Respiratory Function Measurement System for Nonhuman Primates

To address the CBD need for a real-time measurement system for nonhuman primate and rabbit respiratory tidal volumes suitable for a Class 3 biological safety (BSL-3) cabinet, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new Respiratory Function Measurement (RFM) system. This system is based on a piezoelectric transducer that responds to pressure generated by the animal’s thoracic cage during respiration. The innovative system architecture, with an accurately positioned piezoelectric transducer, wireless data transmission, and materials compatible with formaldehyde and hydrogen peroxide gases, will enable the RFM system to accurately measure, the respiratory parameters of animals during aerosol exposure inside a BSL-3 cabinet and display the data on a PC outside the cabinet in real time. In Phase I POC will demonstrate the feasibility of a RFM system by developing a design and concept for real-time output of tidal volume, respiration frequency, and minute volume; evaluating its suitability for formaldehyde and hydrogen peroxide gas decontamination; and showing its functionality in a BSL-3 cabinet through testing of a system prototype. In Phase II POC will develop a fully functional engineering prototype and test it before and after decontamination.