Wearable Air Sampling Device with Integrated Gas Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current air sampling technologies are costly, cumbersome, and limited in their ability to conduct comprehensive exposure assessments, particularly in occupational and environmental health settings, due to their high cost, complexity, and limited capacity for simultaneous measurements, which restricts the identification of workers at greatest risk and leads to imprecise health outcome estimates.
Innovation Solution
A portable, wearable sampling device that includes a size-selective inlet, particle sampling filter, and gas sampler, capable of real-time and time-integrated measurements of airborne compounds, featuring a 'twist-to-start' mechanism, sorbent gas sampling tubes, and integrated sensors for VOC detection, GPS, and quality assurance features, allowing for extensive and precise exposure assessments without the need for tubing, thus reducing size and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional personal sampling technology is used, then measurement accuracy is maintained, but device complexity and cost increase, limiting the number of measurements per day to approximately 10
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sampling functions (particle sampling, gas sampling, VOC detection, GPS tracking) into a single integrated wearable device. This merging of functions allows the device to perform comprehensive exposure assessments simultaneously, dramatically increasing the number of measurements that can be taken per day while maintaining reference-quality accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The wearable sampling device is designed as a multi-functional instrument that can measure various airborne contaminants (particles, gases, VOCs) and provide geospatial data. This universality enables a single device to replace multiple specialized instruments, allowing industrial hygienists to conduct extensive exposure assessments across diverse contaminants without increasing device complexity.
2Quantity of substance
If comprehensive exposure assessment is conducted for every worker, then exposure dataset size increases, but cost becomes exorbitant under current technology
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable sorbent tubes for gas and VOC sampling that can be easily replaced. This disposable approach eliminates the need for complex cleanup and maintenance procedures, reducing the overall cost per measurement. Combined with the wearable design, this enables comprehensive exposure assessment of multiple workers at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods.
3Ease of operation
If traditional sampling devices are used, then measurement capability is sufficient, but device size and weight increase, reducing portability and wearability
Solution Approach 1:
The sampling device utilizes a nested structure where the sorbent tubes are positioned within the housing, and components are arranged in a compact, space-efficient configuration. This nesting approach allows the device to maintain all necessary sampling functions while minimizing overall size and weight, making it truly wearable and portable for extended use.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables widespread, cost-effective, and precise personal exposure monitoring to hundreds of airborne hazards, providing reference-quality data with minimal user training, reducing noise, weight, and maintenance, while facilitating geographically mapped exposure tracking and improved health outcome predictions.
Implementation Method 1
at least one pumping element disposed within the inner chamber and configured to facilitate airflow through the device
Implementation Method 2
at least one gas sensor disposed within the inner chamber and configured to detect and/or characterize one or more gases in the airflow
Implementation Method 3
The tube retention assembly may include a variable-diameter tube contactor disposed between a first end of the sorbent tube and a first end surface of a gas sensor chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A portable sampling device includes a sampling housing at least partially enclosing an inner chamber; at least one pumping element disposed within the inner chamber and configured to facilitate airflow through the device; and at least one gas sensor disposed within the inner chamber and configured to detect and/or characterize one or more gases in the airflow.