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Design, testing and analysis of COVID-19 breathalyzer
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Harris, Joshua. Design, testing and analysis of COVID-19 breathalyzer. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-gbnp-3s16

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TitleDesign, testing and analysis of COVID-19 breathalyzer
NameHarris, Joshua (author); Drazer, German (chair); DeMauro, Edward P (member); Drazer, German (member); Baruh, Haim (member); Rutgers University; School of Graduate Studies
Date Created2022
Other Date2022-10 (degree)
SubjectFluid mechanics, Biomedical engineering, Mechanical engineering, Breathalyzer, Computational fluid dynamics, COVID-19, Design, Efficiency, Tests
Extent1 online resource (105 pages) : illustrations
DescriptionThis thesis is the portion of the author’s contribution to a group project that was funded by the National Institutes of Health to create a new form of a respiratory test. With a primary focus on detecting the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its variations, the breathalyzer test is then planned to be adaptable to detect and distinguish between different types of respiratory diseases such as MERS, SARS and influenza. The appeal to a breathalyzer test is tantalizing because breathalyzers are easy to use compared to other forms of COVID-19 testing. Breathing, a simple form of COVID-19 transmission, is all that is expected for the test. The mechanism behind this transmission is the production of aerosol particles, which carry viruses when individuals are sick with respiratory diseases.

The key component behind the design of a breathalyzer is a way of capturing the aerosol particles. Several methods of capturing particles are explored and addressed in the thesis, along with the choice that was ultimately selected. Once sufficient aerosol particles are captured, they come into contact with the sensor technology developed by Rutgers University, is able to detect an electrical signal if there is a sufficient viral load.

The theory behind the flow created in a breathalyzer exists, but never for such a specific application as a respiratory test. Not only is there nozzle flow, but also there are significant disturbance downstream that allow for air to continue to flow through, while simultaneously collecting the aerosol particles. Computational Fluid Dynamics were used to help predict and visualize the airflow and aid with prototype design. Moreover, in an attempt to best capture the most particles, certain parameters were optimized to see if that improved performance. A main indicator of performance, at of the time this thesis was completed, was measured by what is called as “capture efficiency”, which is the percentage of mass that exited the breathalyzer. Results of these was analyzed to see if there was trend in efficiency based on certain parametric features.

Empirical tests were done at Rutgers University with a realistic setup to emulate the flow of breath into the breathalyzer. CFD is used to visualize and predict the flow physics not seen through empirical tests or the naked eye.

As this thesis is completed, research is still ongoing in an attempt to perfect the current design and further optimize the system. Once completed, along with the optimization of the sensor technology, human trials will begin.
NoteM.S.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
Genretheses
Persistent URLhttps://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-gbnp-3s16
LanguageEnglish
CollectionSchool of Graduate Studies Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.
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