NL2033921B1 - Pollen detection arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

Portable pollen detection arrangement, comprising a detection arrangement for measuring characteristics of airborne pollen, wherein the detection arrangement comprises a dynamic light scattering module, the dynamic light scattering module comprising a sampling chamber arranged to contain airborne pollen, a laser arranged to emit a beam of light through the sampling chamber and a measurement arrangement arranged to detect laser light scattered from the sampling chamber.

Description

P133068NL00

Title: Pollen detection arrangement

The invention generally relates to detecting pollen.

Air can comprise a multitude of different sorts of particles, such as dust and pollen, that can come in to contact with a person walking through it. Such a person can breathe in the said particles, which can be an unpleasant experience, such as for example coughing. While large dust clouds, for example due to construction work, can be visible and thus easily be avoided, most of the times the particles are barely noticeable if at all.

In the case of pollen, which can be released by certain trees, plants or vegetation in general, a certain number of people will have an unpleasant experience when coming in to contact with said pollen. For example, when a person has hay-fever, the persons eyes might tear-up and the person might start to sneeze. While hay-fever is relatively harmless, it can be a very unpleasant regardless.

Many different sorts of pollen are known, and individuals can react differently to each sort of pollen. Due to the wide range of symptoms, and the relatively harmless effects of hay-fever, there exists no affordable and reliable cure for hay-fever. As a result, people suffering from hay-fever have to guess if a certain area or type of vegetation at a certain time of the year can give them hay-fever or not.

Thereto, the invention provides for a pollen detection arrangement, in particular a portable and more in particular wearable pollen detection arrangement according to claim 1. The pollen detection arrangement comprises a dynamic light scattering module for measuring characteristics of airborne pollen, wherein the dynamic light scattering module comprises a sampling chamber arranged to contain airborne pollen, a laser arranged to emit a beam of laser light through the sampling chamber and a measurement arrangement arranged to detect laser light scattered from the sampling chamber. The pollen detection arrangement can be used to determine if and / or what the pollen that are currently surrounding the pollen detection arrangement. Making such a pollen detection arrangement wearable allows for the user to move around and monitor the type and quantity of pollen in the air.

In the context of the invention, portable should be understood as easy to move around with. Preferably, this means that the pollen detection arrangement is of relatively light weight and of relatively small dimensions, such that a wearer of the wearable pollen detection arrangement is relatively unhindered when wearing the detection arrangement or otherwise impeded in their movement. Additionally, this means that the pollen detection arrangement comprises an on board power source. In addition, it is preferred that the portable pollen detection arrangement is wearable, in particular that it can be carried on the body. When wearable, it can be easily equipped and unequipped by its user, for example by attaching the arrangement to their clothing, such as a belt or shoes, via a clip. However, the possibility exists that an auxiliary device can be used to equip the wearable pollen detection arrangement, such as a strap or a holster. Once the wearable pollen detection arrangement is placed in the strap or holster, the strap or holster can be equipped on the user, for example their arm, leg or torso.

The dynamic light scattering module can be used to determine characteristic of airborne pollen. Dynamic light scattering is a known method, in which a laser beam is aimed and fired onto a sample. A measurement can be performed to determine the scattering of the light of the laser as a result of the sample. Such a measurement would can be indicative of the composition of the sample. In the invention, dynamic light scattering is used to determine the granularity of the pollen particle, however other aspects can be determined as well.

The laser can be a 5 volt laser diode. Using a relative small laser, both in power, size and weight, allows the wearable pollen detection arrangement to be wearable. Such dimensions and weight allow for relative unhindered movement, while the relative small power allows for the laser to be powered, and thereby relative low energy consumption, can allow for the laser to be powered by for example a battery or battery pack which improves mobility and thereby portability and wearability.

The pollen detection arrangement can further comprise an air sampling arrangement, preferably wherein the air sampling arrangement comprises an air inlet arranged to sample air surrounding the wearable pollen detection arrangement and transport the sampled air to the sampling chamber via a dust filter, preferably a HEPA-filter. The air sampling arrangement can take air to be sample from the surrounding of the wearable pollen detection arrangement, for example using an air inlet. The air inlet can be an electrically powered vent, preferably an air inlet that makes relatively low noise. The sampled air, which can comprise pollution that might interfere with the measurement, such as dust or sand, can be filtered out be a filter such as a HEPA-filter. The filter itself can be removably attached to the wearable pollen detection arrangement, such that the filter can be taken out and cleaned if necessary. Optionally, the wearable pollen detection arrangement is arranged to clean the filter, for example by transporting air in the reversed direction, from inside to the surrounding, such that the pollution in the filter is disposed in the surrounding of the detection arrangement.

The pollen detection arrangement can comprise an on board power source, in particular a rechargeable battery system arranged to supply power to the wearable pollen detection arrangement. Such a rechargeable battery system can be of a commonly used rechargeable battery pack, which the user can recharge using a commonly used power connection. Alternatively or additionally, the rechargeable battery system can comprise of battery's that can be switched out. A full battery can be placed in the battery system, and be removed and replaced by a new full battery once the first battery is empty. By providing a rechargeable battery system to power the wearable pollen detection arrangement, the wearable pollen detection arrangement can be used without mobility of a user wearing the wearable pollen detection arrangement being limited to a stationary power source, such as a wall socket.

The measurement arrangement can further be arranged to store physical properties related to the airborne pollen on a storage medium, preferably a digital storage medium. Storing the data obtained by the measurement arrangement, preferably digitally, can allow for the manipulation, storage and processing of said data. This data can be used to inform the user of the wearable pollen arrangement about the pollen that where measured and the quantity of the pollen that where measured.

Optionally, a GPS tracker may be provided in the wearable pollen arrangement such that the pollen data obtained by the arrangement can be combined with information about the location.

The pollen detection arrangement can further comprise an user interface arranged to receive information submitted by a user. Preferably, the wearable pollen detection arrangement can further comprise a processing unit arranged to combine the physical properties related to the airborne pollen and the information submitted by a user thereby creating a user based pollen profile. The processing unit can be further arranged to present information about the user based pollen profile on the user interface. Arranging the wearable pollen detection arrangement such that the user can submit data, allows for the user to insert their reaction to various pollen. For example, if a user suddenly has to sneeze, they can provide this data to the wearable pollen detection arrangement. The inserted response from the user can be combined with measured pollen data, optionally or additionally in combination with GPS data, to create a user based pollen profile. Such a profile can tell the user for which type of vegetation they can have an allergic reaction to, or can be used to warn a user 1n case the wearable pollen measurement arrangement notices a significant amount of pollen in the air for which the user has indicated to be allergic.

The invention further provides for a method of detecting polling, 5 comprising the steps of providing a wearable pollen detection arrangement, preferably a wearable pollen detection arrangement as previously described, sampling the surrounding air via an air inlet provided in the wearable pollen detection arrangement, applying dynamic light scattering via a dynamic light scattering module provided in the wearable pollen detection arrangement to determine the granularity of the pollen and identifying the pollen by comparing the granularity of the pollen to a database comprising pollen data, wherein the database comprises at least an identifier, preferably a name, of the pollen and a corresponding granularity of the pollen.

Further advantageous aspects of the invention are set out in the description and appended claims.

The technical features described in the paragraphs can be isolated from the context, and the isolated technical features from the different paragraphs can be combined. Such combinations are herewith specifically disclosed in this description.

The invention will further be elucidated on the basis of exemplary embodiments which are represented in the drawings. The exemplary embodiments are given by way of non-limitative illustration of the invention.

It is noted that the figures are only schematic representations that are given by way of non-limited examples. In the figures, the same or corresponding parts are designated with the same reference numerals.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a schematic example of the wearable pollen detection arrangement according to the invention, in which a cover is removed from the wearable pollen detection arrangement such that the inside can be seen;

Fig. 2 shows the wearable pollen detection arrangement of Fig. 1, in which the cover has been placed on the wearable pollen detection arrangement.

Referring to Fig. 1, a wearable pollen detection arrangement 1 is depicted of which a cover has been removed such that the inside of the arrangement 1 can be seen. The wearable pollen detection arrangement 1 comprises a dynamic light scattering module 2 for measuring characteristics of airborne pollen P, wherein the dynamic light scattering module 2 comprises a sampling chamber 3 arranged to contain airborne pollen P. In addition, the dynamic light scattering module 2 comprises a laser 4 arranged to emit a beam of laser light L through the sampling chamber 3 and a measurement arrangement 5 arranged to detect laser light L scattered from the sampling chamber 3. The wearable pollen arrangement 1 further comprises an air sampling arrangement 6, which comprises an air inlet 12 arranged to sample air surrounding the wearable pollen detection arrangement 1 and transport the sampled air to the sampling chamber 3 via a dust filter 7. In the shown example, the dust filter 7 is a HEPA-filter. The laser 4 is a 5 volt laser diode. The wearable pollen detection arrangement 1 comprises an on board power source, in particular a rechargeable battery system 8, arranged to supply power to the wearable pollen detection arrangement 1.

The measurement arrangement 5 is further arranged to store physical properties related to airborne pollen P on a storage medium 9. In the shown example, the storage medium 9 is a digital storage medium.

In the shown embodiment, the wearable pollen detection arrangement 1 further comprises an user interface 10 arranged to received information submitted by a user. In the shown example, the interface 10 is a touch screen presented on a screen of the pollen detection arrangement 1.

Said detection arrangement 1 further comprises a processing unit 11 arranged to combine the physical properties related to the airborne pollen P and the information submitted by a user thereby creating a user based pollen profile. Information of said user based pollen profile is presented via the processing unit 11 on the interface 10, preferably a touch screen.

Referring to Fig. 2, the exemplary wearable pollen detection arrangement 1 of Fig. 1 is shown, however this time the cover has been placed such that the inside cannot be seen. In the shown example, the cover has a wearing arrangement 14, which can be used with strap 13 to wear the pollen detection arrangement 1 for example around the waste of the user.

Many variations will be apparent to the skilled person in the art.

For example, it shall be clear that the wearing arrangement 14 can be constructed out of various other options such as a clip or a buckle. Such variations are understood to be comprised within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (11)

Conclusions 1. A portable pollen detection device comprising a detection device for measuring characteristics of pollen in the air, the detection device comprising a dynamic light scattering module, the light scattering module comprising a sampling chamber adapted to trap the pollen in the air, a laser adapted to emit a light beam through the sampling chamber and a measuring device adapted to detect laser light scattered by the sampling chamber. 2. A portable pollen detection device according to claim 1, wherein the portable pollen detection device further comprises an air sampling device. 3. A portable pollen detection device according to claim 2, wherein the air sampling device comprises an air inlet adapted to sample the air around the portable pollen detection device and to transport the sampled air to the sampling chamber through a dust filter. 4. The portable pollen detection device of claim 3, wherein the dust filter is a HEPA filter. 5. A portable pollen detection device according to any preceding claim, further comprising an on-board power source, in particular a rechargeable battery system designed to supply power to the portable pollen detection device. 6. A portable pollen detection device according to any preceding claim, wherein the laser is a 5 Volt laser diode 1s. 7. A portable pollen detection device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the measuring device is further arranged to store physical properties related to the pollen in the air on a storage medium, preferably a digital storage medium. 8. A portable pollen detection device according to any preceding claim, further comprising a user interface configured to receive information submitted by a user. 9. A portable pollen detection device according to claim 8, wherein the portable pollen detection device further comprises a processing unit configured to combine the physical properties related to the pollen and the information submitted by a user thereby creating a user-based pollen profile. 10. A portable pollen detection device according to claim 9, wherein the processing unit is further configured to present information about the user-based pollen profile on the user interface. 11. A method for detecting pollen, comprising the steps of: - wearing a pollen detection device, preferably the portable pollen detection device according to any one of the preceding claims; - sampling the ambient air via an air inlet provided in the portable pollen detection device; - applying dynamic light scattering to the pollen in the sampled air by using a dynamic light scattering module to determine granularity of the pollen; and - identifying the pollen by comparing the granularity of the pollen with a database comprising pollen data, the database comprising at least an identifier, preferably a name, of the pollen and a corresponding granularity of the pollen.