An InnovaPrep surface extraction system is currently in the research and development stage.   This work has been funded internally and through a Leonard Wood Institute and Army Research Laboratory SBIR Phase 0 grant. The system has been proven to be rapid and highly efficient at extracting Bacillus globigii from hard surfaces into milliliter volumes. Subsequent concentration of the liquid can then be performed with the InnovaPrep liquid-to-liquid concentrator.

Seven test runs were recently performed with Bacillus globigii. for recovery from a hard surface followed by liquid-to-liquid concentration into a volume of 1.2 milliliters. An average efficiency of 80.7% was determined for these test runs. Potential applications include use by Bioterrorism defense first responders, military biodefense applications, monitoring of food preparation surfaces, and monitoring of surfaces in hospitals and healthcare facilities.

The photographs below demonstrate extraction of 1 micrometer polystyrene microspheres from a countertop. A suspension of microspheres was pipetted onto the surface and spread into a 2 inch wide strip. The first photograph was taken during extraction of the surface; an ultraviolet light was used to increase the visibility of the microspheres. The second photograph was taken after extraction of the surface.