Electrostatic/Electrodynamic Nanoparticle-Capture Vessel

A proposed simple, portable, robust apparatus, capable of automated operation, has been proposed for collecting samples of selected biological or chemical species in harsh environments. The sampled species could range in size from molecules to nanoparticles (that is, particles with dimensions of the order of nanometers). The apparatus would select a biological or chemical species of interest for sampling by utilizing a combination of (1) electrostatic or electrodynamic fields and (2) a sieve containing holes of predetermined size.