Handheld Biomonitoring Device for Estimating the Adverse Health Effects of Noxious Exposures

Environmental monitoring is not always an adequate method to evaluate human exposure to toxic chemicals. There exists a need for a biomonitoring device to measure immunotoxicity and exposure to toxic industrial chemicals and materials in the body fluids of military personnel. Chemicals concern include: common heavy metals (lead, uranium, cadmium), industrial compounds (benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, xylenes), and agricultural pesticides (pyrethrins, organophosphates). The objective of the proposed work is to develop an immunoassay-based biomonitoring device similar in size in function to a Personal Digital Assistant. The proposed immunoassay approach allows for a potentially small, low cost, highly selective biomarker detection system for immunotoxicity monitoring. The system will include signal conditioning circuitry, a human interface, and replaceable and expandable immunoassay based sensor elements. Work will concentrate on evaluation of potential molecular detection elements and supports, evaluation and demonstration on potential optical sensor configurations of which there are several, and evaluation and development of the signal conditioning, display, and human interface hardware. Phase I efforts will focus on sensing representative biomarkers in order to demonstrate the concept. Later work will expand the detection capabilities to a wider range of biomarkers as a broad immunotoxicity indicator .