A flash-lamp based device for fluorescence detection and identification of individual pollen grains

We present a novel optical aerosol particle detector based on Xe flash lamp excitation and spectrally resolved fluorescence acquisition. We demonstrate its performances on three natural pollens acquiring in real-time scattering intensity at two wavelengths, sub-microsecond time-resolved scattering traces of the particles’ passage in the focus, and UV-excited fluorescence spectra. We show that the device gives access to a rather specific detection of the bioaerosol particles.