AutoSense: Quantifying Exposures to Addictive Substances and Psychosocial Stress

描述（由申请人提供）：反复接触成瘾物质和心理社会压力与无数人类疾病（如癌症、吸毒成瘾、心脏病和抑郁症）有关，对公共卫生造成巨大负担。然而，由于缺乏技术来收集精确、准确和客观的数据，以实时和在个人自然环境中测量个人对成瘾物质和社会心理压力的暴露程度，我们在了解接触成瘾物质和社会心理压力如何与流行人类疾病病因学中的遗传因素相互作用方面的进展受到阻碍。在这个跨学科研究项目中，我们建议开发并验证一种名为AutoSense的新型现场可部署工具，通过利用无线传感器网络技术的最新发展，以及使用可穿戴传感器的创新方法，对人体间质液进行非侵入性、实时和连续的生化评估，来测量个人酒精暴露和心理社会压力。AutoSense将基于一种高度通用、便携、经济实惠的无线传感器网络平台，该平台带有微处理器和无线收发器，称为Mote，该平台已被用于多种嵌入式传感应用，包括动态病人监测。这个项目有三个具体目标。首先，我们建议将现有的ISF酒精传感器集成到AutoSense中。这种由SpectRx Inc.开发的非侵入性传感器收集ISF样本，以检测受试者体内存在的酒精水平，并自动校准以辨别血液中酒精水平的变化。我们还将在Mote上集成其他几个现有的生理传感器，以评估与压力相关的生理反应，包括皮肤温度、皮肤电导、呼吸速率和心率。其次，我们将开发新的软件来收集和处理酒精和压力暴露的生理数据，通过无线通道安全地实时传输收集到的数据，并远程指挥、控制和更新现场部署的AutoSense设备。第三，我们将进行严格的实验室和实地研究来验证AutoSense设备。实验室研究的目标是确定使用基于isf的酒精传感器和其他生理传感器作为酒精暴露和压力的生化反应测量的有效性。实地研究的目标将是证明实地部署的可行性和可靠性。相关性：AutoSense设备将使研究人员能够量化个人接触成瘾物质和心理社会压力，就像个人在现实生活中所经历的那样。这种能力将促进我们对成瘾物质暴露和社会心理压力如何与造成巨大公共卫生负担的流行人类疾病病因中的遗传因素相互作用的理解。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Repeated exposures to addictive substances and psychosocial stress are associated with myriad human diseases (e.g., cancer, drug addiction, heart disease, and depression) of tremendous public health burden. However, our progress in the understanding of how exposures to addictive substances and psychosocial stress interact with genetic factors in the etiology of prevalent human diseases is hindered by the lack of technology to collect precise, accurate and objective data to measure personal exposure to both addictive substances and to psychosocial stress, in real time and in an individual's natural environment. In this trans-disciplinary research project, we propose to develop and validate a new field-deployable tool called AutoSense, to measure personal exposure to alcohol and psychosocial stress by leveraging recent developments in wireless sensor network technology, and innovative approaches in the use of wearable sensors for the non-invasive, real-time, and continuous biochemical assessment of human interstitial fluid. AutoSense will be based on a highly versatile, portable, affordable, and de-facto wireless sensor network platform with a microprocessor and wireless transceiver, called Mote, which is already being used in several embedded sensing applications, including ambulatory patient monitoring. There are three specific aims of this project. First, we propose to integrate an existing ISF alcohol sensor in AutoSense. This sensor developed by SpectRx Inc. non-invasively collects ISF samples to detect levels of alcohol present in a subject's body and automatically calibrates to discern changes in blood alcohol levels. We will also integrate several other existing physiological sensors on the Mote to assess physiological responses related to stress, including skin temperature, skin conductance, respiration rate, and heart rate. Second, we will develop new software to collect and process physiological data on alcohol and stress exposure, to securely transmit the collected data via wireless channel on a real-time basis, and to command, control, and update field deployed AutoSense devices remotely. Third, we will conduct rigorous lab and field studies to validate the AutoSense device. The goals of the lab study will be to establish the validity of using the ISF-based alcohol sensor and other physiological sensors as measures of biochemical responses to alcohol exposure and stress. The goals of the field study will be to demonstrate the feasibility and reliability of field deployment. Relevance: The AutoSense device will enable researchers to quantify personal exposure to addictive substances and psychosocial stress, as experienced by individuals in real-life situations. Such a capability will advance our understanding of how exposures to addictive substances and psychosocial stress interact with genetic factors in the etiology of prevalent human diseases of tremendous public health burden.