How Instantaneous Microbial Detection™ Technology Can Benefit Your Critical Environment

Q: What do Azbil BioVigilant’s Instantaneous Microbial Detection systems sample?

A: The IMD-A samples air.

Q: What types of microbes can Azbil BioVigilant’s IMD-A systems detect?

A: Bacteria, yeast, and mold.

Q: Does Azbil BioVigilant’s IMD-A systems count spores as microbes?

A: Yes. IMD-A systems will detect spores and count them as microbes.

Q: How do IMD-A systems detect microbes?

A: Azbil BioVigilant’s IMD-A systems detect the presence of microbes by simultaneously measuring the size and intrinsic fluorescence of every particle in an aerosol sample as it is drawn through the instrument and interrogated by a laser.  Microbes possess certain organic auto-fluorescent compounds necessary for cellular function, including NADH, riboflavin, and DPA (in the case of endospores).  When these intrinsic fluorophores are excited by laser, they auto-fluoresce and this signal is measured.  The IMD-A uses this fluorescence measurement as a critical metric within its proprietary and deterministic algorithms to differentiate a particle of biological origin (e.g. a bacterium) from an inert (e.g. dust) particle.