The Need

Indoor air can be polluted by various sources, including building materials, furniture, cleaning products, and even people. Exposure to these resulting contaminants and allergens can lead to a variety of health problems, such as respiratory irritation, allergies, and even cancer. It is currently difficult and expensive to monitor indoor air quality for these harmful contaminants.

The Technology

Dr. Karen Dannemiller's lab at OSU has developed a kit for detecting airborne contaminants and allergens using color-changing badges and a mobile phone application. The badge includes a reaction area that changes color upon exposure to a contaminant or allergen, and a calibration area for reference. The mobile app helps users capture images of the badge and analyzes the color change to estimate the concentration of the contaminant or allergen in the environment.

Commercial Applications

This kit benefits industries concerned with indoor air quality and potential exposure to formaldehyde or allergens, including:

• Construction & building management: Verifies compliance with formaldehyde standards and monitors existing structures.
• Furniture manufacturing: Tests products for emissions.
• Indoor Air Quality consultants: Conducts on-site screening for quicker assessment.
• Healthcare facilities: Ensures a healthy environment for patients and staff.

Benefits/Advantages

This technology offers several compelling benefits and advantages:

• Ease of use: User-friendly badges and app replace complex equipment.
• Cost-effective: Traditional air quality testing methods can be expensive.
• Real-time results: Unlike lab-based tests, the system provides near-instant results.
• Targeted detection: This system offers options for specific contaminant detection (formaldehyde) and allergen monitoring, providing focused information.
• Portability: The badge can be placed in various locations within a building.

PCT Filed (USA)