SBIR Phase II: Development of Particulate Mass and Count Monitoring Instruments Using Micro-Electro-Mechanical Resonant Balances

SBIR 第二阶段：使用微机电谐振天平开发颗粒质量和计数监测仪器

• 批准号: 1353495
• 负责人: Varun Kumar
• 金额: $ 75万
• 依托单位: FemtoScale Inc.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-04-15 至 2016-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1353495&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; II; Development; Particulate

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project aims to develop small size, light-weight, and affordable personal particulate matter (PM) dosimeters. The targeted battery powered instrument almost the size of a fountain pen can be clipped onto clothing and freely carried around. The instrument can sample the surrounding air, separate airborne particles into several size ranges, and measure the mass of particles collected from the air sample in each size range. The instrument is comprised of a miniaturized cascade impactor with micro-electromechanical resonant balances embedded within, as impaction substrates. The cascade impactor configuration separates airborne particles based on their size and deposits them onto the resonant balance surfaces. Added mass of the deposited particles causes a negative shift in the resonant frequency of the microscale resonant balances. Integrated electronics within the system measure the resonator frequency changes and calculate the deposited mass and consequently PM concentration in the air flow in real-time. Development of such instruments would be a major leap forward, not only in aerosol science and technology, but also in microsystems technology. This product would be the first commercial product using a microscale mass balance in a sensory application and could open the door to other possibilities. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is in industrial hygiene for high dust work environments such as coal mines, underground construction sites, stone and wood cutting facilities, etc. Aerosol particles in the diameter range of a few microns and below pose serious threats to human health. While larger particles are filtered out by human nose and throat, finer particles can reach deep into the lungs and even other organs through the blood stream. It is well established that exposure to high particulate matter concentrations increases risk of various chronic diseases, lowers life expectancy, and in extreme cases leads to severe untreatable conditions such as Silicosis. Currently available particulate monitoring systems cannot address the need for a versatile, convenient, highly portable PM monitor. More importantly, the convenience, affordability, and versatility of the instrument allow tighter monitoring of PM levels and protecting every individual worker from harmful PM exposures. This could be a lifesaver for millions of workers in high risk environments.

该小型企业创新研究第二阶段项目旨在开发体积小、重量轻且价格实惠的个人颗粒物 (PM) 剂量计。 这种目标电池供电的仪器几乎有钢笔大小，可以夹在衣服上并自由携带。 该仪器可以对周围空气进行采样，将空气中的颗粒物分成几个尺寸范围，并测量从空气样本中收集到的每个尺寸范围内的颗粒物的质量。 该仪器由一个小型级联冲击器组成，其内嵌有微机电谐振天平作为冲击基底。 级联冲击器配置根据空气中颗粒的大小分离它们，并将它们沉积到共振平衡表面上。 沉积颗粒的质量增加导致微尺度共振天平的共振频率发生负移。 系统内的集成电子设备测量谐振器频率变化，并实时计算沉积质量，从而计算气流中的 PM 浓度。此类仪器的开发不仅是气溶胶科学技术的重大飞跃，也是微系统技术的重大飞跃。 该产品将是第一个在感官应用中使用微尺度质量平衡的商业产品，并且可以为其他可能性打开大门。 该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力在于高粉尘工作环境的工业卫生，如煤矿、地下建筑工地、石材和木材切割设施等。直径范围在几微米及以下的气溶胶颗粒构成严重威胁为了人类的健康。 虽然较大的颗粒会被人的鼻子和喉咙过滤掉，但较细的颗粒可以通过血流深入肺部甚至其他器官。 众所周知，接触高浓度颗粒物会增加患各种慢性疾病的风险，降低预期寿命，在极端情况下会导致严重的无法治疗的疾病，例如矽肺。 目前可用的颗粒物监测系统无法满足对多功能、方便、高度便携的颗粒物监测器的需求。 更重要的是，该仪器的便利性、经济性和多功能性可以更严格地监测颗粒物水平，并保护每个工人免受有害颗粒物暴露的影响。 这可能成为高风险环境中数百万工人的救星。