and any combination thereof.
[0310]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method or
system or
sampler as defined above, additionally comprising at least one filter disposed
on said
membrane.
[0311]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method or
system or
sampler as defined above, wherein said filter is adapted to affect the
absorption signal
detected in the absorption spectrum when said VCs and/or aerosols are absorbed
on said
membrane.
[0312]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method or
system or
sampler as defined above, wherein said filter is at least one selected from a
group consisting
of ring resonator, directional antenna, antenna, band-stop filter, notch
filter and any
combination thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0313]
In order to understand the invention and to see how it may be carried out
in practice,
embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with
reference
to the accompanying drawings. Features shown in the drawings are meant to be
illustrative
of only some embodiments of the invention, unless otherwise implicitly
indicated. In the
drawings like reference numerals are used to indicate corresponding parts, and
in which:
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[0314] Fig. 1a schematically illustrates an exemplary embodiment
of the sampler and the
membrane therewithin.
[0315] Fig. lb schematically illustrates the exemplary embodiment
of Fig. la.
[0316] Fig. 1c schematically illustrates the exemplary embodiment
of Fig. la.
[0317] Fig. id schematically illustrates the exemplaty embodiment
of Fig. la.
[0318] Fig. le schematically illustrates the exemplary embodiment
of Fig. I a.
[0319] Fig. lf schematically illustrates the exemplary embodiment
of Fig. la.
[0320] Fig. lg schematically illustrates the exemplary embodiment
of Fig. la.
[0321] Fig. 2a schematically illustrates an exemplary membrane
according to an
embodiment.
[0322] Fig. 2b schematically illustrates a membrane according to
an exemplary
embodiment.
[0323] Fig. 3a schematically illustrates an electromagnetic
testing unit (tester) according
to an exemplary embodiment.
[0324] Fig. 3b depicts a process according to an exemplary
embodiment.
[0325] Fig. 3c depicts a process according to an exemplary
embodiment.
[0326] Fig. 3d depicts a process according to an exemplary
embodiment.
[0327] Fig. 3e depicts a process according to an exemplary
embodiment.
[0328] Fig. 3f depicts a process according to an exemplary
embodiment.
[0329] Fig. 3g depicts a process according to an exemplary
embodiment.
[0330] Fig. 3h depicts a process according to an exemplary
embodiment.
[0331] Fig. 3i depicts a process according to an exemplary
embodiment.
[0332] Fig. 3j depicts a process according to an exemplary
embodiment.
[0333] Fig. 3k depicts a process according to an exemplary
embodiment.
[0334] Fig. 31 depicts a process according to an exemplary
embodiment.
[0335] Fig. 3m depicts a process according to an exemplary
embodiment.
[0336] Fig. 3n depicts a process according to an exemplary
embodiment.
[0337] Fig. 4a schematically illustrates another exemplary
embodiment of the sampler.
[0338] Fig. 4b schematically illustrates another exemplary
embodiment of the sampler.
[0339] Fig. 4c schematically illustrates another exemplary
embodiment of the sampler.
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[0340]
Fig. 4d schematically illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the
sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
[0341]
Fig. 5a schematically illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the
sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
[0342]
Fig. 5b schematically illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the
sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
[0343]
Fig. 5c schematically illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the
sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
[0344]
Fig. 5d schematically illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the
sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
[0345]
Fig. 5e schematically illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the
sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
[0346]
Fig. 5f schematically illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the
sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
[0347]
Fig_ 5g schematically illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the
sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
[0348]
Fig. 5h schematically illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the
sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
[0349]
Fig. 5i schematically illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the
sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
[0350]
Fig. 6a schematically illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the
sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
[0351]
Fig. 6b schematically illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the
sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
[0352]
Fig. 6c schematically illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the
sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
[0353]
Fig. 6d schematically illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the
sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
[0354]
Fig. 6e schematically illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the
sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
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[0355] Fig. 6f schematically illustrates another exemplary
embodiment of the sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
[0356] Fig. 6g schematically illustrates another exemplary
embodiment of the sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
[0357] Fig. 6h schematically illustrates another exemplary
embodiment of the sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
[0358] Fig. 6i schematically illustrates another exemplary
embodiment of the sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
[0359] Fig. 6j schematically illustrates another exemplary
embodiment of the sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
[0360] Fig. 6k schematically illustrates another exemplary
embodiment of the sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
[0361] Fig. 61 schematically illustrates another exemplary
embodiment of the sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
[0362] Fig_ 6m schematically illustrates another exemplary
embodiment of the sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
[0363] Fig. 6n schematically illustrates another exemplary
embodiment of the sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
[0364] Fig. 6o schematically illustrates another exemplary
embodiment of the sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
[0365] Fig. 6p schematically illustrates another exemplary
embodiment of the sampler
and/or method of sampling with the same.
[0366] Fig. 6q depicts a representative control arrangement
according to an embodiment.
[0367] Fig. 7 depicts a component according to an embodiment.
[0368] Fig. 8a illustrates the spectrum analysis received from the
THz scan of the volatile
compounds and/or aerosols captured in the membrane.
[0369] Fig. 8b illustrates the spectrum analysis received from the
THz scan of the volatile
compounds and/or aerosols captured in the membrane.
[0370] Fig. 8c illustrates the spectrum analysis received from the
THz scan of the volatile
compounds and/or aerosols captured in the membrane.
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[0371] Fig. 8d illustrates the spectrum analysis received from the
THz scan of the volatile
compounds and/or aerosols captured in the membrane.
[0372] Fig. Se illustrates the spectrum analysis received from the
THz scan of the volatile
compounds and/or aerosols captured in the membrane.
[0373] Fig. 8f illustrates the spectrum analysis received from the
THz scan of the volatile
compounds and/or aerosols captured in the membrane.
[0374] Fig. 8g illustrates the spectrum analysis received from the
THz scan of the volatile
compounds and/or aerosols captured in the membrane.
[0375] Fig. 8h illustrates the spectrum analysis received from the
THz scan of the volatile
compounds and/or aerosols captured in the membrane.
[0376] Fig. Si illustrates the spectrum analysis received from the
THz scan of the volatile
compounds and/or aerosols captured in the membrane.
[0377] Fig. 8j illustrates the spectrum analysis received from the
THz scan of the volatile
compounds and/or aerosols captured in the membrane.
[0378] Fig_ 8k illustrates the spectrum analysis received from the
THz scan of the volatile
compounds and/or aerosols captured in the membrane.
[0379] Fig. 9a illustrates a schematic of a sampler according to
an exemplary embodiment.
[0380] Fig. 9b illustrates performance of the sampler.
[0381] Fig. 9c illustrates performance of the sampler.
[0382] Fig. 9d illustrates performance of the sampler.
[0383] Fig. 9e illustrates performance of the sampler.
[0384] Fig. 9f illustrates performance of the sampler.
[0385] Fig. 9g illustrates performance of the sampler.
[0386] Fig. 9h illustrates performance of the sampler.
[0387] Fig. 9i illustrates performance of the sampler.
[0388] Fig. 9j illustrates performance of the sampler.
[0389] Fig. 9k illustrates performance of the sampler.
[0390] Fig. 91 illustrates performance of the sampler.
[0391] Fig. 9m illustrates performance of the sampler.
[0392] Fig. 9n illustrates contour plots of the sampler
performance.
[0393] Fig. 90 illustrates performance of the sampler.
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[0394] Fig. 9p illustrates performance of the sampler.
[0395] Fig. 9q illustrates contour plots of the sampler
performance.
[0396] Fig. 9r illustrates performance of the sampler.
[0397] Fig. 9s illustrates performance of the sampler.
[0398] Fig. 91 illustrates contour plots of the sampler
performance.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0399] Because the illustrated embodiments of the present
invention may, for the most
part, be implemented using electronic components and circuits known to those
skilled in
the art, details will not be explained in any greater extent than that
considered necessary as
illustrated above, for the understanding and appreciation of the underlying
concepts of the
present invention and in order not to obfuscate or distract from the teachings
of the present
invention.
Any reference in the specification to a method should be applied mutatis
mutandis to a
system capable of executing the method. Conversely, any reference in the
specification to
a system should be applied mutatis mutandis to a method that may be executed
by the
system.
[0400] The term "healthy individual" refers hereinafter to a CoV
free individual (namely
COVID-19 free individual) and/or recovered Coy individual (namely COVID-19
recovered individual).
[0401] The term "Coronaviruses (CoV)" refers to a large family of
viruses that cause
illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle
East
Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-
CoV).
[0402] The term "Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)" refers to a new
strain of the CoV
family that was discovered in 2019 and has not been previously identified in
humans.
[0403] Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted
between animals and
people. Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet
cats to
humans andlMERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known
coronaviruses
are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.
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[0404]
Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough,
shortness
of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can
cause pneumonia,
severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
[0405]
Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand
washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly
cooking meat
and eggs, and avoiding close contact with anyone showing symptoms of
respiratory illness
such as coughing and sneezing.
[0406]
The term "band-stop filter" or "band-rejection filter" refers hereinafter
to
a filter that passes most frequencies unaltered, but attenuates those in a
specific range to
very low levels. It is the opposite of a band-pass filter. A notch filter is a
band-stop filter
with a narrow stopband. Thus, a notch Filter is also known as a Band Stop
filter or Band
Reject Filter. These filters reject/attenuate signals in a specific frequency
band called the
stop band frequency range and pass the signals above and below this band. For
example, if
a Notch Filter has a stop band frequency from 1500 MHz to 1550 MHz, it will
pass all
signals from DC to 1500 MHz and above 1550 MHz. It will only block those
signals from
1500 MHz to 1550 MHz.
[0407]
The term "debris" or "cellular debris" refers hereinafter to organic waste
left over
after a cell dies by undergoing apoptosis or lysis.
[0408]
The term "Influenza" or "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by an
influenza
virus. Three of the four types of influenza viruses affect humans: Type A,
Type B, and
Type C. Type D has not been known to infect humans, but is believed to have
the potential
to do so. Usually, the virus is spread through the air from coughs or sneezes.
This is
believed to occur mostly over relatively short distances. It can also be
spread by touching
surfaces contaminated by the virus and then touching the eyes, nose, or mouth.
A person
may be infectious to others both before and during the time they are showing
symptoms. The infection may be confirmed by testing the throat, sputum, or
nose for the
virus. A number of rapid tests are available; however, people may still have
the infection
even if the results are negative. A type of polymerase chain reaction that
detects the
virus's RNA is more accurate.
[0409]
It can be difficult to distinguish between the common cold and influenza in
the
early stages of these infections. Influenza symptoms are a mixture of symptoms
of common
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cold and pneumonia, body ache, headache, and fatigue. Diarrhea is not usually
a symptom
of influenza in adults, although it has been seen in some human cases of the
H5N1 "bird
flu" and can be a symptom in children. The symptoms most reliably seen in
influenza are
shown in the adjacent table.
[0410] The specific combination of fever and cough has been found
to be the best
predictor; diagnostic accuracy increases with a body temperature above 38 C
(100.4 F). Two decision analysis studies suggest that during local outbreaks
of influenza,
the prevalence will be over 70%. Even in the absence of a local outbreak,
diagnosis may
be justified in the elderly during the influenza season as long as the
prevalence is over 15%.
[0411] The term "Avian influenza" refers hereinafter to a variety
of influenza caused
by viruses adapted to birds.
[0412] The term "common cold" or "cold" refers hereinafter to a
viral infectious disease of
the upper respiratory tract that primarily affects the nose. The throat,
sinuses,
and larynx may also be affected. Well over 200 virus strains are implicated in
causing the
common cold, with rhinoviruses being the most common. They spread through the
air
during close contact with infected people or indirectly through contact with
objects in the
environment, followed by transfer to the mouth or nose. There is no vaccine
for the
common cold. The primary methods of prevention are handwashing; not touching
the eyes,
nose or mouth with unwashed hands; and staying away from sick people.
[0413] The term "Viral protein" refers herein to both a component
and a product of a virus.
Viral proteins are grouped according to their functions, and groups of viral
proteins include
structural proteins, nonstructural proteins, regulatory, and accessory
proteins. Viruses are
non-living and they do not have the means to reproduce on their own. They
depend on their
host cell's metabolism for energy, enzymes, and precursors, in order to
reproduce. Thus,
viruses do not code for many of their own viral proteins, and instead use the
host cell's
machinery to produce the viral proteins they require for replication.
[0414] The term "Cytokines" refers herein to a broad and loose
category of
small proteins (-5-20 kDa) important in cell signaling. Cytokines are
peptides, and cannot
cross the lipid bilayer of cells to enter the cytoplasm. Cytokines have been
shown to be
involved in autocrine, paracrine and endocrine signaling as immunomodulating
agents.
Their definite distinction from hormones is still part of ongoing research.
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[0415]
Cytokines include chemokines, interferons, interleukins, lymphokines, and
tumor
necrosis factors, but generally not hormones or growth factors (despite some
overlap in the
terminology).
[0416]
Cytokines are produced by a broad range of cells, including immune cells
like macrophages, B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes and mast cells, as well as
endothelial
cells, fibroblasts, and various stromal cells; a given cytokine may be
produced by more
than one type of cell.
[0417]
They act through receptors, and are especially important in the immune
system;
cytokines modulate the balance between humoral and cell-based immune
responses, and
they regulate the maturation, growth, and responsiveness of particular cell
populations.
Some cytokines enhance or inhibit the action of other cytokines in complex
ways.
[0418]
They are important in health and disease, specifically in host responses to
infection,
immune responses, inflammation, trauma, sepsis, cancer, and reproduction.
[0419]
Over-secretion of cytokines can trigger a dangerous syndrome known as a
cytokine
storm_
[0420]
Cytokines storms may have been the cause of severe adverse events during a
clinical trial of TGN1412.
[0421]
Cytokine storms are also suspected to be the main cause of death in the
1918
"Spanish Flu" pandemic. Deaths were weighted more heavily towards people with
healthy
immune systems, due to their ability to produce stronger immune responses,
with dramatic
increases in cytokine levels.
[0422]
In the 2019-21 coronavirus pandemic, a number of deaths due to COVID-19
have
been attributable to cytokine release storms.
[0423]
The term "hypercytokinemia" refers herein to a potentially fatal immune
reaction consisting of a positive feedback loop between cytokines and immune
cells, with
highly elevated levels of various cytokines.
[0424]
The term "Cytokine release syndrome" or "cytokine storm syndrome (CSS)"
refers
herein to a form of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) that can be
triggered
by a variety of factors such as infections and certain drugs. It occurs when
large numbers
of white blood cells are activated and release inflammatory cytokines, which
in turn
activate yet more white blood cells. CRS is also an adverse effect of some
monoclonal
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antibody drugs, as well as adoptive T-cell therapies. Severe cases have been
called cytokine storms.
[0425]
In addition to adoptive T-cell therapies, severe CRS or cytokine reactions
can occur
in a number of infectious and non-infectious diseases including graft-versus-
host
disease (GVHD), coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), acute respiratory
distress
syndrome (ARDS), sepsis, Ebola, avian influenza, smallpox, and systemic
inflammatory
response syndrome (SIRS).
[0426]
Although, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is
sufficiently cleared by the early acute phase anti-viral response in most
individuals, some
progress to a hyperinflammatory condition, often with life-threatening
pulmonary
involvement. This systemic hyperinflammati on results in inflammatory
lymphocytic and
monocytic infiltration of the lung and the heart, causing ARDS and cardiac
failure. Patients
with fulminant COVID-19 and ARDS have classical serum biomarkers of CRS
including
elevated CRP, LDH, IL-6, and ferritin.
[0427]
The term "Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)" refers herein to a method widely
used
in molecular biology to rapidly make millions to billions of copies of a
specific DNA sample allowing scientists to take a very small sample of DNA and
amplify
it to a large enough amount to study in detail. Often, nucleic acids are
readily labeled with
tags that facilitate detection or purification.
[0428]
Usually in PCR and/or in other biological testing methods biological
labeling is
required. Such labeling is a time-consuming technique. Thus, it could be
advantageous to
have a label-free testing method.
[0429]
The term "PCR Ct- refers hereinafter to the PCR cycle number at which the
sample's reaction curve intersects the threshold line. This value tells how
many cycles it
took to detect a real signal from the samples. Real-Time PCR runs will have a
reaction
curve for each sample, and therefore many Ct values. Ct values are inverse to
the amount
of target nucleic acid that is in the sample, and correlate to the number of
target copies in
the sample. Lower Ct values (e.g., below 34 cycles) indicate high amounts of
target
sequence. Higher Ct values (above 34 cycles) mean lower amounts of the target
nucleic
acid.
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[0430] The term "humidity" refers hereinafter to the concentration
of water vapor present
in the air. The term "barometric pressure" refers hereinafter to the pressure
within
the atmosphere of Earth.
[0431] The term "high throughput" refers hereinafter to the use of
equipment, automation
equipment or partial thereof to permit rapid, highly parallel research or to
provide results
of the tests being conducted. It could address biological questions that are
otherwise
unattainable using conventional methods. It may incorporate techniques
from optics, physics, chemistry, biology or image analysis.
[0432] The term "Metamaterial" refers herein to any material
engineered to have a
property that is not found in naturally occurring materials. They are made
from assemblies
of multiple elements fashioned from composite materials such as metals and
plastics. The
materials are usually arranged in repeating patterns, at scales that are
smaller than
the wavelengths of the phenomena they influence. Metamaterials derive their
properties
not from the properties of the base materials, but from their newly designed
structures.
Their precise shape, geometry, size, orientation and arrangement gives them
their smart
properties capable of manipulating electromagnetic waves: by blocking,
absorbing,
enhancing, or bending waves, to achieve benefits that go beyond what is
possible with
conventional materials.
[0433] Appropriately designed metamaterials can affect waves of
electromagnetic
radiation or sound in a manner not observed in bulk materials. Those that
exhibit a
negative index of refraction for particular wavelengths have attracted
significant research.
These materials are known as negative-index metamaterials.
[0434] The term "Polyethylene terephthalate, PET" refers herein to
the most
common thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in
fibers for
clothing, containers for liquids and foods, thermoforming for manufacturing,
and in
combination with glass fiber for engineering resins.
Pet's structure is given in the following formula, Formula I:
[ i
/ OH
0 0-----e'
.i., = ' "<ik
H--- -- 0. 0
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Formula I
[0435] The term 'Linear discriminant analysis' (LDA), refers
herein after to a normal
discriminant analysis (NDA), or discriminant function analysis is a
generalization
of Fisher's linear discriminant, a method used in statistics, pattern
recognition,
and machine learning to find a linear combination of features that
characterizes or
separates two or more classes of objects or events. The resulting combination
may be used
as a linear classifier, or, more commonly, for dimensionality reduction before
later classification. The present invention utilizes Fisher's linear
discriminant and/or
Fisher's nonlinear discriminant.
[0436] In pattern recognition, the term "k-nearest neighbors
algorithm (k-NN)" refers to
a non-parametric method used for classification and regression. In both cases,
the input
consists of the k closest training examples in the feature space. The output
depends on
whether k-NN is used for classification or regression:
[0437] In k-NN classification, the output is a class membership.
An object is classified by
a plurality vote of its neighbors, with the object being assigned to the class
most common
among its k nearest neighbors (k is a positive integer, typically small). If =
1, then the
object is simply assigned to the class of that single nearest neighbor.
[0438] In k-NN regression, the output is the property value for
the object. This value is the
average of the values of k nearest neighbors.
[0439] k-NN is a type of instance-based learning, or lazy
learning, where the function is
only approximated locally and all computation is deferred until
classification.
[0440] Both for classification and regression, a useful technique
can be to assign weights
to the contributions of the neighbors, so that the nearer neighbors contribute
more to the
average than the more distant ones. For example, a common weighting scheme
consists in
giving each neighbor a weight of 1/d, where d is the distance to the neighbor.
[0441] The neighbors are taken from a set of objects for which the
class (for k-NN
classification) or the object property value (for k-NN regression) is known.
This can be
thought of as the training set for the algorithm, though no explicit training
step is required.
[0442] A peculiarity of the k-NN algorithm is that it is sensitive
to the local structure of
the data.
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[0443]
The present invention relates to the use of Terahertz (THz) in detection of
healthy
(Covid-19 free or recovered) individuals vs. Covid-19 infected individuals.
The term "THz
radiation" generally refers herein below to any of the electromagnetic wave
frequencies
that lie in the range extending from around 100 GHz to 30 THz.
[0444]
The use of THz has great advantages over IR and UV as the sensitivity and
the
detection threshold is very low thus, can detect information relating to Covid-
I 9 (as will
be described herein below), at very early stages thereof. IR and UV can detect
information
relating to Covid-19 at very late stages of the disease.
[0445]
The information that can be detected is selected from a group consisting of
cell unit
of said virus, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of said virus, hydrates
of said virus,
hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D structure of said virus
and a cell,
aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-
7,
granulocytecolony, stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10,
monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-ot, and tumor
necrosis
factor-cc and any combination thereof.
[0446]
The advantages of the present invention include, inter alia, the following:
Early
Detection of Asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19; Fast Coronavirus Test
detection - up to
1 minute; preferably less than 40 sec; High Throughput - ¨800-1,500/Tests/Day;
and, Non-
Invasive ¨ the testing includes blowing several times into the sampler.
[0447]
The present invention provides a label free, noncontact, non-invasive
method for
the detection of COVID-19, without the need to amplify the DNA sample, 1st,
2nd and 3rd
virus waves of the infection.
[0448]
The term -collected media- refers hereinafter to any volatiles compound,
VC,
and/or aerosol and/or any chemical and biological compounds transmitted
airborne that
were released in the breath by at least one individual being tested.
[0449]
The term "volatiles" or "volatiles compound" or "VCs" generally refers
herein
below to volatile compound and/or mix of compounds. According to at least one
embodiment, the VCs can be organic compound and/or mix of compounds or
inorganic
compound and/or mix of compounds. It is also within the scope of the present
invention
wherein the VC is a mix of organic and inorganic compounths.
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[0450]
The present invention provides a label free, noncontact, non-invasive
method for
the detection of COVID-19, without the need to amplify the DNA sample, 1st 2nd
and 3rd
virus waves of the infection.
[0451]
Furthermore, the present invention provides a breathalyzer or breathalyzer-
like
device that will enable the detection of COVID-19 in the exhaled breath of
humans. There
are many advantages thereto. As the COVID- I 9 is infectious by droplets and
contact,
testing the infectious agent in the breath and not from the blood stream is
advantageous.
Furthermore, as will be explained in the below, the severity of the disease
can be diagnosed.
[0452]
The present invention provides a membrane metamaterial absorber for
different
virus detection based on detection of trends of spoof surface plasmon
polaritons (SSPPs)
in 'THz band. The exhaled breath of humans will contain VCs and/or aerosols
that will be
captured in the membrane (e.g., made of PET or open-cell foam-based melamine)
and will
create SSPPs. Detection of specific trends in the absorption spectrum in THz
bands.
[0453]
The term "Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs)" are a special type of surface
wave
(highly localized) that exists on the interface of two media (e.g.,
metal¨dielectric) with
opposite permittivities at optical frequencies. In the optical regime, the
electromagnetic
(EM) field of incident waves interacts with the plasma of electrons near the
surface of the
metal and therefore excites collective oscillations propagating along the
interface. The
interaction is so strong that the EM field is tightly confined to the
interface.
[0454]
SPPs are not supported below the far-infrared frequency because the strong
field
confinement no longer exists. In fact, at lower frequencies, metals behave
close to perfectly
electric conductors (PECs) rather than plasmas at optical frequencies. The
first "artificial"
surface plasmon polaritons are termed as the spoof SPPs.
[0455]
To produce spoof SPPs at Terahertz frequencies, plasmonic metamaterials are
utilized to provide subwavelength structures on a metal surface. Spoof SPPs
inherit the
properties of natural SPPs, including dispersion characteristics, field
confinement, and
subwavelength resolution, and therefore are highly expected to offer new
solutions for
advanced circuits and systems with high integration, compact size, and
excellent
performance.
[0456]
Strongly confined SSPPs modes (caused by the VCs and/or aerosols of exhaled
breath) are extracted from the absorption spectra of biosensing metamaterial
absorber
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associated with local field enhancement. Identification of trends in said
absorption
spectrum together with refractive index libraries will provide identification
and detection
of the virus.
[0457] Thus, the provision of a membrane metamaterial absorber
integrated within a
breathalyzer for the detection of trends or signature of spoof SPPs (created
by the VCs
and/or aerosols of exhaled breath) at Terahertz frequencies of human breath
provides a
non-invasive, non-contact, label free detection of the COVID-19.
[0458] The different trends will be detected by comparing the
absorption spectrum of
healthy tested individuals vs. infected ones. For the comparison of both the
absorption
spectra, the inventors of the present invention believe that detection of
COVID-19 infected
or COVID-19-free (healthy) individuals can be identified.
[0459] Thus, according to another embodiment, THz technology
enables the detection of
COVID-19 infected or COVID-19- free (healthy) individuals, by means of label-
free,
noncontact, noninvasive, and nondestructive method.
[0460] The technique of the present invention is capable of
detecting a trends in the
absorption spectrum of spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) (captured in
the
membrane and created due to VCs and/or aerosols in the exhaled breath of
health people)
due to the THz spectroscopy technique being capable of detection of
materials/compounds
at very low concentrations, below PPB (parts per billion).
[0461] Volatiles emitted from the breath convey information on the
person being infected
with COVID-19 or a healthy one. Said VCs and/or aerosols will be captured in
the
membrane (e.g., made of PET or open-cell foam-based melamine) can cause the
creation
of SSPPs. The membrane will be irradiated with THz frequencies and the
absorption
spectrum thereof will be analyzed. The same is true for healthy individuals.
By identifying
different trends, the identification of COVID-19 infected or COVID-19 free
(healthy)
people could be identified.
[0462] In general, a membrane metamaterial absorber for different
virus detection in THz
band will be integrated in a breathalyzer. The identification of strongly
confined SSPPs
modes, extracted from the absorption spectra of biosensing metamaterial
absorber, like
trends signature, will provide identification and detection of the virus'
infected and virus-
free (healthy) individuals; namely in COVID-19.
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[0463]
The proposed THz biosensing metamaterial absorber chip will perform
ultrasensitive, high resolution detection by extracting the shifted resonance
frequencies
(AF) and the changed values at maximum absorptions (AA). Each virus species
will have
a dedicated fingerprint signature in terms of the AF and AA.
[0464]
Furthermore, the absorption will provide an indication as to the severity
of the
disease.
[0465]
According to at least one embodiment, the collection system (the
breathalyzer) will
comprises the membrane biosensing chip and an integrated THz detection by
means of a
VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser) that can be implemented in
handheld
devices.
[0466]
According to another embodiment, the collection system (the breathalyzer)
will be
in communication with a THz detection system.
[0467]
The membrane can be a pressure permeable membrane (e.g., Meta-Material
Membrane (MIVEV1) or Semi Pressure Permeable Membrane, e.g., meta-material PET
or
open-cell foam-based melamine based membrane).
[0468]
Vacuum can also be applied to accelerate the flow of the air (from the
exhaled air).
Then, after the exhaled air has been sampled, the membrane are scanned with
THz waves
and the specific is detected based.
[0469]
Therefore, according to a broad aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a
system for detecting COVID-19 infected or free (healthy) people by means of
the detection
of trends in the absorption spectra of said metamaterial absorber membrane by
scanning
thereof with electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
[0470]
Thus, the membrane (with the collected SSPPs from the breath trapped
therewithin)
is scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range, and processing
the data for
identifying a signature being indicative of at least one COVID-19 property to
thereby
generate information data being indicative of at least one COVID-19 infected
or free
(healthy) individuals.
[0471]
The terms "membrane metamaterial absorber" or "biosensing metamaterial
absorber chip" refer to a membrane being capable of trapping collected SSPPs
and VCs
and/or aerosols from a human breath therein. According to at least one
embodiment, the
membrane is integrated in a breathalyzer. According to at least one
embodiment, the
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membrane is made of PET or open-cell foam-based melamine and any combination
thereof According to at least one embodiment, the membrane is placed in a PTFE
(Polytetrafluoroethylene, aka. Teflon) disposable holder. According to at
least one
embodiment, the membrane integrated in the membrane housing into the sample,
and after
the air breath is taken, the membrane housing (and the membrane) is inserted
into a
dedicated capsule (which will be scanned by means of the THz scanner).
According to at
least one embodiment, the capsule is a disposable, sterile P'TFE
(Polytetrafluoroethylene,
aka. Teflon) - based capsule.
[0472]
The term "sampler" or "disposable, hand-held tube" refers hereinafter to
the
sampler with which the breath sample from the tested individual is taken.
According to at
least one embodiment, the sampler is made of polyoxymethylene-based (aka
Delrin).
[0473]
The term "Leave One Out (L00)" refers hereinafter to a statistical method
that is
used to evaluate the efficacy of any classification procedure, with a
relatively low number
of samples, in order to teach and train spectroscopy systems to analyze
spectral vectors.
According to this machine learning method, the training is performed
repeatedly, each time
after excluding one training sample from the training data of the group, and
then testing on
those individual vectors that were excluded from training. Based on that
specific learning
process of LOO, a prediction is made for the left-out spectra and compared to
the actual
PCR results.
[0474]
The term "Principal Component Analysis" refers hereinafter to mathematical
technique. According to said technique, the mean (symbol below as "m") is
subtracted
from each spectrum (after being normalized by its associated reference) and
the covariance
(symbol below as small sigma as standard deviation) matrix of the combined
spectra is
computed. The eigen-values of this matrix are found, and the largest values
are used to
compute their respective eigen-vectors. This procedure is essentially a linear
transformation of the normalized spectra into a set of vectors that best
represent the training
samples and are less prone to noise. These eigen-vectors (also called feature
vectors) are
then used to obtain a set of co-efficient vectors, one for each input
spectrum, whose length
equals the number of the feature vectors selected.
[0475]
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide means and method
for
distinguishing between COVID-19 infected people and healthy ones.
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[0476]
The inventors of the present invention found that each individual has a
unique
mixture of VCs and/or aerosols which may be identified with THz technology.
Thus, a
healthy individual and a COVID-19 infected individual will have a different VC
or
different mixture thereof.
[0477]
According to at least one embodiment, in general, the tested individuals
are
sampled in the breathalyzer (it could be aided by the use of vacuum suction),
and the VCs
and/or aerosols are trapped in a pressure dischargeable membrane (e.g., Meta-
Material
Membrane (MAIM) Semi Pressure Permeable Membrane, e.g., meta-material PET or
open-
cell foam-based melamine based membrane), such that when the breath is exhaled
by the
human, the membrane is located at the propagation path of the VCs and/or
aerosols released
from the human.
[0478]
The use of vacuum accelerates the flow of the volatiles and the use of the
membrane
provides for trapping the collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols within
the
membrane upon releasing the negative pressure (i.e. vacuum).
[0479]
Then the membrane is scanned with THz waves and the specific VCs and/or
aerosols for infected or healthy tested are detected based on the individual
fingerprints
trends in the adsorption. The membrane is then capable of
releasing/discharging the trapped
vapors by an operation including also positive or negative pressure.
[0480]
Therefore, according to a broad aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a
system for detection of COVID-19 infected or free (healthy) individuals.
[0481]
The system may also comprise a control unit configured and operable for
receiving
data indicative of the collected VCs and/or aerosols being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range, and processing the data for identifying a
signature being
indicative of an infected C OVID-19 individual and a healthy one.
[0482]
According to at least one embodiment, a control unit is configured to
receive and
process the response signal emitted by the membrane and identify spectral
special features
indicative of a THz signature of the COVID-19 infected or free (healthy)
individual. The
inventors found that COVID-19 has its own THz signature. Thus, individual
human can be
distinguished from healthy ones. In some embodiments, the control unit is
configured and
operable for performing a pattern recognition of the THz signature. The
control unit is
configured generally as a computing/electronic utility including inter alia
such utilities as
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data input and output utilities, memory, and data processing utility. The
utilities of the
control unit may thus be implemented by suitable circuitry and/or by software
and/or
hardware components including computer readable code configured for
implementing the
operations method.
[0483]
The features of the present invention may comprise a general-purpose or
special-
purpose computer system including various computer hardware components, which
are
discussed in greater detail below. Features within the scope of the present
invention also
include computer-readable media for carrying or having computer-executable
instructions,
computer-readable instructions, or data structures stored thereon. Such
computer-readable
media may be any available media, which are accessible by a general-purpose or
special-
purpose computer system. By way of example, without limitation, such computer-
readable
media can comprise physical storage media such as RAM, ROM, EPROM, flash disk,
CD-
ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic
storage
devices, or any other media which can be used to carry or store desired
program code means
in the form of computer-executable instructions, computer-readable
instructions, or data
structures and which may be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose
computer
system. Computer-readable media may include a computer program or computer
application downloadable to the computer system over a network, such as a wide
area
network (WAN), e.g. Internet.
[0484]
In this description and in the following claims, a "control unit" is
defined as one or
more software modules, one or more hardware modules, or combinations thereof,
which
work together to perform operations on electronic data. For example, the
definition of
processing utility includes the hardware components of a personal computer, as
well as
software modules, such as the operating system of a personal computer. The
physical
layout of the modules is not relevant. A computer system may include one or
more
computers coupled via a computer network. Likewise, a computer system may
include a
single physical device where internal modules (such as a memory and processor)
work
together to perform operations on electronic data. While any computer system
may be
mobile, the term "mobile computer system" or the term "mobile computer device"
as used
herein especially includes laptop computers, netbook computers, cellular
telephones,
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smartphones, wireless telephones, personal digital assistants, portable
computers with
touch sensitive screens, and the like.
[0485]
The control unit of the present invention may be implemented as part of a
signal
processing center, and/or as a portable (e.g. handheld) THz reading device.
Data input
utility includes a communication module for receiving the response THz signal,
an optional
data output utility for generating data relating to identified virus(s), a
memory (i.e. non-
volatile computer readable medium) for storing a learning database i.e.
preselected data
indicative of THz signatures of the Spoof SPPs and therefore of the virus, and
a data
processing utility adapted for identifying the COVID- 1_9 infected or free
(healthy)
individuals. The database may be implemented with Microsoft Access, Cybase,
Oracle, or
other suitable commercial database systems. In some embodiments the system is
configured in a cloud-based configuration and/or utilize Internet based
computing so that
parts of processing utility, and/or memory may reside in multiple distinct
geographic
locations. After the THz response signal(s) is/are received, the data
processing utility is
enabled to process the signal(s). Results of the signal processing step may be
displayed
and/or stored in storage and/or sent to a data communication unit for transfer
to a sorting
device. The memory may include instructions executable by data processing
utility. The
instructions may be operable to enable data processing utility to receive the
THz response
signal(s), to process the THz response signal (s), to identify at least one
fingerprint
signature of the absorption spectrum of a membrane to which VC (from the
exhaled breath
of human) will be captured therewithin (to create Spoof SPPs). Thereafter the
membrane
will be irradiated with THz frequencies. The absorption spectrum will be
analyzed to find
trends indicative of the virus, and to output via the data output utility a
notification
regarding the detection or failure to detect the virus (i.e., the infected
with COVID-19
individuals). Memory and may be relayed via wireless or wired connection by an
external
unit to a central database.
[0486]
In some embodiments, the control unit activates a spectroscopy assembly
configured and operable for obtaining the THz signature. Spectroscopic
assembly may or
may not be a part of the system of the present invention. According to one
embedment of
the present invention, the system is a breathalyzer and the spectroscopy
assembly (in the
THz range) is integrated within the system. In such an embodiment, the THz
capabilities
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are based on a VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser) and can be
integrated in
IOT devices as well as handheld devices. Alternatively, the spectroscopy
assembly in not
integrated in the system and the absorption spectrum is communicated to said
spectroscopy
assembly to be analyzed.
[0487]
The processing utility signals to THz radiation transmitter unit to emit
THz
radiation passing though the membrane (being in the optical path of the THz
radiation).
Data input receives a radiation signal pattern via radiation detection unit.
The radiation
signal pattern is the radiation that was not adsorbed by the membrane. The
radiation signal
pattern contains the THz signature. Processing utility may transmit data
regarding the
signal pattern via the data output utility, via a data communication (e.g. via
cellular
network) to a communication module of a central computer. The processing
utility may
record the received data in a learning database in memory and/or may
query/cross-
reference the received data with data in the learning database to identify
virus properties
and may communicate such data to a mobile device at which processing utility
may signal
to display a message corresponding to the virus data. To this end, the
preselected data
stored in the learning database may be used to compare the THz pattern/
signature of the
VCs and/or aerosols (captured in the membrane and created the Spoof SPPs) with
the
signatures or trends stored in the learning database.
[0488]
The membrane metamaterial absorber may be a pressure permeable membrane
configured as a dense, compressed structure made of fibers (e.g. mesh) such
that the
pressure permeable membrane responds to the application/release of vacuum as a
pressure
dischargeable membrane. The membrane metamaterial absorber may be configured
as a
metamaterial membrane being a material deriving its properties not from the
properties of
the basic materials, but from its designed structure. The metamaterial
membrane may
comprise a plurality of layers of metamaterial encapsulated in a plastic
housing, produced
with an accuracy of 10 microns.
[0489]
In some embodiments, the system (breathalyzer) includes a spectroscopic
assembly
including a radiation transmitter unit being configured and operable to
produce THz
frequency radiation and a detection unit being configured and operable to
detect an
electromagnetic radiation emitted/influenced by the spoof surface plasmon
polaritons
(SSPPs) and/or the VCs and/or aerosols captured in the membrane.
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[0490]
In particular, according to at least one embodiment, the radiation
transmitter unit is
operable for irradiating the membrane with a radiation having a wavelength in
the range
extending from around 100 GHz to 30 THz and to scan the membrane within a
scanning
window of about 100 GHz. Although, for the sake of clarification, the
radiation transmitter
unit and the detection unit are represented as two separate physical elements,
they can be
integrated in the same physical element or in the same housing. In a specific
and non-
limiting example, radiation transmitter unit is configured and operable for
generating
inspecting and reference electro-magnetic radiation components of
substantially the same
frequency contents, and for sweeping/scanning the frequency. Detection unit
may be
located in a first path of the inspecting radiation components after passing
through the
membrane and in a second path of the reference radiation component directly
propagating
from the transmitter unit. The spectroscopic assembly may be configured to
induce a
predetermined frequency difference between a frequency of the inspecting
radiation
component and the reference radiation component interacting at the detection
unit such that
a signal resulting from the interaction between the inspecting and reference
components is
indicative of one or more properties of the virus at a location where the
inspecting radiation
interacts with the membrane.
[0491]
The system (breathalyzer) of the present invention may comprise the
spectroscopy
assembly as described above or may directly receive data emitted by the VCs
and/or
aerosols (and/or the spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SSPPs)) in the membrane
obtained
by an external spectroscopy assembly as described above or as conventionally
used in the
field. The spectroscopy systems include photo-mixing, heterodyne detection,
and chirped-
pulse THz spectroscopy. Another spectroscopy method is to use the THz
resonance field
in a photonic crystal, a waveguide device or frequency multiplier.
[0492]
In some embodiments, the system is connectable to a communication network
with
a host computer, which is external to the control unit. Alternatively, the
spectroscopic
assembly can be also attached to the control unit by using a coupling member
of any type.
The control unit is configured and operable to control the operation of the
spectroscopic
assembly. The control unit may be integrated within the spectroscopic assembly
or may be
a separate element communicating with the spectroscopic assembly via wired or
wireless
communication. If the control unit is integrated within the spectroscopic
assembly, THz
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signature identification does not require or employ any type of electronic
components,
circuitry or antenna. It should be appreciated, that signal exchange and
communication is
enabled between the modules of the system by virtue of appropriate wiring, or
wirelessly.
For example, the spectroscopic assembly and the control unit can be connected
by IR
(Infra-Red), RF (radio frequency including Bluetooth) or cable control. If the
spectroscopic
assembly and the control unit are integrated in the same physical housing, the
THz
signature is stored in the control unit. The connections as discussed herein
may be any type
of connection suitable to transfer signals from or to the respective nodes,
units or devices,
for example via intermediate devices. Accordingly, unless implied or stated
otherwise, the
connections may for example be direct connections or indirect connections. The
connections may be illustrated or described in reference to being a single
connection, a
plurality of connections, unidirectional connections, or bidirectional
connections.
However, different embodiments may vary the implementation of the connections.
For
example, separate unidirectional connections may be used rather than
bidirectional
connections, and vice versa. Also, a plurality of connections may be replaced
with a single
connection that transfers multiple signals serially or in a time multiplexed
manner.
Likewise, single connections carrying multiple signals may be separated out
into various
different connections carrying subsets of these signals. Therefore, many
options exist for
transferring signals.
[0493]
Moreover, in some embodiments, the thickness of the membrane may be
selected
to be at least several times (e.g. at least four times) the wavelength of the
electromagnetic
radiation. The thickness should be selected to be sufficiently wide to enable
to capture a
sufficient amount of spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) allowing to
perform an
analysis providing an identifiable THz signature.
[0494]
It should be noted that the THz signature is sensitive to low changes in
the vapor
composition and provides a detection with high resolution. The high resolution
of the THz
signature enables to differentiate between signatures of different viruses. If
the resolution
of the signature is not good enough, the THz signatures would overlap and a
differentiation
between them is then impossible. By contrast, the use of infrared radiation
does not provide
an identifiable signal. A spectroscopic analysis using an infrared radiation
including the
collection of the gas and the separation of the different chemical components,
yields poor
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results. Moreover, the high rate of gas delivery required by the infrared
spectroscopy does
not permit collection of the carrier and separated components in a small area.
In some embodiments, prior to step of trapping the VCs and/or aerosols within
the
membrane (by the exhaled breath), the detection method may comprise the step
of
obtaining a reference spectrum by performing a THz spectroscopy on a reference
clean
membrane. In some embodiments, the method may comprise the step of cleaning a
membrane having trapped VCs and/or aerosols for a further use by applying a
positive/negative pressure.
[0495]
In some embodiments, the method may further comprises a step of recording a
THz
signature in the learning database. The learning database may be configured to
provide a
'THz fingerprint/signature associated with the one or more absorption spectrum
of VCs
and/or aerosols from COVID-19 infected or free (healthy) individuals. For
example, the
method may include storing in the learning database preselected data
indicative of the
signature of the signal and/or properties of the VCs and/or aerosols
associated with
COVID-19 infected or free (healthy) individuals with the signature. The step
of processing
the data may further include comparing the received THz data to data in the
learning
database. Received THz data may be logged in a learning database. Logged
received THz
data may be used for future analyses of future viruses.
[0496]
Optionally, step of processing the data may further include assessing one
or more
properties of the trends in absorption spectrum of VCs and/or aerosols or
spoof surface
plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) as indicative to the COVID-19 infected or free
(healthy)
individuals, based on the learning database data. Assessing one or more
properties may be
performed using a statistical analysis in which received THz data is compared
to learning
database THz data and a statistical comparison is performed. If a
predetermined level of
similarity is shown, the THz data is considered to have a certain property.
[0497]
More specifically, the processing of the control unit comprises the step of
providing
a mathematical interpretation of pattern recognition based on a learning
algorithm such as
a Neural Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA). The interpretation of the
pattern
recognition is based on identification of special features of the pattern such
as the
identification of main and side peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the
width of the
peaks and the distance between them.
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[0498]
According to another embodiment, the membrane with be coated with Silicon
or
Silicon Graphene, acting as a reflector, to enhance the signal.
[0499]
In some embodiments, the processing step, may comprise the following steps:
an
optional preprocessing step being configured to remove irrelevant spectral
trends present
in the measurements, and to filter out random measurement noise, a feature
extraction step
being configured to estimate the most relevant vectors defining the data using
a principal
component analysis; and a pattern classification step using a combined linear
and nonlinear
pattern recognition approach.
[0500]
In a specific and non-limiting example, the optional preprocessing step may
include
the step of establishing the learning database. The step of establishing the
learning database
may comprise the steps of collecting the scans, preprocessing the scans as
described above,
and performing a Fourier Transformation on the results. The feature extraction
step may
include the step of subtracting a reference processed data from the sample
processed data.
The resulting data belongs to or represents only VCs' and/or aerosols' virus
related
information (without data relating to the membrane). The step of subtracting
the reference
processed data (e.g. membrane results) from the sample processed data (e.g.
virus sample
results) may be followed by a step of performing a second Fourier
transformation on the
virus related information to provide the specific virus related signals.
[0501]
The pattern classification step may include the steps comparing all the
obtained
results to the learning database. When the learning database is established,
the same
sampled membrane are tested biologically by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
method
for the COVID-19 detection.
[0502]
As described above, the absorption spectra is read and compared to a
database via
software matching algorithms. The database contains spectral fingerprints of
the trends in
the absorption spectra (obtained from scanning the membrane with the VCs
and/or aerosols
captured therewithin) with a specified signature or trend/s therewithin
representing
detection of COVID-19 infected or free (healthy) individual. In a particular
embodiment,
terahertz radiation within the 200-1200 GHz range is used. The software
matching
algorithm compares the collected spectrum to the catalogued fingerprint within
pre-
determined confidence bounds, and detects the virus by determining whether or
not the
read spectrum falls within the error bounds of the fingerprint.
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[0503] In an embodiment, membranes may be recycled via application
of electricity to
release the VCs and/or aerosols and/or spoof surface plasmon polaritons
(SSPPs) from the
membrane. The "cleaned" membrane is cycled back into place on the sampling
apparatus.
In other embodiments, the membrane can be cleaned by reversing the flow of the
vacuum
motor, which causes air to pass through the membrane and push the absorbed
molecules
from the membrane. In certain embodiments, each membrane may be used only once
and
then replaced by a new membrane.
[0504] The mathematical analysis is described below. After
establishing the learning data
base, all next measured data is compared to the learning database by using the
same
mathematical process. The inventors of the present invention have found that
different THz
signatures being indicative of different properties of viruses can be
detected. Thus, the
present invention can detect VCs and/or aerosols from infected or free
(healthy) COVID-
19 individual. The inventors of the present invention believe that the
identification of the
special features of the pattern such as the number of peaks, the distance
between the main
peaks, the identification of main and side peaks, the width of the peaks
enables to define
the properties of the virus. In other words, the inventors have found that
obtaining a ratio
between the THz signatures of different membrane enables identification of
infected and
healthy individuals.
[0505] By utilizing a Neural Network Analysis (NNA) system which
is based on machine-
learning ability, the system will continuously improve with each additional
performance as
database (DB) grows. The learning process is essential to "educate" the system
to include
more spectral variations within its solution space. In order to improve the
predication, the
sampling size has to be increased so the statistics will be able to validate
for the model.
[0506] According to at least one embodiment, Leave One Out (L00)
algorithm is the one
of the methods that could be used for the analysis of the Terahertz spectra
detection, in
order to provide accurate detection of the virus.
[0507] It is acknowledged that LOO is a statistical method used to
evaluate the efficacy of
any classification procedure, with a relatively low number of samples, in
order to teach and
train spectroscopy systems to analyze spectral vectors. According to this
machine learning
method, the training is performed repeatedly, each time after excluding one
training sample
from the training data of the group, and then testing on those individual
vectors that were
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excluded from training. Based on that specific learning process of LOO, a
prediction is
made for the left-out spectra and compared to the actual PCR results.
[0508] The actual classification of each spectral vector is made
by either using a linear
classification method (see Fisher R.A. The Use of Multiple Measurements in
Taxonomic
Problems. Annals of Eugenics, 7 Part II.179-188, 1936) or using the
Mahalanobis distance
classifier (see Mahalanobis, P.C. On the generalized distance in statistics.
Proceeding of
the National Institute of Sciences of India. 2(1):49:55). Both methods use the
classes'
means and covariances to assign each input vector to its own class based on
its multi-
dimensional distances from each class. Therefore, the results obtained clearly
indicate that
this procedure is adequate for classifying unseen spectra into their
associated classes, with
a high probability of detection and low "false-alarm" rates.
[0509] According to another embodiment, the method is based on a
"Principal Component
Analysis" (see Konstantinos, I.D. and Sun-Yuang, K. Principal Component Neural
Networks: Theory and Applications. Wiley-Inter-science, New York, 1996).
According to
this mathematical technique, the mean (symbol below as "m") is subtracted from
each
spectrum (after being normalized by its associated reference) and the
covariance (symbol
below as small sigma as standard deviation) matrix of the combined spectra is
computed.
The eigen-values of this matrix are found, and the largest values are used to
compute their
respective eigen-vectors. This procedure is essentially a linear
transformation of the
normalized spectra into a set of vectors that best represent the training
samples and are less
prone to noise. These eigen-vectors (also called feature vectors) are then
used to obtain a
set of co-efficient vectors, one for each input spectrum, whose length equals
the number of
the feature vectors selected.
[0510] The Principal Component Analysis is represented by the
following formula:
Orti¨reg2 )2
3=-
where J is the power of separation between two groups, ml and m2 are the means
of each
group, al and a2 are the standard deviations of each group, and the two groups
are on a
continuous measurement where m2 = the value of ml at one standard deviation.
[0511] The purpose of the spectral classification stage is to
train the algorithm, by using a
known set of spectra and then to classify previously unseen spectra into their
respective
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classes, with a minimal number of errors. The target for 100% separation is
J>19 (as shown
in the equation above).
[0512]
According to at least one embodiment, the membrane is made of hardened
extruded
plastic, containing pores of two specific sizes, and acting as Ketones trap.
It should be
noted that the compound could also be , 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl
benzene,
hexanal, phenyl ethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-
(2-
ethoxyeth oxy)ethan ol , 2-ethyl-l-hexanol,
5 -i sopropenyl-1 -methyl -1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hy drofluorocarbon s
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes and any
combination thereof and not just Ketones.
[0513]
According to another embodiment of the present invention is to provide a
single-
use, disposable membranes. According to another embodiment the membrane is
reusable.
[0514]
It should be noted that LDA, k-nearest neighbors algorithm (k-NN) algorithm
can
also be used as well as LOU.
[0515]
As mentioned above, Terahertz (THz) radiation is known to interact with
polar
molecules via rotational or/and vibrational transition levels. These
interactions are
manifested as absorption. The frequency THz spectrum obtained by scanning the
membrane is indicative of various chemical materials including volatile
compounds, VCs,
and/or aerosols having individual specific fingerprints or trends.
[0516]
As described above, the control unit is configured to receive and process
the
response signal emitted by the testes individual and identify spectral special
features
indicativ e of a THz signature of the VCs and/or aerosols indicative of COVID-
19 infected
or free (healthy) individual. The information included in the THz signature is
thus
associated with the sorting process. The system (breathalyzer) is configured
to be used with
at least one tested individual with exhaled breath having VCs and/or aerosols
with
properties identifiable by THz inspection, such that upon examination by THz
analysis,
infected individuals or individuals who are COVID-19 free (healthy) may be
identified.
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The inventors found that infected individuals and healthy ones have different
THz
signature.
[051 7]
In some embodiments, the control unit is configured and operable for
performing a
pattern recognition of the THz signature. The control unit is configured
generally as a
computing/electronic utility including inter alia such utilities as data input
and output
utilities, memory, and data processing utility. The utilities of the control
unit may thus be
implemented by suitable circuitry and/or by software and/or hardware
components
including computer readable code configured for implementing the operations of
methods
described below.
[0518]
The features of the present invention may comprise a general-purpose or
special-
purpose computer system including various computer hardware components, which
are
discussed in greater detail below. Features within the scope of the present
invention also
include computer-readable media for carrying or having computer-executable
instructions,
computer-readable instructions, or data structures stored thereon. Such
computer-readable
media may be any available media, which are accessible by a general-purpose or
special-
purpose computer system. By way of example, without limitation, such computer-
readable
media can comprise physical storage media such as RAM, ROM, EPROM, flash disk,
CD-
ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic
storage
devices, or any other media which can be used to carry or store desired
program code means
in the form of computer-executable instructions, computer-readable
instructions, or data
structures and which may be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose
computer
system. Computer-readable media may include a computer program or computer
application downloadable to the computer system over a network, such as a wide
area
network (WAN), e.g. Internet.
[0519]
In this description and in the following claims, a "control unit" is
defined as one or
more software modules, one or more hardware modules, or combinations thereof,
which
work together to perform operations on electronic data. For example, the
definition of
processing utility includes the hardware components of a personal computer, as
well as
software modules, such as the operating system of a personal computer. The
physical
layout of the modules is not relevant. A computer system may include one or
more
computers coupled via a computer network. Likewise, a computer system may
include a
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single physical device where internal modules (such as a memory and processor)
work
together to perform operations on electronic data. While any computer system
may be
mobile, the term "mobile computer system" or the term "mobile computer device"
as used
herein especially includes laptop computers, netbook computers, cellular
telephones,
smartpliones, wireless telephones, personal digital assistants, portable
computers with
touch sensitive screens, and the like.
[0520]
The control unit of the present invention may be implemented as part of a
signal
processing center, and/or as a portable (e.g. handheld) THz reading device.
Data input
utility includes a communication module for receiving the response THz signal,
an optional
data output utility for generating data relating to identified healthy
individuals, infected
ones, a memory (i.e. non-volatile computer readable medium) for storing a
learning
database i.e. preselected data indicative of THz signatures of the healthy
individuals versus
the infected ones, and a data processing utility adapted for identifying
infected or healthy
ones.
[0521]
The database may be implemented with Microsoft Access, Cybase, Oracle, or
other
suitable commercial database systems. In some embodiments the system is
configured in a
cloud-based configuration and/or utilize Internet based computing so that
parts of
processing utility, and/or memory may reside in multiple distinct geographic
locations.
[0522]
After the THz response signal(s) is/are received, the data processing
utility is
enabled to process the signal(s). Results of the signal processing step may be
displayed
and/or stored in storage and/or sent to a data communication unit for transfer
to a sorting
device. The memory may include instructions executable by data processing
utility. The
instructions may be operable to enable data processing utility to receive the
THz response
signal(s), to process the THz response signal (s), to identify at least one
property in the
absorption spectrum of the membrane (captured with the VCs and/or aerosols),
and to
output via the data output utility a notification regarding if the individual
is healthy or
infected.
[0523]
In some embodiments, the control unit activates a spectroscopy assembly
configured and operable for obtaining the THz signature. Spectroscopic
assembly may or
may not be a part of the system of the present invention. The processing
utility signals to
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THz radiation transmitter unit to emit THz radiation passing though the
membrane (being
in the optical path of the THZ radiation).
[0524] Data input receives a radiation signal pattern via
radiation detection unit. The
radiation signal pattern is the radiation that was not adsorbed by the
membrane. The
radiation signal pattern contains the THz signature. Processing utility may
transmit data
regarding the signal pattern (such as infected or healthy) via the data output
utility, via a
data communication (e.g. via cellular network) to a communication module of a
central
computer.
[0525] The processing utility may record the received data in a
learning database in
memory and/or may query/cross-reference the received data with data in the
learning
database to identify the properties and may communicate such data to a mobile
device at
which processing utility may signal to display a message corresponding to the
data. To this
end, the preselected data stored in the learning database may be used to
compare the THz
pattern/ signature of the collected volatile compounds (organic or inorganic)
and/or
aerosols with the signatures of healthy or infected COVID-19 individuals
stored in the
learning database.
[0526] Vacuum may also be applied to ease suction of the VCs
and/or aerosols (once a
human exhale breath into the system, i.e., into the breathalyzer). The working
range of
vacuums which may be employed is about 600 mmHg for a short time period. The
time
range for application of these vacuums is from about one second to five
seconds.
[0527] Identification of infected or healthy individual would be
enabled by time period of
less than 60 seconds. More specifically less than 30 seconds; even more
specifically less
than 20 seconds.
[0528] The membrane may be a pressure permeable membrane
configured as a dense,
compressed structure made of fibers (e.g. mesh) such that the pressure
permeable
membrane responds to the application/release of vacuum as a pressure
dischargeable
membrane. The pressure dischargeable membrane may be configured as a
metamaterial
membrane being a material deriving its properties not from the properties of
the basic
materials, but from its designed structure. The metamaterial membrane may
comprise a
plurality of layers of metamaterial encapsulated in a plastic housing,
produced with an
accuracy of 10 microns.
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[0529]
In some embodiments, the system includes a spectroscopic assembly including
a
radiation transmitter unit being configured and operable to produce THz
frequency
radiation and a detection unit being configured and operable to detect an
electromagnetic
radiation emitted by the collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols. In
particular,
radiation transmitter unit is operable for irradiating the membrane with a
radiation having
a wavelength in the range extending from around 100 GHz to 30 THz and to scan
the
permeable membrane holding the collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols
within a
scanning window of about 100 GHz.
[0530]
Although, for the sake of clarification, the radiation transmitter unit and
the
detection unit are represented as two separate physical elements, they can be
integrated in
the same physical element or in the same housing. In a specific and non-
limiting example,
radiation transmitter unit is configured and operable for generating
inspecting and
reference electro-magnetic radiation components of substantially the same
frequency
contents, and for sweeping/scanning the frequency. Detection unit may be
located in a first
path of the inspecting radiation components after passing through the membrane
and in a
second path of the reference radiation component directly propagating from the
transmitter
unit.
[0531]
The spectroscopic assembly may be configured to induce a predetermined
frequency difference between a frequency of the inspecting radiation component
and the
reference radiation component interacting at the detection unit such that a
signal resulting
from the interaction between the inspecting and reference components is
indicative of one
or more properties of the VCs and/or aerosols indicative of COVID-19 infected
individuals
at a location where the inspecting radiation interacts with the membrane
(capturing the VCs
and/or aerosols).
[0532]
The system (breathalyzer) of the present invention may comprise the
spectroscopy
assembly as described above or may directly receive data emitted by the
collected volatile
compounds and/or aerosols obtained by an external spectroscopy assembly as
described
above or as conventionally used in the field. For example, one spectroscopy
method is to
radiate THz waves directly on the membrane itself and acquire their spectral
information,
such as the fingerprint feature or decay signals of a pulse as response
signals. The
spectroscopy systems include photo-mixing, heterodyne detection, and chirped-
pulse THz
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spectroscopy. Another spectroscopy method is to use the THz resonance field in
a photonic
crystal, a waveguide device or frequency multiplier.
[0533]
The membrane is located at the propagation path of the volatile compounds
and/or
aerosols. The membrane is also positioned within the optical path of the
electromagnetic
radiation emitted by the transmitter unit.
[0534]
For example, the membrane may be spaced-apart from spectroscopic assembly.
The
membrane is interrogated by the spectroscopic assembly. Alternatively, the
membrane may
be a part of the spectroscopic assembly.
[0535]
In some embodiments, the system is connectable to a communication network
with
a host computer, which is external to the control unit. Alternatively, the
spectroscopic
assembly can be also attached to the control unit by using a coupling member
of any type.
The control unit is configured and operable to control the operation of the
spectroscopic
assembly. The control unit may be integrated within the spectroscopic assembly
or may be
a separate element communicating with the spectroscopic assembly via wired or
wireless
communication.
[0536]
If the control unit is integrated within the spectroscopic assembly, THz
signature
identification does not require or employ any type of electronic components,
circuitry or
antenna. It is not shown in detail, but should be appreciated, that signal
exchange and
communication is enabled between the modules of the system by virtue of
appropriate
wiring, or wirelessly. For example, the spectroscopic assembly and the control
unit can be
connected by IR (Infra-Red), RF (radio frequency including Bluetooth) or cable
control. If
the spectroscopic assembly and the control unit are integrated in the same
physical housing,
the THz signature is stored in the control unit. The connections as discussed
herein may be
any type of connection suitable to transfer signals from or to the respective
nodes, units or
devices, for example via intermediate devices. Accordingly, unless implied or
stated
otherwise, the connections may for example be direct connections or indirect
connections.
The connections may be illustrated or described in reference to being a single
connection,
a plurality of connections, unidirectional connections, or bidirectional
connections.
However, different embodiments may vary the implementation of the connections.
For
example, separate unidirectional connections may be used rather than
bidirectional
connections, and vice versa. Also, a plurality of connections may be replaced
with a single
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connection that transfers multiple signals serially or in a time multiplexed
manner.
Likewise, single connections carrying multiple signals may be separated out
into various
different connections carrying subsets of these signals. Therefore, many
options exist for
transferring signals.
[0537]
The transmitter unit is placed at a certain distance from the membrane. The
distance
between the transmitter unit and the membrane may be selected to be at a close
proximity
being less than the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation. For example,
this distance
may be selected to be below 1 mm for a radiation in the range of about 200 GHz
to 1200
GHz. In a specific and non- limiting example, the distance between the
transmitter unit and
the membrane is selected to be in the range of about 0.599 - 0.749 mm. In this
connection,
it should be understood that, due to the propagation path in the 'THz range,
if the distance
between the transmitter unit and the membrane is selected to be less than the
wavelength
of the electromagnetic radiation, the result signal(s) will be screened from
the environment
(i.e. not affected by surrounding changes such as changes in humidity,
temperature ...),
eliminating the need to perform the acquisition of the response signal(s) in a
controlled
environment (e.g. a clean room such as a hood, or under inert conditions
including cleaning
with nitrogen or helium gas). Moreover, the short distance between the
transmitter unit and
membrane eliminates the absorbance of the THz signal by the environment.
[0538]
Moreover, in some embodiments, the thickness of the membrane may be
selected
to be at least several times (e.g. at least four times) the wavelength of the
electromagnetic
radiation. The thickness should be selected to be sufficiently wide to enable
to capture a
sufficient amount of volatile compounds and/or aerosols allowing to perform an
analysis
providing an identifiable THz signature.
[0539]
In some embodiments, the membrane is configured and operable for trapping
the
collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols within a period of time being
less than 60
sec. more preferable, less than 30 sec.
[0540]
In this connection, it should be noted that the capability of the system to
identify a
THz signature, provides a fast inspection rate, being a significant parameter
for quickly
identifying COVID-19 infected or free (healthy) individuals. It should be
understood that,
as described above, the THz radiation is capable of providing an identifiable
signature even
when the collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols are present in the vapor
collection
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in a very-low concentration below PPB. In other words, the THz signature is
sensitive to
low changes in the vapor composition and provides a detection with high
resolution. The
high resolution of the THz signature enables to differentiate between
signatures of different
viruses or from a healthy individual to a COVID-19 infected individual. If the
resolution
of the signature is not good enough, the THz signatures would overlap and a
differentiation
between them is then impossible. By contrast, the use of infrared radiation
does not provide
an identifiable signal. A spectroscopic analysis using an infrared radiation
including the
collection of the gas and the separation of the different chemical components,
yields poor
results. Moreover, the high rate of gas delivery required by the infrared
spectroscopy does
not permit collection of the carrier and separated components in a small area.
Furthermore,
the period of time for collecting a certain amount of volatile compounds
and/or aerosols
which can be spectroscopically analyzed by using infrared radiation, is much
higher. For
example, the time consumed to be able to obtain an identifiable infrared
spectral data is
about half an hour. In addition, the concentration of the volatile compounds
and/or aerosols
in the aforementioned approach is too low to yield adequate infrared
absorption. In other
words, much higher concentrations are needed to provide an identifiable
signal. The use of
Raman techniques can provide an identifiable signal even with low
concentrations of the
volatile compounds and/or aerosols, however, the data collection time is much
longer than
with the technique of the present invention and is therefore not suitable for
commercial
use. Moreover, it should be noted that techniques known in the art using THz
spectroscopy
provide a spectral analysis of each chemical component of the collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols, separately indicating the presence of concentration
of each
collected volatile compound, which is highly time consuming. Since the period
of time
spent for trapping a minimal quantity of collected volatile compounds and/or
aerosols
being in a sufficient concentration for providing an identifiable signature is
less than 20
sec.
[0541]
The following description provides a flow chart exemplifies the system
operation
for identifying COVID-19 infected or COVID-19 free (healthy) individuals. The
method
comprises the steps of receiving data indicative of collected volatile
compounds and/or
aerosols being scanned with electromagnetic radiation in the THz range in step
and
processing the data for identifying a signature being indicative infected
individuals/healthy
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individuals. The step of processing may comprise step of performing a pattern
recognition
of the signature.
[0542]
In some embodiments, prior to receiving data indicative of collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols, the method further comprises performing a THz
spectroscopy
of the membrane. This may be implemented by scanning the collected volatile
compounds
and/or aerosols captured in the membrane with an electromagnetic radiation in
the THz
range within a scanning window of about 100 GHz (e.g. by collecting 500
measurements).
This narrow scanning window enables to perform a fast scanning of the membrane
and to
reduce the period of time required for performing the inspection process.
Moreover, this
narrow scanning window also enables fast noise cancellation and an increase in
accuracy
of the measurements.
[0543]
In some embodiments, prior to performing a THz spectroscopy of the
membrane,
the method may comprise the step of trapping collected volatile and/or
aerosols compounds
by suction, wherein the trapping is performed within a period of time being
less than 30
sec.
[0544]
In some embodiments, prior to step of trapping the collected volatile
compounds
and/or aerosols by suction, the method may comprise the step of obtaining a
reference
spectrum by performing a THz spectroscopy on a reference clean membrane being
the
same membrane used in the above. In some embodiments, the method may comprise
the
step of cleaning a membrane having trapped volatile compounds and/or aerosols
for a
further use by applying a positive/negative pressure.
[0545]
In a specific and non-limiting example, performing a THz spectroscopy is
implemented by scanning the membrane and collecting 500 measurements. The
spectral
data is processed, the spectrum of the membrane obtained filled with VCs
and/or aerosols
(from exhaled breath) is compared to the reference spectral data.
[0546]
In some embodiments, method may further comprise the step of recording a
THz
signature in the learning database. The learning database may be configured to
provide a
THz fingerprint/signature associated with the one or more VC found in exhaled
breath in
COVID-19 free (healthy) individuals.
[0547]
In some embodiments, method may further comprise the step of recording a
THz
signature in the learning database. The learning database may be configured to
provide a
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THz fingerprint/signature associated with the one or more VC and/or aerosols
found in
exhaled breath in COVID-19 infected individuals.
[0548]
The step of processing the data may further include comparing the received
THz
data to data in the learning database. Received THz data may be logged in a
learning
database. Logged received THz data may be used for future analyses.
[0549]
Optionally, the step of processing the data may further include assessing
one or
more properties of an VCs and/or aerosols captured in the membrane based on
the learning
database data. Assessing one or more properties may be performed using a
statistical
analysis in which received THz data is compared to learning database THz data
and a
statistical comparison is performed. If a predetermined level of similarity is
shown, the
THz data is considered to have a certain property. After the step of
performing THz
spectroscopy, the membrane may be discharged of VCs and/or aerosols content
via various
methods which include desorption of VCs and/or aerosols and discharge with
vacuum or
high pressure flow.
[0550]
According to another embodiment, the processing of the control unit
comprises the
step of providing a mathematical interpretation of pattern recognition based
on a learning
algorithm such as a Neural Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA). The
interpretation of
the pattern recognition is based on identification of special features of the
pattern such as
the identification of main and side peaks, the number of main and side peaks,
the width of
the peaks and the distance between them.
[0551]
In some embodiments, the processing step of the method, may comprise the
following steps: an optional preprocessing step being configured to remove
irrelevant
spectral trends present in the measurements, and to filter out random
measurement noise;
a feature extraction step being configured to estimate the most relevant
vectors defining
the data using a principal component analysis; and a pattern classification
step using a
combined linear and nonlinear pattern recognition approach.
[0552]
In a specific and non-limiting example, the optional preprocessing step may
include
the step of establishing the learning database. The step of establishing the
learning database
may comprise the steps of collecting the scans, preprocessing the scans as
described above,
and performing a Fourier Transformation on the results.
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[0553]
A feature extraction step may include the step of subtracting a reference
processed
data from the sample processed data. The resulting data belongs to or
represents only
membraned with VCs and/or aerosols captured therewithin related information
(without
data relating to the membrane). The step of subtracting the reference
processed data (e.g.
membrane results) from the sample processed data (e.g. membraned with VCs
and/or
aerosols captured therewithin ) may be followed by a step of performing a
second Fourier
transformation on the membrane related information to provide the specific VCs
and/or
aerosols related signals, among them the infected/healthy partitioning
signals.
[0554]
The pattern classification step may include the steps comparing all the
obtained
results to the learning database. When the learning database is established,
the same tested
individuals are tested biologically by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method
for
determination if they are healthy or infected. Then all the vectors obtained
by the
mathematical process and the variations (i.e. the mathematically calculated
differences)
between the samples are "translated" to infected determination and
differentiation into two
groups (infected and healthy samples).
[0555]
As described above, the system distinguishes between COVID-19 infected and
healthy individuals by measuring volatile compounds (VCs, organic or
inorganic) and/or
aerosols in the exhaled breath of said individuals, enabling non-invasive
detection of
infected or healthy individuals.
[0556]
Thus, VCs and/or aerosols (from exhaled breath of humans) are adsorbed onto
the
membranes. The "loaded" membranes are then analyzed by applying
electromagnetic
radiation (e.g., between 600-750 Rui in the case of the terahertz part of the
spectrum, though
other bands of the electromagnetic spectrum may be used) to the membrane and
observing
the change in the electromagnetic radiation. Analysis of the membrane may be
accomplished using an electromagnetic radiation transmitter and an
electromagnetic
radiation detector typical of a spectrometer operating at terahertz
wavelengths. During
analysis the membrane is positioned within the beam of electromagnetic
radiation emitted
by the transmitter. The electromagnetic radiation passes into the membrane and
the
interaction of the VCs and/or aerosols trapped in the membrane alter the
electromagnetic
radiation. After contacting the membrane, the altered electromagnetic
radiation is captured
by the electromagnetic radiation detector. The changes in the electromagnetic
radiation can
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be used to determine what VCs and/or aerosols are being released in the breath
of the tested
individuals. By analyzing the type and amount of VCs and/or aerosols, either
infected or
healthy tested individuals can be determined.
[0557]
Electromagnetic radiation in the terahertz range may be used to analyze VCs
and/or
aerosols. The analysis spectra may be generated using absorbance,
transmittance,
reflectance, or Raman spectroscopy.
[0558]
In a preferred embodiment, terahertz electromagnetic radiation is used for
the
detection of VCs and/or aerosols captured in a membrane. As used herein
terahertz
electromagnetic radiation refers to radiation having a wavelength of between 1
mm to 0.01
mm. In a particular embodiment, terahertz radiation within the 600-750 pui
range is used
to determine the VC content in a PET or open-cell foam-based melamine
membrane. The
electromagnetic radiation detector generates an absorption spectrum.
Absorption spectra
can be obtained in the frequency domain, or in the time domain and translated
to frequency
via Fourier transform, depending on the spectroscopic method used.
[0559]
The absorption spectra is read and compared to a database via software
matching
algorithms. The database contains spectral fingerprints of a healthy
individual and an
infected one. The software matching algorithm compares the collected spectrum
to the
catalogued fingerprint within pre-determined confidence bounds, and identifies
an
COVID-19 infected or free (healthy) individual by determining whether or not
the read
spectrum falls within the error bounds of the fingerprint. In an embodiment,
membranes
may be recycled via application of electricity to release the VCs and/or
aerosols from the
membrane. The "cleaned" membrane is cycled back into place on the sampling
apparatus.
In other embodiments, the membrane can be cleaned by reversing the flow of the
vacuum
motor, which causes air to pass through the membrane and push the absorbed
molecules
from the membrane. In certain embodiments, each membrane may be used only once
and
then replaced by a new membrane.
[0560]
According to at least one embodiment, the membranes are single used;
alternatively, the membrane are cleaned and reused.
[0561]
In an embodiment, the device includes a gas collection device which is
placed
proximate to the membrane to collect the VCs and/or aerosols exhaled from the
breath of
the tested individuals.
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[0562]
According to at least one embodiment, the system will inform the user, by
means
of optical illustration, voice or any other means, if sufficient enough of air
is exhaled and
analysis can begin. For example, the system can have a red light if there is
not enough of
VCs and/or aerosols (from the exhaled air) and a green light is the is.
[0563]
Once a sufficient amount of gas is collected, the membrane can be analyzed
using
techniques set forth herein to determine the VC content of the gas (by means
of analyzing
the spectrum, as described above). The inventors of the present invention
found that each
mix or blend of VCs and/or aerosols has a separate THz signature which can be
translated
by using the teachings of the present invention to distinct peaks of the
Fourier
transformation. Therefore, the identification of the special features of the
pattern such as
the number of peaks, the distance between the main peaks, the identification
of main and
side peaks, the width of the peaks enables to define and identify a healthy
individual from
an infected one. In other words, the inventors have found that obtaining a
ratio between the
THz signatures of different individuals being tested properties enables
identification of
these properties, and that the specific identification of each VC component as
well as each
concentration is not necessary to identify a healthy or a COVID- 1 9 infected
individual.
[0564]
It could be that the volatiles will be not only Ketones but a mixture of
Ketones
and/or, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl benzene, hexanal, phenylethane,
heptanal,
benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl-
1 -hexanol,
5-is opropenyl- 1 -methyl- 1 cyclohexene, acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-
decanone, 2-
isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-undecanone, 1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl
phthalate,
1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia, Greenhouse gases selected from Water vapor
Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous oxide (N20), Ozone (03),
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Hydrofluorocarbons (includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO,
NO2
and any combination thereof.
[0565]
Thus, by utilizing a Neural Network Analysis (NNA) system which is based on
machine-learning ability, the system will continuously improve with each
additional
performance as database (DB) grows. The learning process is essential to
"educate" the
system to include more spectral variations within its solution space. In order
to improve
the predication, the sampling size has to be increased so the statistics will
be able to validate
for the model.
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[0566] According to at least one embodiment, Leave One Out (L00)
algorithm is the one
of the methods that could be used for the analysis of the Terahertz spectra
detection, in
order to provide accurate detection of a COVID-19 infected individual or a
healthy
individual.
[0567] It is acknowledged that LOO is a statistical method used to
evaluate the efficacy of
any classification procedure, with a relatively low number of samples, in
order to teach and
train spectroscopy systems to analyze spectral vectors. According to this
machine learning
method, the training is performed repeatedly, each time after excluding one
training sample
from the training data of the group, and then testing on those individual
vectors that were
excluded from training. Based on that specific learning process of LOO, a
prediction is
made for the left-out spectra and compared to the actual PCR results.
[0568] The actual classification of each spectral vector is made
by either using a linear
classification method (see Fisher R.A. The Use of Multiple Measurements in
Taxonomic
Problems. Annals of Eugenics, 7 Part II: 179-188, 1936) or using the
Mahalanobis distance
classifier (see Mahalanobis, P.C. On the generalized distance in statistics_
Proceeding of
the National Institute of Sciences of India. 2(1):49:55). Both methods use the
classes'
means and covariances to assign each input vector to its own class based on
its multi-
dimensional distances from each class. Therefore, the results obtained clearly
indicate that
this procedure is adequate for classifying unseen spectra into their
associated classes, with
a high probability of detection and low "false-alarm" rates.
[0569] According to another embodiment, the method is based on a
"Principal Component
Analysis" (see Konstantinos, I.D. and Sun-Yuang, K. Principal Component Neural
Networks: Theory and Applications. Wiley-Inter-science, New York, 1996).
According to
this mathematical technique, the mean (symbol below as "m") is subtracted from
each
spectrum (after being normalized by its associated reference) and the
covariance (symbol
below as small sigma as standard deviation) matrix of the combined spectra is
computed.
The eigen-values of this matrix are found, and the largest values are used to
compute their
respective eigen-vectors. This procedure is essentially a linear
transformation of the
normalized spectra into a set of vectors that best represent the training
samples and are less
prone to noise. These eigen-vectors (also called feature vectors) are then
used to obtain a
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set of co-efficient vectors, one for each input spectrum, whose length equals
the number of
the feature vectors selected.
[0570] The Principal Component Analysis is represented by the
following formula:
(rn3 -3n2 )2
1,0"*E4-47.2)
[0571]
where J is the power of separation between two groups, ml and m2 are the
means
of each group, al and a2 are the standard deviations of each group, and the
two groups are
on a continuous measurement where m2 = the value of ml at one standard
deviation. The
purpose of the spectral classification stage is to train the algorithm, by
using a known set
of spectra and then to classify previously unseen spectra into their
respective classes, with
a minimal number of errors. The target for 100% separation is J>19 (as shown
in the
equation above).
[0572]
According to at least one embodiment, the membrane is made of hardened
extruded
plastic, containing pores of two specific sizes, and acting as Ketones trap.
It should be
noted that the compound could also be , 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl
benzene,
hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-
(2-
ethoxyethoxy) ethanol, 2- ethy1-1 -hexanol,
5- is opropeny1-1 -methyl -1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hydrofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and ELFCs), NO, NO2õ aromatic alcohols, aldehydes and any
combination thereof and not just Ketones.
[0573]
According to another embodiment of the present invention is to provide a
single-
use, disposable membranes. According to another embodiment the membrane is
reusable.
[0574]
Reference is now made to Figs. la-g 1 illustrating an embodiment of the
sampler
of the present invention. According to this embodiment, the sampler (which
will be
integrated into a system for label-free, noncontact, noninvasive, and
nondestructive
detection of at least one virus infected or free (healthy) individuals from at
least one tested
individual), comprising a proximal end and a distal end interconnected by a
main
longitudinal axis, along which at least one metamaterial membrane absorber
(34, see Fig.
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2) is positioned; and into which said tested individual exhale breath, such
that the
propagation path of said exhaled breath and volatile compounds, VCs, and/or
aerosols
therewith in intersect said at least one metamaterial membrane and absorbed
therewithin.
The exhaled air enters the sampler at 20 and exits at 21.
[0575] In Fig. la, the membrane 34 is enclosed in a membrane
housing (also refers to as a
membrane holder) 33.
[0576] Reference is now made to Figs. lb -lc illustrating the
sampler.
[0577] According to at least one embodiment of the present
invention, the sampler
comprises 2 parts, a proximal part 102 and a distal part 101 interconnected by
a main
longitudinal axis. Said distal part is adapted to be placed in proximity to
the testes subject
mouth (for receiving the exhaled breath).
[0578] Said sampler is characterized by 2 configurations, an open
configuration (shown in
Fig. lb) in which the distal and proximal part are disconnected and the
membrane (along
with the membrane housing can be inserted or extracted from the sampler; and a
closed
configuration (shown in Fig. 1c) in which the distal and proximal part are
connected and
the sampler can be used.
[0579] Reference is now made to Figs. id- 1 g illustrating the
membrane 34 (see Fig. 1d),
the membrane housing 33 (see Fig. le), the membrane 34 alongside the membrane
housing
33 (see Fig. If) and the membrane 34 integrated within the membrane housing 33
(see Fig.
1g).
[0580] It is noted that the metamaterial membrane absorber 30
being configured and
operable for trapping the collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols within
the exhaled
breath.
[0581] According to at least one embodiment of the present
invention, the metamaterial
membrane absorber 30 is enclosed within a membrane housing 33 (see Figs. 2a-
b).
[0582] According to another embodiment of the present invention,
the sampler is
polyoxymethylene-based (aka DelrinTm).
[0583] According to another embodiment of the present invention
the metamaterial
membrane 34 is made of open-cell foam-based melamine.
[0584] According to another embodiment of the present invention
the membrane housing
33 is made of PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene, aka Teflon).
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[0585] Reference is now made to Figs. 2a-2b providing a closer
view of the membrane 34
and the membrane housing 30.
[0586] The membrane housing comprising a body 33 made of PTEE.
[0587] After the tested subject exhale breath into the sampler,
the membrane 34 (enclosed
within the membrane housing 33) is extracted from the sampler and place in a
dedicated
capsule 31. The dedicated capsule 31 (shown in Fig. 2) comprises a scanner
holder
alignment slot 32 (that ensures the correct alignment of the capsule 31 in the
scanning
system).
[0588] According to another embodiment of the present invention
the capsule 31 is made
of PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene, aka Teflon).
[0589] According to another embodiment, the capsule has sealing
means to seal the capsule
once the membrane (and the membrane housing) is inserted therein.
[0590] According to at least one embodiment, the sealing member is
an o-ring.
[0591] Reference is now made to Fig. 3a, illustrating the
integration of the capsule in the
THz scanning system.
[0592] As described in Fig. 2, the scanner holder alignment slot
32 is aligned with a
protrusion in the scanner, 43 to ensure the proper alignment.
[0593] The scanning system comprises at least one Tx (transmitter)
photomixer 41 and at
least one Rx (receiver) photomixer 42 to transmit and received THz signal,
respectively.
[0594] Reference is now made to Figs. 3b-3n which illustrates the
method of using the
sampler to test individuals for SARS-CoV-2, according to the following
exemplary
process.
1. The sampler is opened;
2. The membrane in inserted into the membrane holder and both are inserted
into the sample (the hand-held polyoxymethylene-based tube), (see Figs. 3b-
3d);
3. The sampler is closed and ready to be used (see Fig. 3e);
4. A tested subject receives a disposable testing kit which comprises (a) a
disposable, hand-held polyoxymethylene-based (aka Delrin) tube (the sampler);
(b)
a disposable membrane (e.g., an open-cell foam-based melamine membrane)
placed in a PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene, aka. Teflon) disposable holder
(both the
membrane and the membrane holder a pre-placed in the tube); and, (c) a
disposable,
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sterile PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene, aka. Teflon) capsule. The disposable
testing
kit is identifiable with a ORJbarcode assigned to each tested subject, see Fig
3f.
5. Exclusively assigning the disposable testing kit is to said subject
being
tested.
6. The tested subject blows into the disposable, hand-held tube (the
sampler)
3-5 prolonged breaths. See Fig. 3g;
7. The breath aerosols are absorbed onto the membrane.
8. The sampler (hand-held polyoxymethylene-based tube) is opened to enable
the extraction of the membrane and its holder, see Fig. 3h;
9. The membrane (with its holder) is extracted from the sampler, see Fig.
3i;
10. The membrane (with its holder) is inserted into the capsule, see Figs.
3j-
3k. Once the membrane (and the membrane holder) is in the capsule, the capsule
is
closed (thus, sealed), see Figs. 31-3m.
11. Next, the capsule is placed inside the THz scanner and then scanned,
see
Fig_ 3n.
= Following the 20-60 second scan, results are received.
= Upon completion of the sample scanning, the used capsules,
containing the biologically contaminated membrane (i.e., with the tested
subject's
biological breath sample), will be thrown into the biological waste collection
bin
within the designated testing site.
[0595]
According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the THz
scanner
virus is a THz sensing spectrometer, in the range of 0.3 THz to 30 THz
operated as a
diagnostic molecular radar.
[0596]
The THz scanner main parts are 2 Distributed Feedback Laser, DFB lasers,
temperature electric control units, control unit, power unit and photo mixers.
The laser
beam is used to modulate a photocurrent at a tuned THz frequency by
illuminating the TX
photo mixer, the THz beam travel through the Sample Under Test (SUT) and
received at
the RX photo mixer.
[0597]
Reference is now made to Figs. 4a-4d which illustrates another embodiment
of the
sampler. In this embodiment the sampler is composed of 2 parts as seen in
Figs. 4a-4b.
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[0598] The tested individual exhales air (the arrows in Fig. 4b
denotes the air movement).
Thereafter, the two parts are assembled together (by approaching one to the
other), see Fig.
4c and taken by a dedicated tool (illustrated in Fig. 4d) to be scanned by the
THz scanner.
[0599] Reference is now made to Figs. 5-6, illustrating
alternative embodiments of the
sampler device. In those embodiments, the use of a capsule is redundant.
[0600] Reference is now made to Figs. 5a-5b, showing a sampler in
which the membrane
and the membrane housing are already integrated therewithin. The sampler is
then closed
and sealed and then scanned in the THz domain. Thus, no need for extraction of
the
membrane from the sampler to the capsule.
[0601] As seen in Fig. 5a, the sampler has a body 51, an upper
portion 52 insertable into
the tested subject's mouth (for exhale breath) and a lower portion 53. After
the subject
exhale breath the sampler is sealed by means of 54 and 55 closures closing the
upper and
lower portions (see arrows 56 and 57).
[0602] Closures 54, 55 both close the sampler and seal the same.
[0603] Fig. 5b illustrates a cross sectional view of the sampler_
The membrane (and the
membrane housing) are placed in location 58.
[0604] Fig. 5c illustrates another embodiment of the sampler, in
which at least one of the
closures is spiral -like coupled to the body of the sampler.
[0605] Reference is now made to Figs. 5d-5e, in which closure 54
faces the upper portion
52. Fig. 5e illustrates a cross sectional view of Fig. 5d.
[0606] Reference is now made to Fig. 5f, illustrating another
embodiment of the sampler,
in which handles 58 are provided.
[0607] Reference is now made to Figs. 5g-5h illustrating another
embodiment of the
sampler. In this embodiment, the sampler is made of 2 parts 61 and 62. Each
part is
composed of a body and a closure 63 and 64, respectively.
[0608] Prior to coupling the two parts, the membrane 66 (or
membrane housing) is placed.
Once the membrane is positioned at its location (see Fig. 5h), the sampler is
ready for use.
[0609] Reference is now made to Fig. 5i illustrating another
embodiment of the present
invention, in which the closures 54 and 55 are provided as separate parts and
not as integral
part of the sampler.
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[0610]
Reference is now made to Figs. 6a-6f illustrating another embodiment of the
present
invention, in which the sampler 500 additionally comprising Lego-like
connection(s) (71
and 72) are provided so as to enable stack like connection between the sampler
prior to
insertion into the THz scanner (as discussed below).
[0611]
According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the THz
scanner
virus is a THz sensing spectrometer, in the range of 0.3 THz to 30 THz
operated as a
diagnostic molecular radar.
[0612]
The THz scanner main parts are 2 Distributed Feedback Laser, DFB lasers,
temperature electric control units (temperature controllers), a control unit
(controller),
power unit and photo mixers. The laser beam is used to modulate a photocurrent
at a tuned
THz frequency by illuminating the TX photo mixer, the THz beam travel through
the
Sample Under Test (SUT) and received at the RX photo mixer.
[0613]
As shown in Fig. 6q, a controller 106 of at least one embodiment is
configured to
receive and process signals from a sample and identify spectral special
features indicative
of the sample. For example, the THz signature may include information on the
virus status
of the individual. In some embodiments, the controller 106 is configured and
operable for
performing a pattern recognition of the THz signature. The control unit 106 is
configured
generally as a computing/electronic device including inter alia such utilities
as data input
and output utilities 106A, 106B, memory (e.g., non-volatile memory) 106C, and
data
processing utility (e.g. data processor) 106D. The utilities of the control
unit 106 may thus
be implemented by suitable circuitry and/or by software and/or hardware
components
including computer readable code configured for implementing the operations of
methods
and systems described herein.
[0614]
Reference is now made to Figs. 4-4d which illustrates another embodiment of
the
sampler. In this embodiment the sampler is composed of 2 parts.
[0615]
The tested individual exhales air (the arrows in Fig. 4b denotes the air
movement).
Thereafter, the two parts are assembled together (by approaching one to the
other), see Fig.
4c and taken by a dedicated tool (illustrated in Fig. 4d) to be scanned by the
THz scanner.
[0616]
Reference is now made to Figs. 5-6, illustrating alternative embodiments of
the
sampler device. In those embodiments, the use of a capsule is redundant.
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[0617] Reference is now made to Figs. 5a-5b, showing a sampler 500
in which the
membrane and the membrane housing are already integrated therewithin. The
sampler is
then closed and sealed and then scanned in the TI-Iz domain. Thus, there is no
need for
extraction of the membrane from the sampler to the capsule.
[0618] As seen in Fig. 5a, the sampler has a body 51, an upper
portion 52 insertable into
the tested subject's mouth (for exhale breath) and a lower portion 53. After
the subject
exhale breath the sampler is sealed by means of 54 and 55 closures closing the
upper and
lower portions (see arrows 56 and 57).
[0619] Closures 54, 55 both close the sampler and seal the same.
[0620] Fig. 5b illustrates a cross sectional view of the sampler.
The membrane (and the
membrane housing) are placed in location 58.
[0621] Fig. Sc illustrates another embodiment of the sampler, in
which at least one of the
closures is spiral -like coupled to the body of the sampler.
[0622] Reference is now made to Figs. 5d-5e, in which closure 54
faces the upper portion
52. Fig. Se illustrates a cross sectional view of Fig. 5d.
[0623] Reference is now made to Figs. 5f, illustrating another
embodiment of the sampler,
in which handles 58 are provided.
[0624] Reference is now made to Figs. 5g-5h illustrating another
embodiment of the
sampler. In this embodiment, the sampler is made of 2 parts 61 and 62. Each
part is
composed of a body and a closure 63 and 64, respectively.
[0625] Prior to coupling the two parts, the membrane 66 (or
membrane housing) is placed.
Once the membrane is positioned at its location (see Fig. 5h), the sampler is
ready for use.
[0626] Reference is now made to Fig. Si illustrating another
embodiment of the present
invention, in which the closures 54 and 55 are provided as separate parts and
not as integral
part of the sampler.
[0627] Reference is now made to Figs. 6a ¨ 6f illustrating another
embodiment of the
present invention, in which the sampler 500 additionally comprising Lego-like
connection
(71 and 72) are provided so as to enable stack like connection between the
sampler prior
to insertion into the THz scanner (will be illustrated herein below).
[0628] According to this embodiment, the sampler 500 comprises
closures 63 and 64
where closure 64 is provided to the mouthpiece part 68 (adapted to be inserted
into the
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subject's mouth) and closure 63 is provided to the distal most part 69 (from
which the
exhaled breath exits). Both closures 63 and 64 when closing the sampler are
adapted to seal
the same.
[0629]
According to another embodiment, the sampler comprises a narrower portion
67
within the mouthpiece part 68. Said narrower portion 67 is provided so as to
focus the
exhaled breath to the membrane 66.
[0630]
According to another embodiment, the sampler comprises a cross-like portion
74
upon which the membrane 66 is placed on. The positioning of the membrane 66 on
the
cross-like portion 74 results in an air flow 73 (see Fig. 6c) of the exhaled
breath to reach
the membrane (and absorbed therewithin) and to exit the sampler, mostly from
the
sideways thereof (see Fig. 6d).
[0631]
Reference is now made to Figs. 6e-6f, illustrating the samplers in their
stack mode,
connected to one another utilizing the Lego-like connection 71, 72.
[0632]
Reference is now made to Figs. 6g-6i, illustrating the integrated system
(the
sampler and the THz scanner). According to this embodiment, the integrated
system
comprises a THz generator module (generator) and the TI-Iz scanner (into which
the
samplers 500 are entered to be scanned).
[0633]
Fig. 6g illustrates the THz system and the stacked samplers entering
therewithin.
The integrated system will also enclose a waste container to enclose all the
used samplers
containing the biological sample.
[0634]
Figs. 6h-6i illustrate the THz scanner and the samplers 500 entering
thereto. The
samplers are placed on a conveyor 501 powered by an engine 502. A camera 503
is
optionally disposed therewithin to ensure the movement of the samplers 500 on
the
conveyor to their correct portioning in between the THz transceiver and the
THz receiver
(photo-mixer 504).
[0635]
Once the samplers 500 are scanned they are disposed into the waste
container 505.
[0636]
Reference is now made to Figs. 6j-6o, which illustrates another embodiment
of the
sampler. In which embodiment, the membrane is inserted into the sampler, then
(see Fig.
6k) the mouthpiece is placed.
[0637]
Next, the subject exhaled breath through the mouthpiece (see Fig. 61).
Then, the
mouthpiece is extracted (see Fig. 6m).
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[0638]
Next, 2 closures are placed. One where the mouthpiece was connected and the
second on the other distal-most part thereof. Fig. 6o illustrates the closed
sampler.
[0639]
Figs. 9a-9m illustrate performance of the sampler shown e.g., in Fig. 6a
and
described above.
[0640]
Fig. 9a illustrates a direction of air flow in the sampler according to an
exemplary
embodiment.
[0641]
In an exemplary embodiment, the pressure drop and centered VOC accumulation
were simulated. The inlet flow simulation was intended to comport with the
average adult
exhalation, with an average exhalation air volume of 1.1L. A membrane was used
in the
simulation having a density of 8-16 kg/m'3. The average velocity flow into the
sampler
was 9.75 m/s. The membrane density range in at least one simulation was 9
kg/m'3 and
the foam diameter was 14 mm. The pressure out was 1 atm.
[0642]
In flow was simulated in three different exhalation air volume: 1 [I],
1.1[L], 1.2
[L]. Boundary air volume was tested as well: 0.5 [L], 4.8[L]. The simulation
parameters
were as follows: V=1.1 L ¨>0.0011 mA3, d c=0.006 [m] ¨>A=rr=[d c/41A2=2.82-
[101^(-5)
m'2, V = x=V1(241)=0.0011/(2.82-[10]A(-5)-4),-,--9.75 m/s where p ¨ foam
density, d_f ¨
diameter of foam, dc¨diameter of inlet cross-section, t¨ Thickness of foam, V
¨average
amount of air a human exhale, A ¨ cross-section of capsule, t ¨ time of
exhalation,
V = x ¨inlet flow.
[0643]
In simulating the average adult exhalation, the volume and air speeds
tested are
shown in the following Table.
Table I: Tesied volume and air speed
V [L] v[]
0.5 5.9
1 8.85
1.1 9.75
1.2 10.65
4.8 28
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[0644]
The amount of volume of an average human exhalation was tested by inflating
a
balloon.
[0645]
Fig. 9b depicts a simulation utilizing the sampler (the breathalyzer) of
the at least
one embodiment where the thickness of the foam tested was 5 mm, and the
velocity of the
inlet air (i.e., the exhaled air) was about 28 m/s. The figure illustrates
pressure differences
at different locations within the sampler. The maximum resultant pressure
change is at the
impact of the exhaled air and the membrane and is calculated to be AP=13,000
Pa. Fig. 9c
depicts a velocity simulation of the inlet air (i.e., the exhaled air) at
different locations
within the sample. The maximum velocity was calculated to be at =28 m/s where
the
thickness of the foam tested was 5 mm. Fig. 9n depicts contour plots for the
simulation in
Fig. 9b with respect to cross-sections zl , z2, z3 and z4 (discussed in more
detail with
respect to Fig. 9i).
[0646]
Fig. 9d depicts a pressure simulation, the same as in 9b, and the maximum
resultant
pressure was AP=2570 Pa (where the thickness of the foam tested was 5 mm and
velocity
of the inlet air (i.e., the exhaled air) at 9.75 m/s). Fig. 9e depicts a
velocity simulation of
the inlet air (i.e., the exhaled air), where the maximum velocity had reached
9.75 m/s,
where the thickness of the foam tested was 5 mm. Fig. 9f depicts a pressure
simulation
where no membrane was utilized and a barrier (made substantially from the same
material
as the breathalyzer itself) was simulated, where the maximum pressure
difference was
calculated at AP=89.2 Pa. Fig. 9g depicts a velocity simulation for conditions
the same as
9f of no membrane, but with a barrier present. The maximum velocity of the
inlet air (i.e.,
the exhaled air) was calculated to be at 9.75 m/s.
[0647]
Fig. 90 depicts a pressure simulation where a membrane was utilized only
with a
membrane (without any barrier) having thickness of 5 mm, was simulated, at
AP=69. 5 Pa.
Fig. 9p depicts a velocity simulation for conditions the same as Fig. 9o,
where the velocity
of the inlet air (i.e., the exhaled air) was at 9.75 m/s. Fig. 9g depicts
pressure contour plots
for the pressure simulation of Fig. 9o. Fig. 9r depicts a pressure simulation
where a
membrane was utilized with a barrier having a plurality of holes therewithin
was simulated,
at AP=104 Pa. Fig. 9s depicts a velocity simulation for conditions the same as
9r, where
the velocity of the inlet air (i.e., the exhaled air) was at 9.75 m/s. Fig. 9t
depicts pressure
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contour plots for the pressure simulation of Fig. 9r where a membrane was used
with a
barrier having holes therein, with a membrane thickness of 5 mm and vtniet =
9.75 m/s.
[0648]
To conclude the above, it was observed that AP [Pa] for no membrane and
only
with a barrier present was 89 Pa, a membrane with a dotted barrier, 104 Pa;
with no barrier
(only a 5 inni membrane), 69.5 Pa, with a 5 min membrane, 4350 Pa, and with a
6 mm
membrane, 4460 Pa.
[0649]
Fig. 9h depicts the pressure Pa as a function of distance (x mm) in the
axial direction
of the sampler. As can be seen, the maximum pressure change is at the
membrane,
gradually decreasing to the exit side of the sampler (the breathalyzer).
[0650]
Fig. 9i depicts representative cross-sections (z0-z4) of the membrane at
different
'depth' within the same; and shows the radius of the inner cross section of
the sampler
from a center thereof. Fig. 9j depicts pressure Pa as a function of different
locations along
the radius of the sampler at cross section zl of the membrane. Fig 9k depicts
pressure as a
function of different locations along the radius at cross section z2 of the
membrane. Fig.
91 depicts pressure as a function of different locations along the radius at
cross section z3
of the membrane. Fig. 9m depicts pressure as a function of different locations
along the
radius at cross section z4 of the membrane. As can be seen, other than z4
(which is a
position at the distal most end of the membrane) the pressure decreases along
the radius,
and thus the maximum pressure is in the middle section.
[0651]
Reference is now made to Fig. 7, illustrating an embodiment in which the
membrane housing 30 is integrated in the sampler and provided as a kit with an
RFID tag
51 or barcode 52. Said RFID tag 51 or barcode 52 are identifiable to each
tested. Such that
when the results are provided, only the tested individual the results pertain
to can review
the results. It also ensures no identity mistakes are made.
[0652]
Thus, it is one object of the present invention to provide a high
throughput system
for label-free, noncontact, noninvasive, and nondestructive detection of at
least one virus
infected individual from at least one tested individual, the system
comprising: at least one
sampler comprising at least one metamaterial membrane absorber located at the
propagation path of volatile compounds, VCs, and/or aerosols released by said
at least one
tested individual breath, said metamaterial membrane absorber being configured
and
operable for trapping the collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols; and a
control unit
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configured and operable for receiving data indicative of the collected
volatile compounds
and/or aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz
range and
processing said data for identifying a signature being indicative of virus
infected
individuals to thereby provide detection of said virus infected individuals.
[0653]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said TI-Iz range is between 200 GHz to 1200 GHz.
[0654]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said tested individual is asymptomatic and has no symptom related to
said virus.
[0655]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said system distinguishes between a healthy individual, a virus
recovered
individual and an infected individual.
[0656]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein detection of said virus infected individuals provides clearance to
healthy
individuals and/or virus recovered individuals.
[0657]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said signature is information indicative of said virus; said
information being
selected from a group consisting of cell unit of said virus, viral proteins,
cellular debris,
debris of said virus, hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said
virus, hydrates of the
3D structure of said virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines,
increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R),
interleukin-6 (IL-6),
granulocytecolony, stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10,
monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor
necrosis
factor-a, and any combination thereof.
[0658]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said volatile compounds and/or aerosols create spoof surface plasmon
polaritons
(SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
[0659]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said virus is selected from a group selected from COV viruses family,
COVID-19,
Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination thereof.
[0660]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said sampler is at least one selected from a group consisting of a
breathalyzer, a
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straw-like device, any handheld device, any TOT device into which human breath
is
exhaled.
[0661]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said sampler comprises a proximal end and a distal end interconnected
by a main
longitudinal axis, along which said at least one metamaterial membrane is
positioned, and
into which said tested individual exhaled breath, such that the propagation
path of said
exhaled breath and volatile compounds and/or aerosols therewithin intersect
said at least
one metamaterial membrane and absorbed therewithin.
[0662]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said at least one metamaterial membrane is extracted from said sampler
and is
placed in an electromagnetic testing unit; said electromagnetic testing unit
adapted to (a)
scan in the THz range said metamaterial membrane absorbed with said volatile
compounds
and/or aerosols in said exhale breath of said tested individual; and, (b)
transmit data
indicative of the collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols to said control
unit.
[0663]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said sampler comprises two parts reversibly coupled to each other
along a main
longitudinal axis, such that (a) said at least one metamaterial membrane is
positioned
therebetween along said main longitudinal axis; and, (b) into said sampler
said tested
individual exhale breath, such that the propagation path of said exhaled
breath and volatile
compounds and/or aerosols therewithin intersect said at least one metamaterial
membrane
and absorbed therewithin.
[0664]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said sampler is airtight sealed such that said volatile compounds,
VCs, and/or
aerosols released by said at least one tested individuals breath are prevented
from exiting
said sampler.
[0665]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said membrane is enclosed within at least one capsule; wherein said
capsule is
sealed.
[0666]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said sampler is RFID tagged with each of said tested individual, such
that detection
of said virus infected individuals is traced back to each of said tested
individual.
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[0667]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein at least one of the following us being held true (a) said sampler is a
disposable
unit; (b) said sampler comprises at least one sealing element adapted to seal
thereof.
[0668]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said electromagnetic testing unit comprising at least one
electromagnetic radiation
transmitter and at least one electromagnetic radiation detector.
[0669]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein the membrane is positionable within the electromagnetic radiation
emitted by the
transmitter.
[0670]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said data being processed by said control unit is at least one
absorption spectrum
of said membrane.
[0671]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein processing of said at least one absorption spectrum of said membrane
additionally
comprising pattern recognition of said at least one absorption spectrum_
[0672]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said pattern recognition comprising at least one selected from a group
consisting
identification of special features of the pattern, identification of main and
side peaks, the
number of main and side peaks, the width of the peaks and the distance
therebetween and
any combination thereof.
[0673]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said membrane is in communication with a vacuum source, a gas
collection device
coupled to the vacuum source, wherein the membrane is capable of capturing
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols.
[0674]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying at least one selected from a
group consisting
of positive/negative pressure or electricity to release said VCs and/or
aerosols.
[0675]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said membrane is coated with at least one material selected from a
group
consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene, acting as a reflector, and any
combination
thereof.
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[0676]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said membrane is made of at least one material selected from a group
consisting
of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure Permeable Membrane, meta-material,
PET,
melamine open-cell foam-based and any combination thereof
[0677]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said control unit is configured and operable for performing a pattern
recognition
of said signature.
[0678]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said system additionally comprising at one communicable and readable
database;
said database comprising collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols being
scanned with
an electromagnetic radiation in the 'THz range.
[0679]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said system has 2 modes of operation: (a) a learning phase; and, (b) a
detection
phase.
[0680]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein, in said learning phase, said control unit trains a machine learning
model to detect
at least one parameter in the absorption spectrum of said membrane with said
collected
volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic
radiation in the
THz range of a plurality of membrane stored in said communicable and readable
database
in order to generate information data being indicative of said virus infected
individuals.
[0681]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said parameter selected from a group consisting of, trends in said
database of said
at least one tested individuals, eigenvector of said database of said at least
one tested
individuals, eigenvalues of said database of said at least one tested
individuals, feature
extraction step being configured to estimate the most relevant vectors
defining the data
using a principal component analysis, a pattern classification using a
combined linear and
nonlinear pattern recognition approach, known symptoms of said virus, known
healthy
individuals, healthy individual vital signs selected from fever, sweat, body
temperature,
blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate (respiratory rate) and
any combination
thereof, virus infected individual vital signs selected from fever, sweat,
body temperature,
blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate (respiratory rate) and
any combination
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thereof, medicaments being administered to said tested individual, and any
combination
thereof
[0682]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein, in said learning phase, said data is either supervised or
unsupervised data; and,
said training by said control unit is performed by at least one algorithm
selected from a
group consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component
Analysis
algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature,
Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm
(NNA),
any machine learning algorithm and any combination thereof on said collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in
the THz
range stored in said communicable and readable database in order to generate
information
data being indicative of at least one said virus infected individuals.
[0683]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein, in said detection phase, said data is either supervised or
unsupervised data; and,
said control unit performs at least one algorithm selected from a group
consisting of Leave
One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm, canberra
distance, k-
nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant,
Fisher's nonlinear
discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NINA), any machine learning
algorithm
and any combination thereof on said collected volatile compounds and/or
aerosols being
scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range stored in said
communicable
and readable database in order to generate information data being indicative
of at least one
said virus infected individuals.
[0684]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein, in said detection phase, said control unit detects said signature the
absorption
spectrum of said membrane with said VCs and/or aerosols being indicative of at
least one
said virus infected individuals by means of said trained machine learning
model.
[0685]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said system additionally comprising at least one communicable and
readable
database storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one data
processor, result
in operations comprising:
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[0686] training a machine learning model to detect at least one
parameter of said collected
volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic
radiation in the
THz range of at least one tested individuals stored in said communicable and
readable
database in order to generate information data being indicative of said virus
infected
individuals, and, after said step of training, real time detecting said
parameter by means of
said trained machine learning model.
[0687] It is another object of the present invention to provide
the system as defined above,
wherein said data is either supervised or unsupervised data; and, said control
unit performs
at least one algorithm selected from a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00)
algorithm,
Principal Component Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors
algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear
discriminant,
Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine learning algorithm and any
combination thereof in order to generate information data being indicative of
said virus
infected individuals.
[0688] It is another object of the present invention to provide
the system as defined above,
wherein said control unit additionally performs Fast Fourier Transformation in
order to
generate information data being indicative of said virus infected individuals.
[0689] It is another object of the present invention to provide
the system as defined above,
wherein said membrane is made of hardened extruded plastic.
[0690] It is another object of the present invention to provide
the system as defined above,
wherein said membrane is able to trap at least one selected from a group
consisting of
organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture thereof, Ketones, aromatic
alcohols,
aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl benzene, hexanal,
phenylethane,
heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl-I -
hexan ol, 5- is opropenyl- 1-methyl-1 cyclohexene, acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-
decanone,
2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-undecanone, 1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl
phthalate,
1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia, Greenhouse gases selected from Water vapor
Methane
(C114), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous oxide (N20), Ozone (03),
Chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs), Hydrofluorocarbons (includes HCFCs and El-TVs), NO, NO2 and any
combination
thereof
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[0691]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said membrane is single-use, disposable membrane.
[0692]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined above,
wherein said membrane is reusable.
[0693]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said volatile compounds and/or aerosols comprising at least one
selected
from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture
thereof,
Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl
benzene,
hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-
(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl- 1-hexanol,
5 -is oprop eny1-1-methyl -1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonan one, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hy drofl uorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2 and any combination thereof
[0694]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is removable from the sampling apparatus.
[0695]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said detection is completed within a period of time being less
than 40
seconds.
[0696]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, further comprising a spectroscopic assembly including a radiation
transmitter unit
being configured and operable to scan said permeable membrane holding the
collected
volatile compounds and/or aerosols by generating an electromagnetic radiation
in the range
of THz within a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit being
configured
and operable to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols.
[0697]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said system additionally comprising signaling means adapted to
signal the
user that sufficient enough of VCs and/or aerosols have been captured in said
membrane
or that said detection has been completed.
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[0698]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said signaling means are either optical or vocal means.
[0699]
It is another object of the present invention to provide a high throughput
system for
label-free, noncontact, noninvasive, and nondestructive detection of at least
one virus
infected individuals from at least one tested individual, the system
comprising.
at least one sampler comprising at least one metamaterial membrane absorber
located at
the propagation path of volatile compounds, VCs, and/or aerosols released by
said at least
one tested individuals breath, said metamaterial membrane absorber being
configured and
operable for trapping the collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols;
[0700]
at least one electromagnetic testing unit comprising at least one
electromagnetic
radiation transmitter and at least one electromagnetic radiation detector;
said membrane,
after absorbing said volatile compounds and/or aerosols, being positionable
within the
electromagnetic radiation emitted by said at least one transmitter; such that
said
electromagnetic testing unit adapted to (a) scan in the THz range said
metamaterial
membrane absorbed with said volatile compounds and/or aerosols in said exhaled
breath
of said tested individual; and, (b) transmit data indicative of the collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols to said control unit;
[0701]
a control unit configured and operable for receiving data indicative of the
collected
volatile compounds and/or aerosols from said electromagnetic testing unit and
processing
said data for identifying a signature being indicative of virus infected
individuals to thereby
provide detection of said virus infected individuals.
[0702]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said THz range is between 200 GHz to 1200 GHz.
[0703]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said tested individual is asymptomatic and has no symptom
related to said
virus.
[0704]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said system distinguishes between a healthy individual, a virus
recovered
individual and an infected individual.
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[0705]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein detection of said virus infected individuals provides clearance
to healthy
individuals and/or virus recovered individuals.
[0706]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said signature is information indicative of said virus, said
information
being selected from a group consisting of cell unit of said virus, viral
proteins, cellular
debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of
said virus, hydrates
of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus,
cytokines, increased
level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R),
interleukin-6
(IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein
10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor
necrosis
factor-a, and any combination thereof.
[0707]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said volatile compounds and/or aerosols create spoof surface
plasmon
polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
[0708]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said virus is selected from a group selected from COV viruses
family,
COVID-19, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination thereof
[0709]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said sampler is at least one selected from a group consisting
of a
breathalyzer, a straw-like device, any handheld device, any TOT device into
which human
breath is exhaled.
[0710]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said sampler comprises a proximal end and a distal end
interconnected by
a main longitudinal axis, along which said at least one metamaterial membrane
is
positioned; and into which said tested individual exhale breath, such that the
propagation
path of said exhaled breath and volatile compounds and/or aerosols therewithin
intersect
said at least one metamaterial membrane and absorbed therewithin.
[0711]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said sampler is airtight sealed such that said volatile
compounds, VCs,
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and/or aerosols released by said at least one tested individuals breath are
prevented from
exiting said sampler.
[0712]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is enclosed within at least one capsule; wherein
said
capsule is sealed.
[0713]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said sampler is RFID tagged with each of said tested
individual, such that
detection of said virus infected individuals is traced back to each of said
tested individual.
[0714]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein at least one of the following us being held true (a) said
sampler is a
disposable unit; (b) said sampler comprises at least one sealing element
adapted to seal
thereof.
[0715]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said data being processed by said control unit is at least one
absorption
spectrum of said membrane.
[0716]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein processing of said at least one absorption spectrum of said
membrane
additionally comprising pattern recognition of said at least one absorption
spectrum.
[0717]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said pattern recognition comprising at least one selected from
a group
consisting identification of special features of the pattern, identification
of main and side
peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the width of the peaks and the
distance
therebetween and any combination thereof.
[0718]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is in communication with a vacuum source, a gas
collection
device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein the membrane is capable of
capturing
volatile compounds and/or aerosols.
[0719]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying at least one selected from
a group
consisting of positive/negative pressure or electricity to release said VCs
and/or aerosols.
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[0720]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is coated with at least one material selected
from a group
consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene, acting as a reflector, and any
combination
thereof.
[0721]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is made of at least one material selected from a
group
consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure Permeable Membrane, meta-
material, PET, melamine open-cell foam-based and any combination thereof.
[0722]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said control unit is configured and operable for performing a
pattern
recognition of said signature.
[0723]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said system additionally comprising at one communicable and
readable
database; said database comprising collected volatile compounds and/or
aerosols being
scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
[0724]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said system has 2 modes of operation: (a) a learning phase;
and, (b) a
detection phase.
[0725]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein, in said learning phase, said control unit trains a machine
learning model
to detect at least one parameter in the absorption spectrum of said membrane
with said
collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range of a plurality of membrane stored in said
communicable and
readable database in order to generate information data being indicative of
said virus
infected individuals.
[0726]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein aid parameter selected from a group consisting of, trends in
said database
of said at least one tested individuals, eigenvector of said database of said
at least one tested
individuals, eigenvalues of said database of said at least one tested
individuals, feature
extraction step being configured to estimate the most relevant vectors
defining the data
using a principal component analysis, a pattern classification using a
combined linear and
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nonlinear pattern recognition approach, known symptoms of said virus, known
healthy
individuals, healthy individual vital signs selected from fever, sweat, body
temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any
combination thereof, virus infected individual vital signs selected from
fever, sweat, body
temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any
combination thereof, medicaments being administered to said tested individual,
and any
combination thereof.
[0727]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein, in said learning phase, said data is either supervised or
unsupervised data;
and, said training by said control unit is performed by at least one algorithm
selected from
a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component
Analysis
algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature,
Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm
(NNA),
any machine learning algorithm and any combination thereof on said collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in
the THz
range stored in said communicable and readable database in order to generate
information
data being indicative of at least one said virus infected individuals.
[0728]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein, in said detection phase, said data is either supervised or
unsupervised data;
and, said control unit performs at least one algorithm selected from a group
consisting of
Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm,
canberra
distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's
nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NINA), any machine
learning
algorithm and any combination thereof on said collected volatile compounds
and/or
aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range
stored in said
communicable and readable database in order to generate information data being
indicative
of at least one said virus infected individuals.
[0729]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein, in said detection phase, said control unit detects said
signature the
absorption spectrum of said membrane with said VCs and/or aerosols being
indicative of
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at least one said virus infected individuals by means of said trained
machine learning model.
[0730] It is another object of the present invention to provide
the system as defined
above, wherein said system additionally comprising at least one communicable
and
readable database storing instructions which, when executed by the at least
one data
processor, result in operations comprising:
[0731] training a machine learning model to detect at least one
parameter of said collected
volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic
radiation in the
THz range of at least one tested individuals stored in said communicable and
readable
database in order to generate information data being indicative of said virus
infected
individuals; and,
[0732] After said step of training, real time detecting said
parameter by means of said
trained machine learning model.
[0733] It is another object of the present invention to provide
the system as defined
above, wherein said data is either supervised or unsupervised data; and, said
control unit
performs at least one algorithm selected from a group consisting of Leave One
Out (L00)
algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-
nearest
neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant, Fisher's
nonlinear
discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine learning
algorithm
and any combination thereof in order to generate information data being
indicative of said
virus infected individuals.
[0734] It is another object of the present invention to provide
the system as defined
above, wherein said control unit additionally performs Fast Fourier
Transformation in
order to generate information data being indicative of said virus infected
individuals.
[0735] It is another object of the present invention to provide
the system as defined
above, wherein said membrane is made of hardened extruded plastic.
[0736] It is another object of the present invention to provide
the system as defined
above, wherein said membrane is able to trap at least one selected from a
group consisting
of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture thereof, Ketones, aromatic
alcohols,
aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl benzene, hexanal,
phenylethane,
heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl-1-
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hexanol, 5 - is opropenyl- 1-methyl-1 cyclohexene, acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-
decanone,
2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-undecanone, 1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl
phthalate,
1 ,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia, Greenhouse gases selected from Water vapor
Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous oxide (N20), Ozone (03),
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Hy drofluorocarbons (includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO,
NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said
virus, hydrates of
debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell,
aggregates of said
virus, cytokines, increased level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7,
interleukin-2
receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor,
interferon-7,
inducible protein 10, monocyte chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage,
inflammatory
protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any combination thereof.
[0737]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is single-use, disposable membrane.
[0738]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is reusable.
[0739]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, wherein said volatile compounds and/or aerosols comprising at least one
selected
from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture
thereof,
Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl
benzene,
hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-
(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl-1 -hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl- 1-methyl-1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hy drofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and RFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin
interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6),
granulocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, mono cyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
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macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof
[0740] It is another object of the present invention to provide
the system as defined
above, wherein said membrane is removable from the sampling apparatus.
[0741] It is another object of the present invention to provide
the system as defined
above, wherein said detection is completed within a period of time being less
than 40
seconds.
[0742] It is another object of the present invention to provide
the system as defined
above, further comprising a spectroscopic assembly including a radiation
transmitter unit
being configured and operable to scan said permeable membrane holding the
collected
volatile compounds and/or aerosols by generating an electromagnetic radiation
in the range
of THz within a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit being
configured
and operable to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols.
[0743] It is another object of the present invention to provide
the system as defined
above, wherein said system additionally comprising signaling means adapted to
signal the
user that sufficient enough of VCs and/or aerosols have been captured in said
membrane
or that said detection has been completed.
[0744] It is another object of the present invention to provide
the system as defined
above, wherein said signaling means are either optical or vocal means.
[0745] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
sampler to be integrated
into a system for label-free, noncontact, noninvasive, and nondestructive
detection of at
least one virus infected individuals from at least one tested individual, the
sampler
comprising: a proximal end and a distal end interconnected by a main
longitudinal axis,
along which at least one metamaterial membrane absorber is positioned; and
into which
said tested individual exhale breath, such that the propagation path of said
exhaled breath
and volatile compounds, VCs, and/or aerosols therewithin intersect said at
least one
metamaterial membrane and absorbed therewithin; said metamaterial membrane
absorber
being configured and operable for trapping the collected volatile compounds
and/or
aerosols.
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[0746]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said system additionally comprising a control unit configured
and operable
for receiving data indicative of the collected volatile compounds and/or
aerosols being
scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range and processing said
data for
identifying a signature being indicative of virus infected individuals to
thereby provide
detection of said virus infected individuals.
[0747]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said sampler is airtight sealed such that said volatile
compounds, VCs,
and/or aerosols released by said at least one tested individuals breath are
prevented from
exiting said sampler.
[0748]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is enclosed within at least one capsule; wherein
said
capsule is sealed.
[0749]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said sampler is RFID tagged with each of said tested
individual, such that
detection of said virus infected individuals is traced back to each of said
tested individual.
[0750]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein at least one of the following us being held true (a) said
sampler is a
disposable unit; (b) said sampler comprises at least one sealing element
adapted to seal
thereof.
[0751]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said THz range is between 200 GHz to 1200 GHz.
[0752]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said tested individual is asymptomatic and has no symptom
related to said
virus.
[0753]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said system distinguishes between a healthy individual, a virus
recovered
individual and an infected individual.
[0754]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein detection of said virus infected individuals provides clearance
to healthy
individuals and/or virus recovered individuals.
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[0755]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said signature is information indicative of said virus; said
information
being selected from a group consisting of cell unit of said virus, viral
proteins, cellular
debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of
said virus, hydrates
of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus,
cytokines, increased
level of interleuki n (IL)-2, i nterl eukin IL-7, i nterl euk i n-2 receptor
(IL-2R), inter] euki n-6
(IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein
10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor
necrosis
factor-a, and any combination thereof
[0756]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said volatile compounds and/or aerosols create spoof surface
plasmon
polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
[0757]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said virus is selected from a group selected from COV viruses
family,
COVID-19, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination thereof
[0758]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said sampler is at least one selected from a group consisting
of a
breathalyzer, a straw-like device, any handheld device, any TOT device into
which human
breath is exhaled.
[0759]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said at least one metamaterial membrane is extracted from said
sampler
and is placed in an electromagnetic testing unit; said electromagnetic testing
unit adapted
to (a) scan in the THz range said metamaterial membrane absorbed with said
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols in said exhaled breath of said tested individual;
and, (b)
transmit data indicative of the collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols
to said control
unit.
[0760]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said sampler comprises two parts reversibly coupled to each
other along a
main longitudinal axis, such that (a) said at least one metamaterial membrane
is positioned
therebetween along said main longitudinal axis; and, (b) into said sampler
said tested
individual exhale breath, such that the propagation path of said exhaled
breath and volatile
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compounds and/or aerosols therewithin intersect said at least one metamaterial
membrane
and absorbed therewithin.
[0761]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said electromagnetic testing unit comprising at least one
electromagnetic
radiation transmitter and at least one electromagnetic radiation detector.
[0762]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein the membrane is positionable within the electromagnetic
radiation emitted
by the transmitter.
[0763]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said data being processed by said control unit is at least one
absorption
spectrum of said membrane.
[0764]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein processing of said at least one absorption spectrum of said
membrane
additionally comprising pattern recognition of said at least one absorption
spectrum.
[0765]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said pattern recognition comprising at least one selected from
a group
consisting identification of special features of the pattern, identification
of main and side
peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the width of the peaks and the
distance
therebetween and any combination thereof.
[0766]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is in communication with a vacuum source, a gas
collection
device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein the membrane is capable of
capturing
volatile compounds and/or aerosols.
[0767]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying at least one selected from
a group
consisting of positive/negative pressure or electricity to release said VCs
and/or aerosols.
[0768]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is coated with at least one material selected
from a group
consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene, acting as a reflector, and any
combination
thereof
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[0769]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is made of at least one material selected from a
group
consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure Permeable Membrane, meta-
material, PET, melamine open-cell foam-based and any combination thereof.
[0770]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said control unit is configured and operable for performing a
pattern
recognition of said signature.
[0771]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said system additionally comprising at one communicable and
readable
database; said database comprising collected volatile compounds and/or
aerosols being
scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the TI-Iz range.
[0772]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said system has 2 modes of operation: (a) a learning phase;
and, (b) a
detection phase.
[0773]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein, in said learning phase, said control unit trains a machine
learning model
to detect at least one parameter in the absorption spectrum of said membrane
with said
collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range of a plurality of membrane stored in said
communicable and
readable database in order to generate information data being indicative of
said virus
infected individuals.
[0774]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein aid parameter selected from a group consisting of, trends in
said database
of said at least one tested individuals, eigenvector of said database of said
at least one tested
individuals, eigenvalues of said database of said at least one tested
individuals, feature
extraction step being configured to estimate the most relevant vectors
defining the data
using a principal component analysis, a pattern classification using a
combined linear and
nonlinear pattern recognition approach, known symptoms of said virus, known
healthy
individuals, healthy individual vital signs selected from fever, sweat, body
temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any
combination thereof, virus infected individual vital signs selected from
fever, sweat, body
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temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any
combination thereof, medicaments being administered to said tested individual,
and any
combination thereof.
[0775]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein, in said learning phase, said data is either supervised or
unsupervised data,
and, said training by said control unit is performed by at least one algorithm
selected from
a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component
Analysis
algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature,
Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm
(NNA),
any machine learning algorithm and any combination thereof on said collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in
the THz
range stored in said communicable and readable database in order to generate
information
data being indicative of at least one said virus infected individuals.
[0776]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein, in said detection phase, said data is either supervised or
unsupervised data;
and, said control unit performs at least one algorithm selected from a group
consisting of
Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm,
canberra
distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's
nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NINA), any machine
learning
algorithm and any combination thereof on said collected volatile compounds
and/or
aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range
stored in said
communicable and readable database in order to generate information data being
indicative
of at least one said virus infected individuals.
[0777]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein, in said detection phase, said control unit detects said
signature the
absorption spectrum of said membrane with said VCs and/or aerosols being
indicative of
at least one said virus infected individuals by means of said trained
machine learning model.
[0778]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said system additionally comprising at least one communicable
and
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readable database storing instructions which, when executed by the at least
one data
processor, result in operations comprising:
a. training a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter of
said collected
volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range of at least one tested individuals stored in said
communicable and readable database in order to generate information data being
indicative of said virus infected individuals; and,
b. after said step of training, real time detecting said parameter by means of
said
trained machine learning model.
[0779]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said data is either supervised or unsupervised data; and, said
control unit
performs at least one algorithm selected from a group consisting of Leave One
Out (L00)
algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-
nearest
neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant, Fisher's
nonlinear
discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine learning
algorithm
and any combination thereof in order to generate information data being
indicative of said
virus infected individuals.
[0780]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said control unit additionally performs Fast Fourier
Transformation in
order to generate information data being indicative of said virus infected
individuals.
[0781]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is made of hardened extruded plastic.
[0782]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is able to trap at least one selected from a
group consisting
of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture thereof, Ketones, aromatic
alcohols,
aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl benzene, hexanal,
phenylethane,
heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl-I -
hexan ol, 5- is opropenyl- 1-methyl-1 cyclohexene, acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-
decanone,
2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-undecanone, 1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl
phthalate,
1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia, Greenhouse gases selected from Water vapor
Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous oxide (N20), Ozone (03),
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Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Hydrofluorocarbons (includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO,
NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said
virus, hydrates of
debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell,
aggregates of said
virus, cytokines, increased level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7,
interleukin-2
receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocy, tecolony, stimulating
factor, interferon-7,
inducible protein I 0, monocyte chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage,
inflammatory
protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any combination thereof.
[0783]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is single-use, disposable membrane.
[0784]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is reusable.
[0785]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said volatile compounds and/or aerosols comprising at least one
selected
from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture
thereof,
Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl
benzene,
hexanal, phenyl ethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-
(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl- 1 -hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl- 1-methyl-1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hydrofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2,
interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6),
granulocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof.
[0786]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is removable from the sampling apparatus.
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[0787]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said detection is completed within a period of time being less
than 40
seconds.
[0788]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, further comprising a spectroscopic assembly including a radiation
transmitter unit
being configured and operable to scan said permeable membrane holding the
collected
volatile compounds and/or aerosols by generating an electromagnetic radiation
in the range
of THz within a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit being
configured
and operable to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols.
[0789]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said system additionally comprising signaling means adapted to
signal the
user that sufficient enough of VCs and/or aerosols have been captured in said
membrane
or that said detection has been completed.
[0790]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, wherein said signaling means are either optical or vocal means.
[0791]
It is another object of the present invention to provide a high throughput
method
for label-free, noncontact, noninvasive, and nondestructive detection of at
least one virus
infected individual from at least one tested individual, the method
comprising: receiving
data indicative of collected volatile compounds, VCs, and/or aerosols being
scanned with
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range; and processing said data for
identifying a
signature being indicative of said virus infected individuals.
[0792]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said THz range is between 200 GHz to 1200 GHz.
[0793]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said tested individual is asymptomatic and has no symptom
related to said
virus.
[0794]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said system distinguishes between a healthy individual, a virus
recovered
individual and an infected individual.
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[0795]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein detection of said virus infected individuals provides clearance
to healthy
individuals and/or virus recovered individuals.
[0796]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said signature is information indicative of said virus, said
information
being selected from a group consisting of cell unit of said virus, viral
proteins, cellular
debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of
said virus, hydrates
of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus,
cytokines, increased
level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R),
interleukin-6
(IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein
10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor
necrosis
factor-a, and any combination thereof.
[0797]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said processing comprises performing a pattern recognition of
said
Signature.
[0798]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, further comprising scanning the collected volatile compounds and/or
aerosols with
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range within a scanning window of about
100 GHz.
[0799]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, further comprising trapping collected volatile compounds and/or
aerosols by
suction, wherein said trapping is performed within a period of time being less
than 40
seconds.
[0800]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, additionally comprising the step of providing at one communicable and
readable
database; said database comprising absorption spectra of collected volatile
compounds
and/or aerosols captured in said membrane being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range.
[0801]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said volatile compounds and/or aerosols create spoof surface
plasmon
polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
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[0802]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said virus is selected from a group selected from COV viruses
family,
COVID-19, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination thereof.
[0803]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said method is performed by a system being selected from a
group
consisting of a breathalyzer, any handheld device, any TOT device into which
human breath
is exhaled.
[0804]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said data being processed by said control unit is at least one
absorption
spectrum of said membrane.
[0805]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein processing of said at least one absorption spectrum of said
membrane
additionally comprising pattern recognition of said at least one absorption
spectrum.
[0806]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said pattern recognition comprising at least one selected from
a group
consisting identification of special features of the pattern, identification
of main and side
peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the width of the peaks and the
distance
therebetween and any combination thereof
[0807]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is in communication with a vacuum source, a gas
collection
device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein the membrane is capable of
capturing
volatile compounds and/or aerosols.
[0808]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying at least one selected from
a group
consisting of positive/negative pressure or electricity to release said VCs
and/or aerosols.
[0809]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is coated with at least one material selected
from a group
consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene, acting as a reflector, and any
combination
thereof
[0810]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is made of at least one material selected from a
group
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consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure Permeable Membrane, meta-
material, PET, melamine open-cell foam-based and any combination thereof.
[0811]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, additionally comprising an electromagnetic radiation transmitter and
detector.
[0812]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein the membrane is positionable within the electromagnetic
radiation emitted
by the transmitter.
[0813]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, additionally comprising at one communicable and readable database; said
database
comprising collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
[0814]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said method has 2 modes of operation: (a) a learning phase;
and, (b) a
detection phase.
[0815]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein, in said learning phase, said control unit trains a machine
learning model
to detect at least one parameter in the absorption spectrum of said membrane
with said
collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range of a plurality of membrane stored in said
communicable and
readable database in order to generate information data being indicative of
said virus
infected individuals.
[0816]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein aid parameter selected from a group consisting of, trends in
said database
of said at least one tested individuals, eigenvector of said database of said
at least one tested
individuals, eigenvalues of said database of said at least one tested
individuals, feature
extraction step being configured to estimate the most relevant vectors
defining the data
using a principal component analysis, a pattern classification using a
combined linear and
nonlinear pattern recognition approach, known symptoms of said virus, known
healthy
individuals, healthy individual vital signs selected from fever, sweat, body
temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any
combination thereof, virus infected individual vital signs selected from
fever, sweat, body
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temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any
combination thereof, medicaments being administered to said tested individual,
and any
combination thereof.
[0817]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein, in said learning phase, said data is either supervised or
unsupervised data,
and, said training by said control unit is performed by at least one algorithm
selected from
a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component
Analysis
algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature,
Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm
(NNA),
any machine learning algorithm and any combination thereof on said collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in
the THz
range stored in said communicable and readable database in order to generate
information
data being indicative of at least one said virus infected individuals.
[0818]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein, in said detection phase, said data is either supervised or
unsupervised data;
and, said control unit performs at least one algorithm selected from a group
consisting of
Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm,
canberra
distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's
nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NINA), any machine
learning
algorithm and any combination thereof on said collected volatile compounds
and/or
aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range
stored in said
communicable and readable database in order to generate information data being
indicative
of at least one said virus infected individuals.
[0819]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein, in said detection phase, said control unit detects said
signature the
absorption spectrum of said membrane with said VCs and/or aerosols being
indicative of
at least one said virus infected individuals by means of said trained
machine learning model.
[0820]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, additionally comprising at least one communicable and readable database
storing
instructions which, when executed by the at least one data processor, result
in operations
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comprising: training a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter
of said
collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range of at least one tested individuals stored in said
communicable
and readable database in order to generate information data being indicative
of said virus
infected individuals, and, after said step of training, real time detecting
said parameter by
means of said trained machine learning model.
[0821]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said control unit additionally performs Fast Fourier
Transformation in
order to generate information data being indicative of said virus infected
individuals.
[0822]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is made of hardened extruded plastic.
[0823]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is able to trap at least one selected from a
group consisting
of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture thereof, Ketones, aromatic
alcohols,
aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl benzene, hexanal,
phenylethane,
heptanal, benzaldehyde, dim ethyl trisulfi de, phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl-l-
hexanol, 5- is opropenyl-1 -methyl-1 cyc lohexene, acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-
decanone,
2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-undecanone, 1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl
phthalate,
1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia, Greenhouse gases selected from Water vapor
Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous oxide (N20), Ozone (03),
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Hydrofluorocarbons (includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO,
NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said
virus, hydrates of
debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell,
aggregates of said
virus, cytokines, increased level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7,
interleukin-2
receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor,
interferon-7,
inducible protein 10, monocyte chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage,
inflammatory
protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any combination thereof.
[0824]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is single-use, disposable membrane.
[0825]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is reusable.
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[0826]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is removable from the sampling apparatus.
[0827]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, further comprising a spectroscopic assembly including a radiation
transmitter unit
being configured and operable to scan said permeable membrane holding the
collected
volatile compounds and/or aerosols by generating an electromagnetic radiation
in the range
of TI-Iz within a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit being
configured
and operable to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols.
[0828]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, additionally comprising signaling means adapted to signal the user that
sufficient
enough of VCs and/or aerosols have been captured in said membrane or that said
detection
has been completed.
[0829]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said signaling means are either optical or vocal means.
[0830]
It is another object of the present invention to provide a high throughput
method
for label-free, noncontact, noninvasive, and nondestructive detection of at
least one virus
infected individual from at least one tested individual, the method
comprising: providing
at least one sampler comprising at least one metamaterial membrane absorber
located at
the propagation path of volatile compounds, VCs, and/or aerosols released by
said at least
one tested individual breath, said metamaterial membrane absorber being
configured and
operable for trapping the collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols;
receiving data
indicative of collected volatile compounds, VCs, and/or aerosols being scanned
with
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range; and processing said data for
identifying a
signature being indicative of said virus infected individuals.
[0831]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said THz range is between 200 GHz to 1200 GHz.
[0832]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said tested individual is asymptomatic and has no symptom
related to said
virus.
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[0833]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said system distinguishes between a healthy individual, a virus
recovered
individual and an infected individual.
[0834]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein detection of said virus infected individuals provides clearance
to healthy
individuals and/or virus recovered individuals.
[0835]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said signature is information indicative of said virus; said
information
being selected from a group consisting of cell unit of said virus, viral
proteins, cellular
debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of
said virus, hydrates
of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus,
cytokines, increased
level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R),
interleukin-6
(IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein
10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 174, macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor
necrosis
factor-a, and any combination thereof
[0836]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said volatile compounds and/or aerosols create spoof surface
plasmon
polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
[0837]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said virus is selected from a group selected from COV viruses
family,
COVID-19, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination thereof.
[0838]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said sampler is at least one selected from a group consisting
of a
breathalyzer, a straw-like device, any handheld device, any TOT device into
which human
breath is exhaled.
[0839]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said sampler comprises a proximal end and a distal end
interconnected by
a main longitudinal axis, along which said at least one metamaterial membrane
is
positioned; and into which said tested individual exhaled breath, such that
the propagation
path of said exhaled breath and volatile compounds and/or aerosols therewithin
intersect
said at least one metamaterial membrane and absorbed therewithin.
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[0840]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said sampler is airtight sealed such that said volatile
compounds, VCs,
and/or aerosols released by said at least one tested individuals breath are
prevented from
exiting said sampler.
[0841]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is enclosed within at least one capsule; wherein
said
capsule is sealed.
[0842]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said sampler is RFID tagged with each of said tested
individual, such that
detection of said virus infected individuals is traced back to each of said
tested individual.
[0843]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein at least one of the following us being held true (a) said
sampler is a
disposable unit; (b) said sampler comprises at least one sealing element
adapted to seal
thereof
[0844]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said at least one metamaterial membrane is extracted from said
sampler
and is placed in an electromagnetic testing unit; said electromagnetic testing
unit adapted
to (a) scan in the THz range said metamaterial membrane absorbed with said
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols in said exhale breath of said tested individual;
and, (b) transmit
data indicative of the collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols to said
control unit.
[0845]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said sampler comprises two parts reversibly coupled to each
other along a
main longitudinal axis, such that (a) said at least one metamaterial membrane
is positioned
therebetween along said main longitudinal axis; and, (b) into said sampler
said tested
individual exhale breath, such that the propagation path of said exhaled
breath and volatile
compounds and/or aerosols therewithin intersect said at least one metamaterial
membrane
and absorbed therewithin.
[0846]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said electromagnetic testing unit comprising at least one
electromagnetic
radiation transmitter and at least one electromagnetic radiation detector.
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[0847]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein the membrane is positionable within the electromagnetic
radiation emitted
by the transmitter.
[0848]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said data being processed by said control unit is at least one
absorption
spectrum of said membrane.
[0849]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein processing of said at least one absorption spectrum of said
membrane
additionally comprising pattern recognition of said at least one absorption
spectrum.
[0850]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said pattern recognition comprising at least one selected from
a group
consisting identification of special features of the pattern, identification
of main and side
peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the width of the peaks and the
distance
therebetween and any combination thereof
[0851]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is in communication with a vacuum source, a gas
collection
device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein the membrane is capable of
capturing
volatile compounds and/or aerosols.
[0852]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying at least one selected from
a group
consisting of positive/negative pressure or electricity to release said VCs
and/or aerosols.
[0853]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is coated with at least one material selected
from a group
consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene, acting as a reflector, and any
combination
thereof
[0854]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is made of at least one material selected from a
group
consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure Permeable Membrane, meta-
material, PET, melamine open-cell foam-based and any combination thereof.
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[0855]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said control unit is configured and operable for performing a
pattern
recognition of said signature.
[0856]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said system additionally comprising at one communicable and
readable
database; said database comprising collected volatile compounds and/or
aerosols being
scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the TI-Iz range.
[0857]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said data is either supervised or unsupervised data; and, said
control unit
performs at least one algorithm selected from a group consisting of Leave One
Out (L00)
algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm, canberra distance, k-
nearest
neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear discriminant, Fisher's
nonlinear
discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NNA), any machine learning
algorithm
and any combination thereof in order to generate information data being
indicative of said
virus infected individuals.
[0858]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said control unit additionally performs Fast Fourier
Transformation in
order to generate information data being indicative of said virus infected
individuals.
[0859]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is made of hardened extruded plastic.
[0860]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is able to trap at least one selected from a
group consisting
of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture thereof, Ketones, aromatic
alcohols,
aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl benzene, hexanal,
phenylethane,
heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl-I -
hexan ol, 5- is opropenyl- 1-methyl-1 cyclohexene, acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-
decanone,
2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-undecanone, 1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl
phthalate,
1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia, Greenhouse gases selected from Water vapor
Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous oxide (N20), Ozone (03),
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Hydrofluorocarbons (includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO,
NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said
virus, hydrates of
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debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell,
aggregates of said
virus, cytokines, increased level of interleukin (IL)-2, interleukin IL-7,
interleukin-2
receptor (1L-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor,
interferon-y,
inducible protein 10, monocyte chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage,
inflammatory
protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any combination thereof.
[086 I ]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is single-use, disposable membrane.
[0862]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is reusable.
[0863]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said volatile compounds and/or aerosols comprising at least one
selected
from a group consisting of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture
thereof,
Ketones, aromatic alcohols, aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl
benzene,
hexanal, phenylethane, heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-
(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl- 1 -hexanol,
5 -is oprop enyl- 1-methyl-1 cyclohexene,
acetophenone, 2-nonan one, 2-decanone, 2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-
undecanone,
1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl phthalate, 1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia,
Greenhouse
gases selected from Water vapor Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous
oxide
(N20), Ozone (03), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Hydrofluorocarbons
(includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO, NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of
said virus,
hydrates of said virus, hydrates of debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D
structure of said
virus and a cell, aggregates of said virus, cytokines, increased level of
interleukin (IL)-2,
interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6),
granulocytecolony,
stimulating factor, interferon-y, inducible protein 10, monocyte
chemoattractant, protein 1,
macrophage, inflammatory protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any
combination
thereof.
[0864]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is removable from the sampling apparatus.
[0865]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said detection is completed within a period of time being less
than 40
seconds.
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[0866]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, further comprising a spectroscopic assembly including a radiation
transmitter unit
being configured and operable to scan said permeable membrane holding the
collected
volatile compounds and/or aerosols by generating an electromagnetic radiation
in the range
of THz within a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit being
configured
and operable to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols.
[0867]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said system additionally comprising signaling means adapted to
signal the
user that sufficient enough of VCs and/or aerosols have been captured in said
membrane
or that said detection has been completed.
[0868]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said signaling means are either optical or vocal means.
[0869]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said processing comprises performing a pattern recognition of
said
signature.
[0870]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, further comprising scanning the collected volatile compounds and/or
aerosols with
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range within a scanning window of about
100 GHz.
[0871]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, further comprising trapping collected volatile compounds and/or
aerosols by
suction, wherein said trapping is performed within a period of time being less
than 40
seconds.
[0872]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, additionally comprising the step of providing at one communicable and
readable
database; said database comprising absorption spectra of collected volatile
compounds
and/or aerosols captured in said membrane being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range.
[0873]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said volatile compounds and/or aerosols create spoof surface
plasmon
polaritons (SSPPs) captured in said membrane.
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[0874]
T It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said virus is selected from a group selected from COV viruses
family,
COVID-19, Influenza, Avian influenza and any combination thereof.
[0875]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said method is performed by a system' being selected from a
group
consisting of a breathalyzer, any handheld device, any TOT device into which
human breath
is exhaled.
[0876]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said data being processed by said control unit is at least one
absorption
spectrum of said membrane.
[0877]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein processing of said at least one absorption spectrum of said
membrane
additionally comprising pattern recognition of said at least one absorption
spectrum.
[0878]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said pattern recognition comprising at least one selected from
a group
consisting identification of special features of the pattern, identification
of main and side
peaks, the number of main and side peaks, the width of the peaks and the
distance
therebetween and any combination thereof
[0879]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is in communication with a vacuum source, a gas
collection
device coupled to the vacuum source, wherein the membrane is capable of
capturing
volatile compounds and/or aerosols.
[0880]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is cleaned by applying at least one selected from
a group
consisting of positive/negative pressure or electricity to release said VCs
and/or aerosols.
[0881]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is coated with at least one material selected
from a group
consisting of Silicon, or Silicon Graphene, acting as a reflector, and any
combination
thereof
[0882]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is made of at least one material selected from a
group
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consisting of Meta-Material Membrane, Semi Pressure Permeable Membrane, meta-
material, PET, melamine open-cell foam-based and any combination thereof.
[0883]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, additionally comprising an electromagnetic radiation transmitter and
detector.
[0884]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein the membrane is positionable within the electromagnetic
radiation emitted
by the transmitter.
[0885]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, additionally comprising at one communicable and readable database; said
database
comprising collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an
electromagnetic radiation in the THz range.
[0886]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said method has 2 modes of operation: (a) a learning phase;
and, (b) a
detection phase.
[0887]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein, in said learning phase, said control unit trains a machine
learning model
to detect at least one parameter in the absorption spectrum of said membrane
with said
collected volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an
electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range of a plurality of membrane stored in said
communicable and
readable database in order to generate information data being indicative of
said virus
infected individuals.
[0888]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein aid parameter selected from a group consisting of, trends in
said database
of said at least one tested individuals, eigenvector of said database of said
at least one tested
individuals, eigenvalues of said database of said at least one tested
individuals, feature
extraction step being configured to estimate the most relevant vectors
defining the data
using a principal component analysis, a pattern classification using a
combined linear and
nonlinear pattern recognition approach, known symptoms of said virus, known
healthy
individuals, healthy individual vital signs selected from fever, sweat, body
temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any
combination thereof, virus infected individual vital signs selected from
fever, sweat, body
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temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate
(respiratory rate) and any
combination thereof, medicaments being administered to said tested individual,
and any
combination thereof.
[0889]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein, in said learning phase, said data is either supervised or
unsupervised data,
and, said training by said control unit is performed by at least one algorithm
selected from
a group consisting of Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component
Analysis
algorithm, canberra distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature,
Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm
(NNA),
any machine learning algorithm and any combination thereof on said collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in
the THz
range stored in said communicable and readable database in order to generate
information
data being indicative of at least one said virus infected individuals.
[0890]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein, in said detection phase, said data is either supervised or
unsupervised data;
and, said control unit performs at least one algorithm selected from a group
consisting of
Leave One Out (L00) algorithm, Principal Component Analysis algorithm,
canberra
distance, k-nearest neighbors algorithm, Quadrature, Fisher's linear
discriminant, Fisher's
nonlinear discriminant, Network Acceleration algorithm (NINA), any machine
learning
algorithm and any combination thereof on said collected volatile compounds
and/or
aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic radiation in the THz range
stored in said
communicable and readable database in order to generate information data being
indicative
of at least one said virus infected individuals.
[0891]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein, in said detection phase, said control unit detects said
signature the
absorption spectrum of said membrane with said VCs and/or aerosols being
indicative of
at least one said virus infected individuals by means of said trained
machine learning model.
[0892]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, additionally comprising at least one communicable and readable database
storing
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instructions which, when executed by the at least one data processor, result
in operations
comprising:
a. training a machine learning model to detect at least one parameter of
said collected
volatile compounds and/or aerosols being scanned with an electromagnetic
radiation in the THz range of at least one tested individuals stored in said
communicable and readable database in order to generate information data being
indicative of said virus infected individuals; and,
b. after said step of training, real time detecting said parameter by means of
said
trained machine learning model.
[0893]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said control unit additionally performs Fast Fourier
Transformation in
order to generate information data being indicative of said virus infected
individuals.
[0894]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is made of hardened extruded plastic.
[0895]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is able to trap at least one selected from a
group consisting
of organic compound, inorganic compound, mixture thereof, Ketones, aromatic
alcohols,
aldehydes, 1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide, methyl benzene, hexanal,
phenylethane,
heptanal, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, 2-(2-
ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, 2-ethyl-I -
hexanol, 5-isopropeny1-1-methyl-lcyclohexene, acetophenone, 2-nonanone, 2-
decanone,
2-isopropylphenol, benzothiazole, 2-undecanone, 1,3-diacetylbenzene, diethyl
phthalate,
1,3-diphenyl propane, Ammonia, Greenhouse gases selected from Water vapor
Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous oxide (N20), Ozone (03),
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Hydrofluorocarbons (includes HCFCs and HFCs), NO,
NO2, viral proteins, cellular debris, debris of said virus, hydrates of said
virus, hydrates of
debris of said virus, hydrates of the 3D structure of said virus and a cell,
aggregates of said
virus, cytokines, increased level of interleukin
interleukin IL-7, interleukin-2
receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocytecolony, stimulating factor,
interferon-7,
inducible protein 10, monocyte chemoattractant, protein 1, macrophage,
inflammatory
protein 1-a, and tumor necrosis factor-a, and any combination thereof
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[0896]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is single-use, disposable membrane.
[0897]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is reusable.
[0898]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said membrane is removable from the sampling apparatus.
[0899]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, further comprising a spectroscopic assembly including a radiation
transmitter unit
being configured and operable to scan said permeable membrane holding the
collected
volatile compounds and/or aerosols by generating an electromagnetic radiation
in the range
of TI-Iz within a scanning window of about 100 GHz and a detection unit being
configured
and operable to detect an electromagnetic radiation emitted by said collected
volatile
compounds and/or aerosols.
[0900]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, additionally comprising signaling means adapted to signal the user that
sufficient
enough of VCs and/or aerosols have been captured in said membrane or that said
detection
has been completed.
[0901]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, wherein said signaling means are either optical or vocal means.
[0902]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, utilized for homeland security applications.
[0903]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, utilized in public places selected from airports, schools, public
clinic, convention
centers, parks, kindergartens, stadiums and any combination thereof.
[0904]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, utilized for homeland security applications.
[0905]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the system as
defined
above, utilized in public places selected from airports, schools, public
clinic, convention
centers, parks, kindergartens, stadiums and any combination thereof.
[0906]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, utilized in a system for homeland security applications.
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[0907]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the sampler as
defined
above, utilized in a system for public places selected from airports, schools,
public clinic,
convention centers, parks, kindergartens, stadiums and any combination
thereof.
[0908]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, utilized for homeland security applications.
[0909]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, utilized in public places selected from airports, schools, public
clinic, convention
centers, parks, kindergartens, stadiums and any combination thereof.
[0910]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, utilized for homeland security applications.
[0911]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method as
defined
above, utilized in public places selected from airports, schools, public
clinic, convention
centers, parks, kindergartens, stadiums and any combination thereof.
[0912]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method or
system or
sampler as defined above, additionally comprising at least one filter disposed
on said
membrane.
[0913]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method or
system or
sampler as defined above, wherein said filter is adapted to affect the
absorption signal
detected in the absorption spectrum when said VCs and/or aerosols are absorbed
on said
membrane.
[0914]
It is another object of the present invention to provide the method or
system or
sampler as defined above, wherein said filter is at least one selected from a
group consisting
of ring resonator, directional antenna, antenna, band-stop filter, notch
filter and any
combination thereof.
[0915]
According to another embodiment of the present invention the THz spectrum
collected from scanning the membraned with the tested subject's exhaled breath
is
calibrated or normalized with at least one parameter. The parameter can be any
(or all) of
the following PCR Ct, temperature at the location where the sample had been
taken,
humidity at the location where the sample had been taken, barometric pressure
at the
location where the sample had been taken, the relative position of one THz
scanner to
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another one, the location at which said sample is taken, a THz scan of a
predefined gold
standard and any combination thereof
[0916] The predefined gold standard could be a non-used membrane,
a non Covid-19
infected subject (i.e., a healthy subject), a Covid-19 infected subject (i.e.,
a Covid-19 sick
subj ect).
[0917] Such calibration alleviates the identification of Covid-19
infected subjects.
[0918] In the claims, the word 'comprising' does not exclude the
presence of other elements
or steps then those listed in a claim. Furthermore, the terms "a" or "an," as
used herein, are
defined as one as or more than one. Also, the use of introductory phrases such
as "at least
one" and "one or more" in the claims should not be construed to imply that the
introduction
of another claim element by the indefinite articles "a" or "an" limits any
particular claim
containing such an introduced claim element to inventions containing only one
such
element, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or
more" or "at
least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an." The same holds true
for the use of
definite articles. Unless stated otherwise, terms such as "first" and "second"
are used to
arbitrarily distinguish between the elements such terms describe. Thus, these
terms are not
necessarily intended to indicate temporal or other prioritization of such
elements. The mere
fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different claims does not
indicate that a
combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.
[0919] While certain features of the invention have been
illustrated and described herein,
many modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents will now occur to
those of
ordinary skill in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the
appended claims are
intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true
spirit of the
invention.
[0920] The terms "comprises", "comprising", "includes",
"including", "having" and their
conjugates mean "including but not limited to".
[0921] The term "consisting of means "including and limited to".
[0922] The term "consisting essentially of means that the
composition, method or structure
may include additional ingredients, steps and/or parts, but only if the
additional ingredients,
steps and/or parts do not materially alter the basic and novel characteristics
of the claimed
composition, method or structure.
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[0923] As used herein, the singular form "a", "an" and "the"
include plural references
unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, the term "a
compound" or "at
least one compound" may include a plurality of compounds, including mixtures
thereof.
[0924] Throughout this application, various embodiments of this
invention may be
presented in a range format. It should be understood that the description in
range format is
merely for convenience and brevity and should not be construed as an
inflexible limitation
on the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the description of a range should
be considered
to have specifically disclosed all the possible subranges as well as
individual numerical
values within that range. For example, description of a range such as from 1
to 6 should be
considered to have specifically disclosed subranges such as from 1 to 3, from
1 to 4, from
1 to 5, from 2 to 4, from 2 to 6, from 3 to 6 etc., as well as individual
numbers within that
range, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. This applies regardless of the
breadth of the range.
[0925] Whenever a numerical range is indicated herein, it is meant
to include any cited
numeral (fractional or integral) within the indicated range. The phrases
"ranging/ranges
between" a first indicate number and a second indicate number and
"ranging/ranges from"
a first indicate number "to" a second indicate number are used herein
interchangeably and
are meant to include the first and second indicated numbers and all the
fractional and
integral numerals therebetween. As used herein the term "method" refers to
manners,
means, techniques and procedures for accomplishing a given task including, but
not limited
to, those manners, means, techniques and procedures either known to, or
readily developed
from known manners, means, techniques and procedures by practitioners of the
chemical,
pharmacological, biological, biochemical and medical arts. As used herein, the
term
"treating" includes abrogating, substantially inhibiting, slowing or reversing
the
progression of a condition, substantially ameliorating clinical or aesthetical
symptoms of a
condition or substantially preventing the appearance of clinical or
aesthetical symptoms of
a condition.
[0926] It is appreciated that certain features of the invention,
which are, for clarity,
described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in
combination in
a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention, which are,
for brevity,
described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided
separately or in any
suitable subcombination or as suitable in any other described embodiment of
the invention.
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Certain features described in the context of various embodiments are not to be
considered
essential features of those embodiments, unless the embodiment is inoperative
without
those elements. Various embodiments and aspects of the present invention as
delineated
hereinabove and as claimed in the claims section below find experimental
support in the
following examples.
EXAMPLE 1
[0927] The following provides a non-limiting example as for the ability of
the system and
the sampler as described above to provide fast clearance detection for
Coronavirus utilizing
the proprietary system and the sampler and a proprietary breath testing tube
(integrating a
proprietary membrane) to distinguish between healthy (Covid-19 free) and
infected
subjects (positive to Covid-19, both symptomatic and asymptomatic).
[0928] First a feasibility test was performed to demonstrate a preliminary
proof of concept.
Next, clinical trials were (and still are) performed.
[0929] All data was analyzed using a proprietary analyzing protocol and
algorithm which,
inert alia, includes an unsupervised learning algorithm that seeks for
undetected patterns in
a data set with no pre-existing labels and with a minimum of human
supervision.
Feasibility and clinical testing
[0930] .. 245 subjects were tested, out of which 100 patients were tested
positive and 145
patients tested negative, to Covid-19. This observation was validated using RT-
PCR. The
table below summarizes the existence of any related symptoms associated with
Covid-19
the different groups, (i.e., healthy versus infected).
Table 2: Summary of recorded symptoms for the patients in the study
Symptomatic Asymptomatic Symptoms Not Total
reported
Positive 37 18 44 100
Negative 37 4 105 145
Preliminary Results and First In vitro Feasibility Testing
[0931] First, an in vitro feasibility test was conducted using chicken IBV,
(Infectious
Bronchitis Virus, an avian corona virus), strain, IBVR233A.
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[0932]
Briefly, IBV233A was diluted is double distilled water (DDW) as per
manufacturer
guidelines, (1 capsule dissolved in 30mL DDW results in ¨10 "4 virions per mL,
(i.e., stock
solution, marked as triangles in Figs. 8a-8b).
[0933]
To mimic the clinical protocol, which utilizes a breath testing tube
integrated with
a proprietary membrane, a home inhalation device, (Life 47290108452877), was
used. The
diluted solution was transferred to the inhalator cup, each membrane was
passed through
the steams generated five times. Each concentration was repeated 5 times, and
each
membrane was scanned five times from 400GHZ to 1200THz.
[0934]
The stock solution was further diluted 1:10 in DDW to produce the following
concentrations: x1000, (-10"3 virions/ mL), X100, (-10 "2 virions/mL), and
X10, (-10
virion s/mL). Membrane (denoted in the Fig. as 'Ref') alone and vehicle
control were tested
as well, Ref (i.e., the membrane) and Ref soaked in water samples, all
illustrated in Figs.
8a-c.
[0935]
Figs. 8a-c illustrate clustering analysis of the Avian Corona Virus
results. As clearly
illustrated in Figs_ 8a-b, the clustering yielded distinct groups, suggesting
that each being
characterized by different spectral signatures.
Second In vitro feasibility test using different avian corona strains, namely
(IBV) HI20.
[0936]
Further to the first feasibility test extended the in-vitro protocol to
further test
system's ability to differentiate between different avian corona strains. For
this matter
recombinant infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) H120, was examined as well. H120
was
diluted in 30 mL of DDW as per manufacturer's guidelines.
[0937]
The experimental protocol was the same as for IBV 233A, (described in
details in
section 1, above).
[0938]
As illustrated in Fig. 8d, our clustering analysis for several avian corona
strains
resulted in a definite and obvious separation for each tested group. As
mentioned, this
distinct separation is indicative of a specific spectral pattern which
characterizes each
group.
Clinical Phase
[0939]
245 subjects were included in this study. 68% of the subjects were male and
the
rest 32% were female.
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[0940] The mean age is 50. Each subject was given the sampler of
the present invention
and was asked to exhale 3 long breaths (1.5 L of air). Next, the membrane
(integrated
within said sampler) was transferred into a sealed capsule scanned and
analyzed by the
system of the present invention and proprietary analyzing protocol
(algorithm).
[0941] The clinical trial was approved by the Helsinki committee,
and is currently ongoing
in a few medical institutes (The Sheba Medical Institute, Ashkelon military
Corona
sanitarium, Maccabi Clinics sanitarium and others).
[0942] Reference is now made to Figs. 8a-8b illustrating typical
exhale spectrum of tested
subjects. These spectra will be analyzed as described hereinbelow.
Results
(a) Distinguishable clustering of Covid-19 free subjects out of Covid- 19
infected subjects
[0943] The first sample included healthy) Covid-19 free) subjects
with no symptoms and
confirmed (infected) Covid-19 patients from the Isolation Unit at The Sheba
Medical
Institute. As depicted in Fig. 8e, our clustering analysis resulted in a
definite two group
separation for Healthy versus Infected subjects, (circles refers to the Covid-
19 free
individuals, and circles with 'x' therewithin refers to the covid-19 infected
individuals).
[0944] While the spectral signature of two subjects that were
conventionally classified as
covid-19 infected subjects (by means of RT-PCR); both were classified,
according to the
present embodiment, as healthy (covid-19 -free) and were identified and
entrained in the
healthy group, (marked with arrow).
[0945] Importantly a second RT-PCR analysis of those subjects
confirmed both to be
healthy (covid-19 -free); i.e., negative, (three more similar cases were
attested to, illustrated
in Fig. 8a). The latter suggest that the technology utilized according to the
instant
embodiment, with its proprietary identification technique, can identify a
spectral signature
that is encompass the ability to distinguish between healthy (namely, Covid-19
free) and
infected subjects.
[0946] Fig. 8f illustrates healthy (Covid-19 free) subjects
showing no symptoms, Covi d-
19 recovered subjects showing no symptoms and Covid19 infected subjects
showing
symptoms.
[0947] Note: Two different subjects were originally diagnosed as
infected (# 22 and 23,
denoted in the fig.); however, as above, our proprietary technology classified
them as
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healthy (Covid-19 free) in the healthy group (denoted in the Fig. as circles
with 'x'
therewithin). One subject was originally classified as healthy (#11, denoted
in the fig.) by
RT-PCR (first test), but was found by our technology as Covid-19 infected
subject and is
illustrated in the "infected group", (denoted in the Fig. as circles).
[0948] A second RT-PCR test performed to all 3 subjects (1111, 22 and
23) conformed our
findings. Namely, that subjects # 22 and 23 are Covid- I 9 free and # I I
Covid- I 9 infected.
Distinguishable clustering of Covid-19 infected subjects vs. other virus
infected
subjects
Distinguishable clustering of Covid-19 infected subjects vs. H120 infected
subjects
[0949]
It is known that avian corona virus H120 shares 30% sequence homology with
SARS-Cov-2.
[0950]
Thus, the clustering analysis was extended to validate its capabilities in
differentiating H120 from Covid-19 infected subjects as depicted in Fig. 8g.
Distinguish
between three different groups was accomplished: Healthy versus infected
subject
clustering compared with avian virus, H120.
Cancellation of the Testing Time effect on the results
[0951]
Annulment of any effect that may occur in-light of different time in which
the
testing was performed.
[0952]
Fig. 8h illustrates clustering analysis of healthy (Covid-19 free) subjects
and
infected subjects, taken at different time frames at different locations. As
is clearly shown
in the figure, two distinct groups are identified by a proprietary analysis:
denoted in the
Figure as circles with 'x' therewithin, top of the Figure) which resembles
healthy subjects,
and Mixed shapes, (bottom of the Figure), which resembles covid-19 infected
subjects, as
taken at different time frames.
Clustering ofhealthy (Covid-19 free) and infected substance each with denoted
symptoms
[0953]
Different clustering among different subjects (healthy and infected) with
symptoms
was evaluated. Samples from patients infected with covid-19, (denoted as
circles in the
Figure) and healthy subjects with respiratory symptoms, (denoted as 'x' in the
Figure) were
examined. Clustering resulted in two distinct groups. The differences are
illustrated in Fig.
8i.
Clearance of healthy (Covid-19 free) subjects
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[0954] The main objective of this clinical trial is clearance
healthy (Covid-19) subjects.
Such clearance could give rise to a new financial driven decision making to
each subject
being suspected of Covid-19.
[0955] To test our proprietary technology's capabilities in
differentiating healthy subjects,
we extended our sample collection as follows, breath samples were collected
from patients
admitted to the ER for infection categorized other than covid- I 9, (denoted
as circles in the
above illustration, Fig. 8i) and infected ones. Notably the latter group fall
into the "healthy
group", (left of the border), using our clustering analysis, thus
distinguishing health (Covid-
19 free) subjects from infected ones. The results of this analysis are
illustrated in Fig. 8j
below. Thus, Fig. 8j illustrates classification of ER admissions versus know
healthy
patients and known Covi d-19 patients.
[0956] As anticipated, the former group fall into the healthy
(Covid-19 free) group, (left
of the border), using our clustering analysis, thus distinguishing Covid-19
free subjects that
obviously are suspected of some illness from Cov id-19 infected ones. The
results of this
analysis are illustrated in Fig. 8j below
Spectral Signature
[0957] As shown in the figures, the collected data demonstrates
that healthy (Covid-19 free
subjects) appear to have different spectral signature when compared with covid-
19
subjects. Fig. 8k illustrates is a correlation analysis which reveals a unique
spectral features
to covid-19 patients. Note the peaks 450 and 920 GHz, which are unique to
Covid-19
infected subjects.
EXAMPLE 2
[0958] The following provides another non-limiting example as for
the ability of the
system and the sampler as described above to provide fast clearance detection
for
Coronavirus utilizing the proprietary system and the sampler and a proprietary
breath
testing tube (integrating a proprietary membrane) to distinguish between
healthy (Covid-
19 free) and infected subjects (positive to Covid-19, both symptomatic and
asymptomatic).
[0959] The same test kit and equipment was used as for Example 1
described above.
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[0960] A non-randomized controlled, parallel, double-blind, two-
arm controlled study for
validation of a breath analysis test using the analyzer discussed above was
performed to
detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 VOCs in expired air samples from patients.
[0961] As a gold standard comparator method, rt-PCR was performed
to identify SARS-
CoV-2.
[0962] Testing was conducted at Curitiba, Parana, Brazil.
Symptomatic tests were
characterized based on the presence or absence of the following:
a. DATE OF THE FIRST DAY OF SIGNS OR SYMPTOMS
b. Fever
c. MAXIMUM IEMPERATURE
d. Cough
e. SORE THROAT
f. SHORTNESS OF BREATH
g. BODY PAIN
h. NASAL SECRETION
i. HEADACHE
j. NASAL OBSTRUCTION
k. Diarrhea
1. Vomit
m. LOSS OF SMELL
n. LOSS OF TASTE
[0963] In addition, patient information was gathered including
presence or absence of
various comorbidities.
[0964] The RT-PCR sample was collected and the tube containing the
collection swab was
identified with the patient's unique ID label.
[0965] Next, the blow sample was collected by blowing five times
in the disposable
collection tube and the unique ID label of the disposable breath analyzer kit
was applied to
this kit and also to the tube containing the RT-PCR collection swab.
[0966] Possessing the RT-PCR collection tube, a trained health
care team member scanned
the barcode. Subsequently, the membrane was extracted from the disposable
breathing
analyzer kit and scanned for spectral analysis less than 6 hours after
collection.
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[0967] Sensitivity
and specificity analysis was performed by the traditional 2x2
crosstable. The correlation of the two methods was evaluated through ROC
analysis
and determination of the correlation coefficient (r). The statistical
analyses were
realized with the SPSS version 17 program.
[0968] The analysis considered 2 groups of patients together or separated,
with the
presence or not of signs and symptoms. Thus, the patients were analyzed as:
[0969] Group 1.1 ¨ Positive, symptomatic PCR Group 1.2 ¨ Active, Negative,
symptomatic PCR Group 2.1 ¨ Positive, asymptomatic PCR Group 2.2 ¨ Negative,
asymptomatic PCR.
[0970] A total number of 39 patients were removed either for samples being
contaminated
(e.g. with saliva) or documentation impeding traceability.
[0971] The patient pool was as follows:
Table 3: Number of symptomatic and asymptomatic patients
Patients Positive Negative Total*
Total 70 501 571
12,3% 87,7%
100%
Symptomatic Pl 53 183 236
22,5% 77,5%
100%
Asymptomatic 17 304 321
5,3% 94,7%
100%
* 14 patients did not report whether they had or had no symptoms.
[0972] 292 patients were female (51.1%), 263 males (46.1%) and 16 did not
report gender
(2.8%). The minimum age of the patients was 18 years and the maximum age was
89
years. The mean age was 37 years. The minimum age of symptomatic patients was
18 years
and the maximum age was 78 years. The mean age was 37 years. The minimum age
of
asymptomatic patients was 18 years and the maximum age was 89 years. The mean
age
was 37 years.
[0973] From the cross tabulation between the two diagnostic methods (BAT *
RT-
PCR), the breath analysis test method was found to have a sensitivity of
92.86% and
specificity of 96.01%. Furthermore, the positive predictive value was 76.47%
and the
negative predictive value was 98.97%.
Table 4: Results
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RT-PCR SARS-CoV-2 Result
Negative Positive
Total
Negative 481 5
486
BAT Result Positive 20 65
85
Total 501 70
571
[0974] The area under the ROC curve was 0.944 (standard error
0.19), demonstrating
the performance of the breath analysis test in detecting the presence or
absence of
SARS-CoV-2 in the blow samples analyzed.
[0975] Further, The samples collected for RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2
were tested
together with the viral panel of 15 other spiral viruses circulating in the
Brazilian
population, i.e.: Influenza A, Influenza B, Coronavirus 229E, Coronavirus
NL63,
Coronavirus HKU1, Coronavirus 0C43, Adenovirus, Respiratory sincicial virus,
Metapneumovirus, Rhinovirus, Bocavirus, Enterovirus, Parainfluenza type 1,
Parainfluenza type 2, Parainfluenza type 3.
[0976] The following respiratory viruses were identified by RT-
PCR: Adenovirus,
Bocavirus, Other Coronavirus (Coronavirus NL63 and Coronavirus HKU1) and
Rhinovirus
Table 5 Other Respiratory Viruses
Virus Frequency
%cumulative
539 94,4 94,4
Adenovirus 1 0,2 94,6
Bocavirus 2 0,4 94,9
Other 6 1,1 96,0
corona virus
Rhinovirus 23 4,0 100,0
Total 57/ 100,0
[0977] For all cases in which RT-PCR was positive for Adenovirus,
Bocavirus
Coronavirus NL63 and Coronavirus HKU1, BAT showed a negative result for
SARS-CoV-2.
[0978] Only in one case of RRT-PCR positive for Rhinovirus, the
breath analysis
tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
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[0979] The results indicate a general accuracy of
94.4% (99% CI: 89.7 to 99.2%)
symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. In this population, the
sensitivity .. and
specificity of the method were 92.86% and 96.01%, respectively. With 12.3%
positivity
of the samples, the negative predictive value of the method was 98.97% and the
positive
predictive value was 76.47%.
[0980]
While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been
presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of
the inventions.
Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of
other
forms. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form
of the
embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of
the
inventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to
cover such
forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the
inventions.
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Representative Drawing