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BookmarkOctober 1, 2005 — Respirators save lives for the first responders who wear them, but their cartridges need to be changed often. Without knowing it, users could be inhaling deadly gases. Electrical engineering student Sarah Bedair has developed a microscopic device that detects harmful chemicals. The tiny sensor fits inside the cartridge and can provide warnings that the cartridge needs to be changed before the next fire.
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PITTSBURGH--Firefighters put their lives on the line everyday protecting us from harm. Now, a new device helps protect them.
A fire that reduces a building to a pile of rubble can be seen for miles. Firefighter Al Hernandez knows it is a risky job, "We knew there was going to be some burning materials that were going to produce some really toxic gases."
Breathing respirators protect against toxic gases, and cartridges on the respirator filter the air. Over time, the cartridges need to be changed, and without knowing it users could be inhaling deadly gases.
Gary Fedder, an electrical engineer from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh says, "They currently have no good mechanism for knowing when their carbon cartridges in their respirators are spent."
Electrical engineering student Sarah Bedair developed a microscopic device that detects harmful chemicals. Bedair, an electrical engineering Ph.D. student at Carnegie Mellon University, says, "It will tell us what's in the air around. Ultimately, you'll know what you're being exposed to."
Here's how it works: The tiny sensor fits inside the cartridge. Back at the fire station, the speed of the wires on the sensor is checked. If the wires have slowed down -- that's a warning the cartridge needs to be changed before the next fire. "It can save long-term health of first responders," Fedder says. "It's going to be another safety net for them. They've got plenty to worry about in a crisis."
Researchers are still working on perfecting the tiny sensor, but once available the disposable device will cost about $1.
