Improvement of a Respiratory Ozone Analyzer

Dr. Ultman and his colleagues at Pennsylvania State University redesigned their first-generation analyzer that measures the dose of inhaled ozone to reduce electronic noise (interference) and improve the signal's stability. To do so, they adjusted each parameter that influenced the analyzer's performance: the flow of the air sample into the instrument, the pressure in the chamber where the air sample and the reactant gas mixed, the relative amounts of the reactant gas and air sample, and electronic variables (frequency and voltage). Through trial and error, they determined the combination of parameters that would produce the fastest response time, the strongest and most stable signal, and the least interference from noise. To evaluate the success of their modifications, they conducted a pilot test to measure ozone uptake in the respiratory tracts of two human subjects.