A COMPUTERIZED BENCH-TOP INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE TEST CHAMBER

CONFIRMING THE ACCURAY OF LIFE-PROTECTING INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE TEST EQUIPMENT OR SIMULATING MILITARY ENVIRONMENTS OFTEN REQUIRES SOPHISTICATED AND CUMBERSOME TEST CHAMBERS DEPENDENT ON COMPLICATED CALCULATIONS. THE CALIBRATION OF SUCH TEST EQUIPMENT MAY BE EASILY COMPROMISED BY OPERATOR ERROR WHERE INVOLVED CALCULATIONS ARE USED AND COMPLICATED INTERCONNECTIONS AND VALVES ARE EMPLOYED. WE PROPOSE TO USE A COMPUTERIZED GAS STANDARDS GENERATOR, AND A PARTICLE GENERATOR CUSTOMIZED TO FIT A SPECIALLY DESIGNED PLEXIGLASS CHAMBER THAT IS BENCH-TOP SIZED. THIS CHAMBER WILL BE DESIGNED FOR RUGGEDNESSAND MOBILITY TO PERMIT USE IN THE FIELD. THIS PROJECT WILL RESULT IN THE DELIVERY OF A COMPUTERIZED INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE TEST CHAMBER THAT ELIMINATES THE NEED FOR OPERATOR CALCULATIONS WHILE AUTOMATING THE BLENDING OF GASES AND AEROSOLS, AND PERMITTING THE SIMULATION OF CONTROLLED TEST ENVIRONMENTS. THERE EXISTS WITHIN THE NORTHEAST RESEARH, INC. AND THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS (DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES) CONSIDERABLE EXPERTISE AND FACILITIES IN ANALYTIC MONITORING, INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE MEASUREMENTS, AND COMPUTERIZED APPLICATIONS. THESE TWO INSTITUTIONS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN A NUMBER OF PREVIOUS RELATED RESEARCH EFFORTS INCLUDING SBIR GRANTS.