Ultrafine Particulate Monitor for Personal Exposure Assessment

暴露于颗粒空气污染物与心血管疾病、哮喘、肺癌和其他疾病有关。 疾病。在美国，疾病预防控制中心估计哮喘每年花费200亿美元用于医疗保健， 工作日和早逝然而，由于环境暴露机制的复杂性， 关于疾病的病因仍存在一定程度的不确定性。可穿戴和高度敏感的颗粒 传感器可以帮助进一步阐明疾病和接触微粒之间的联系。 在这个小型企业创新研究第2阶段项目中，Aerodyne Microsystems Inc. (AMI)将调查 小型化、电池供电和廉价传感器用于实时监测暴露的可行性 空气中的颗粒物（PM）从2.5微米到超细。该系统采用热泳 将来自样品空气流的微粒沉积到薄膜体声波谐振器（FBAR）上，以及 通过测量振荡的频移来确定沉积的PM质量。掺入 微机械机电系统（MEMS）技术允许前所未有的功率降低 消耗、成本、样品流速和尺寸。 该研究计划是开发和实验证明一种新的方法产生的空气流在 设备，演示传感器在各种苛刻的实际操作条件下的操作， 实现气溶胶采样和处理的新技术，提高传感器的检测水平。的 该项目的成功结果将导致一个低成本的分析仪器，提供实时 颗粒的质量集中在一个紧凑的，可磨损的形状因子。显示器将适合于 量化个人暴露于一系列环境污染物，如汽车尾气、木材 烟雾和纳米颗粒。该仪器的其他市场包括通风控制，工业卫生， 发电厂监控、制药粉末加工、飞机和汽车监控，以及 消费者空气质量监测。

Exposure to particulate air pollutants is associated with cardiovascular disease, asthma, lung cancer, and other illnesses. In the United States the CDC estimates that asthma costs $20 billion annually in medical care, lost workdays, and early deaths. However, due to the complexity of the environmental exposure mechanisms, there remains a degree of uncertainty concerning disease etiology. Wearable and highly-sensitive particulate sensors could help further elucidate the linkages between disease and particulate exposure. In this Small Business Innovation Research Phase 2 project Aerodyne Microsystems Inc. (AMI) will investigate the feasibility of a miniaturized, battery-powered, and inexpensive sensor for real-time monitoring of exposure to airborne particulate matter (PM) from 2.5 um to ultrafine. The system employs the thermophoretic deposition of particulates from a sample air stream onto a thin-film bulk acoustic wave resonator (FBAR), and determines the PM mass deposited by measuring the frequency shift of oscillation. Incorporation of micromachined-electromechanical-system (MEMS) technologies allows unprecedented reduction in power consumption, cost, sample flow rate, and size. The research plan is to develop and experimentally demonstrate a new method for generation of air flow in the device, demonstrate sensor operation across a wide range of harsh, real-world operating conditions, and realize a new technique for aerosol sampling and handling that improves the sensor level of detection. The successful outcome of the project would culminate in a low-cost analytical instrument that provides real-time mass concentration of particles in a compact, wearable form factor. The monitor would be suitable for quantification of personal exposure to a range of environmental pollutants such as automotive exhaust, wood smoke, and nanoparticles. Other markets for the instrument include ventilation control, industrial hygiene, power plant monitoring, pharmaceutical powder processing, monitoring in aircraft and automobiles, and consumer air quality monitoring.