A Smoke Alarm that Effectively Awakens Children from Sleep and Prompts Escape

DESCRIPTION provided by applicant Being asleep at the time of a residential fire is an important risk factor for fire related death Children years of age are extraordinarily unlikey to be awakened by a traditional high frequency tone residential alarm There has been great emphasis on development of smoke alarm technologies for detection of different types of fires but comparatively little scientific study on how to best alert sleeping occupants especially children of the presence of a fire once it is detected Findings from our preliminary research suggest that an effective and low cost alarm for children years of age is achievable Our long term goal is to prevent fire related morbidity and mortality especially among children The objective of this study is to test a smoke alarm that effectively awakens children from sleep and prompts their escape We will achieve the objective of our study by addressing the following two specific aims using a randomized non blinded repeated measures clinical intervention design Specific Aim is to test the hypothesis that the experimental alarm will more effectively awaken children years of age during slow wave sleep when compared with a traditional high frequency tone residential alarm Specific Aim is to test the hypothesis that the experimental alarm will result in successful completion of simulated escape behaviors by children years of age after awakening from slow wave sleep when compared with a traditional high frequency tone residential alarm This research is highly innovative and methodologically stronger than previous studies because sleep stage is monitored which is a critical factor influencing sleep arousal and subjects perform a simulated escape procedure which is a vital action for survival in a fire A smoke alarm must both awaken and prompt a personandapos s escape to be effective No commercially available smoke alarm has had its effectiveness evaluated in this rigorous manner Our team has the unique experience and qualifications to successfully conduct this research to develop an alarm that will effectively awaken children and other household occupants and prompt their escape in a fire emergency Innovations in Safety LLC was created with the goal of developing and marketing safety technologies at low cost in the United States and in low and middle income countries globally PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE This research is significant because it addresses an under studied public health problem affecting the vulnerable pediatric population in residential fires I will lead to the development and commercialization of an effective low cost smoke alarm that will awaken children and other household occupants and prompt their escape in a fire emergency which provides an important opportunity to reduce fire related morbidity and mortality