Validation of a Robotic Surrogate for Measurement of Early Childhood Personal Exp

描述（由申请人提供）：该研究建议验证机器人替代品-学龄前可吸入颗粒物环境机器人（PIPER）采样器-用于收集研究人群中颗粒物（PM）的个人暴露，这些人群太年轻，无法通过现有方法准确收集个人暴露。暴露和剂量估计对于了解与环境有关的儿童疾病的病因至关重要。再悬浮颗粒物的行为表明，在家中进行的固定的一般面积测量可能低估了幼儿的这些暴露。此外，PM暴露的峰值水平可能对了解儿童早期疾病（如哮喘）的起源很重要。不幸的是，采样设备的尺寸和重量限制或阻止了它们用于非常年幼的儿童（如婴幼儿（6至36个月））暴露的PM直接测量。学步前可吸入颗粒物环境机器人（PIPER Mk IV）是在过去5年中开发出来的，旨在为年龄太小而无法通过传统个人采样方法测量暴露量的儿童提供一种替代方法，以确定个人暴露于PM的情况。PIPER提供了一个移动自主平台，在该平台上安装个人采样设备。PIPER的程序可以重现孩子在地板上玩耍时的动作模式，就像孩子扰乱和重新悬浮室内灰尘一样。PIPER Mk IV是超过5年的开发和测试的结果，并在参加NIEHS资助（R01-ES014717）研究的50多个家庭的测试中证明了其可靠性。提出了一项使用机器人代理（PIPER）对幼儿暴露于PM的替代个人抽样方法的验证研究。这项研究将通过在PIPER上安装相同的抽样系统，与100名在自己家中玩耍的儿童（50名男孩和50名女孩）进行并排比较。年龄在24 - 36个月之间的儿童将从现有的PIPER哮喘研究的参与者和参与新泽西州中部该研究的儿科实践中招募。这项验证研究的目的是为研究人员提供一个新的和新颖的工具来表征幼儿暴露于环境污染物。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The study proposes to validate a robotic surrogate - the Pre-toddler Inhalable Particulate Environmental Robotic (PIPER) sampler - for collecting personal exposures of particulate matter (PM) in a study population which is too young to have personal exposure collected accurately by existing methodologies. Exposure and dose estimation are essential to understanding the etiology of environmentally linked childhood diseases. The behavior of resuspended PM suggests that stationary general area measurements taken in homes may underestimate these exposures in young children. Additionally, peak levels of PM exposure may be important in understanding the origins of early childhood conditions such as asthma. Unfortunately the size and weight of sampling equipment limit or preclude their use for PM direct measurements of exposures in very young children, such as infants and toddlers (ages >6 to 36 months). The Pre-toddler Inhalable Particulate Environmental Robotic (PIPER Mk IV) has been developed over the last 5 years to provide a surrogate method to ascertain personal exposures to PM for children too young to have exposure measured by conventional personal sampling methodologies. PIPER provides a mobile autonomous platform on which to mount personal sampling devices. PIPER has been programmed to reproduce the pattern of a child's movement while at play on the floor, and as would a child disturbs and resuspends settled housedust. The PIPER Mk IV is the result of over 5 years of development and testing and has proven its reliability in tests in over 50 homes participating in an NIEHS funded (R01-ES014717) study. A validation study of an alternate personal sampling methodology using a robotic surrogate (PIPER) for young children's exposure to PM is proposed. The study will be carried out by mounting identical sampling systems on PIPER in side-by- side comparison with 100 children (50 boys and 50 girls) at play in their own homes. Children between >24 and 36 months of age will be recruited from participants of the existing PIPER Asthma Study and the pediatric practices participating in that study in central New Jersey. The goal of this validation study is to provide researchers with a new and novel tool for characterizing young children's exposure to environmental contaminants. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This study is designed to prove the value of a small robot (PIPER) to measure exposures of young children to environmental chemicals without having to actually have children present. The study will be carried having identical air sampling equipment on PIPER and 100 children at play in their own homes. Children who have had their 2nd birthday but have not yet turned 3 years-old wil be recruited from families who are participating in a current study of childhood asthma in central New Jersey. Both what children are exposed to and how much they are exposed to are essential to understanding the causes of environmentally linked childhood diseases. Because of the size and weight of sampling equipment studies like this range from difficult in 2 year olds to impossible in children who are younger. The Pre-toddler Inhalable Particulate Environmental Robotic (PIPER Mk IV) sampler has been developed over the last 5 years to provide a method to measure personal exposures to airborne environmental contaminants for children too young to have exposure measured by existing personal sampling technology. PIPER provides a mobile platform on which to mount personal sampling devices. PIPER has been programmed to reproduce the pattern of a child's movement while at play on the floor, and disturbs and resuspends settled housedust and any contaminants that might be present.