Access Sensor Technologies LLC — Department of Health and Human Services SBIR Phase II: NIOSH

Description

! Project Summary Exposure to particulate matterPMair pollution is the fifth leading cause of premature disease and death on the planet and the number one environmental risk factor for the global burden of diseaseposing a greater danger than all other environmental risk factors combinedaccording to the World Health OrganizationDespite the growing needand demandthe state of the art for assessing personal exposure to PM is based on decades old technology that is inefficientburdensomeand expensiveThe physical burden posed by these monitorsnoisevisual aestheticand weightmake them difficult to wearThe cost of these monitors also prevents air pollution exposure monitoring at scales relevant to epidemiologic research and occupational hazard surveillanceThis Phase II proposal will develop and commercialize a novellightweightand inexpensive personal sampling technology based upon ultrasonic piezoelectric pumping modulesThe ultrasonic personal aerosol samplerUPAShas the potential to gain a wide share of the air pollution monitoring marketAST proposes developing this sampler into a commercial prototype that is inexpensiveandlt $bill of material cost at scaleprovides both time integratedfilter basedand real time measurementsis accurateflow control and PM sampling efficiency withinof referencecompactlightweightandltgprovides better subject fitmenthas no annual maintenance requirementsand virtually silent in operationFurthermorethe technology will be versatileable to collect PMalong with other relevant size fractions such as PMand PMrespirableand inhalable PMfor sample durations of up tohrsTaken togetherthese innovative aspects suggest that the UPAS will be highly competitive with potential for rapid and substantial market penetrationThree aims are proposedIntegrate a novelreal time PM sensor into the UPAS hardware firmwareDevelop a suite of different plug and play size selective inlets to make the UPAS more versatile and optimize the UPAS for weightpowerperformanceand usabilityValidate performance of the prototype through laboratory and field testing!! Project Narrative Nearly every active sampling technique for workplace aerosol and vapor exposure assessment relies on the use of a separate personal sampling pump and a tubing connected samplerSuch state of art sampling equipment has a costsizeweight and operational complexity that form a substantial barrier to truly widespread deploymentWe propose to develop an innovativelow costlow burdenand fully integratedonepiecesampler with enhanced data management and new functionalities to greatly improve the ability to assess exposures and protect worker health!