Method and apparatus for integrating chemical and environmental sensors into an air purification filter through a reusable sensor post

Abstract

A sensor device is disclosed for providing end of service life indication for an air purification filter. The sensor device has a cylindrical housing for insertion into a sorbent bed of a filter, and can be removed from the bed and reused at the end of the filter service. One or more sensors inside the housing are configured to sense physical/chemical characteristics of air passing through the sorbent bed, and to provide associated data to a sensor conditioning board within the housing. The sensor conditioning board processes the received data and conditions the data as desired. The housing is receivable in a cavity formed in the filter bed. A receiving structure receives the housing therein. Data from the one or more sensors can be used to calculate predicted end of service life of the filter. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

1 . A method for monitoring a service life of a filter for a mask, the method comprising:
 providing a sensor device having a sensor for detection of at least one chemical, the sensor being positioned in a device housing having at least one opening along an outer surface of the device housing;   embedding a receiving structure in a sorbent bed, the receiving structure including at least one opening extending from an inside of the receiving structure to an outside of the receiving structure, the opening of the receiving structure configured to allow vapor flow from the sorbent bed;   attaching at least a portion of the device housing onto an inhalation valve support from one of a respirator and a blower; and   inserting at least a portion of the device housing into the at least one receiving structure opening with attachment of the filter onto the mask, the at least one opening of the receiving structure aligning with the at least one opening of the device housing.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising calculating the service life of the filter based on a trend read-out determined using data received from the sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising repeating the calculating at set time intervals. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the calculating further comprises using an algorithm to calculate a residual service life of the filter and predict an end of service life time of the filter by modeling a collected chemical concentration profile into a predefined model, and using the model to predict an evolution progress of the concentration profile at any given time to provide the residual service life as well as the end of service life time. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising transmitting data from the sensor device that indicates the service life of the filter. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the receiving structure extends the length of the sorbent bed of the filter. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises at least one chemical concentration sensor positioned along a length of the device housing, each of the sensors associated with an opening in the device housing. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising sealing the outer surface of the device housing to the receiving structure of the sorbent bed. 
     
     
         9 . A method for monitoring a service life of a filter, the method comprising:
 providing a sensor device having a sensor for detection of at least one chemical, the sensor positioned in a device housing having at least one opening along an outer surface of the device housing;   embedding a receiving structure in a sorbent bed of the filter, the receiving structure extending the length of the sorbent bed of the filter and including at least one opening extending from an inside of the receiving structure to an outside of the receiving structure, the at least one opening of the receiving structure configured to allow vapor flow from the sorbent bed;   attaching the device housing onto an inhalation valve support from one of a respirator and a blower; and   inserting the device housing into the receiving structure while attaching the filter onto the mask, wherein the at least one opening of the receiving structure aligns with the at least one opening of the device housing.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising calculating a service life of the filter based on a trend read-out determined using data received from the sensor. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising repeating the calculating at set time intervals. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the calculating further comprises using an algorithm to calculate a residual service life of the filter and predict an end of service life time of the filter by modeling a collected chemical concentration profile into a predefined model, and using the model to predict an evolution progress of the concentration profile at any given time to provide the residual service life as well as the end of service life time. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising transmitting data from the sensor device that indicates the service life of the filter. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the sensor comprises one or more chemical concentration sensors positioned along a length of the device housing, each of the sensors associated with an opening in the device housing. 
     
     
         15 . A method for monitoring a service life of a filter for a mask, the method comprising:
 providing a sensor device having a plurality of sensors for detection of at least one chemical, the plurality of sensors positioned in a device housing having at least one opening along an outer surface of the housing associated which each of the plurality of sensors;   positioning at plurality of seals adjacent an outer surface of the sensor housing to isolate at least one of the plurality of sensors from at least one other of the plurality of sensors;   providing a receiving structure in a sorbent bed, the receiving structure including at least one opening extending from an inside of the receiving structure to an outside of the receiving structure, the receiving structure opening configured to allow vapor flow from the sorbent bed;   attaching at least a portion of the device housing onto an inhalation support from one of a respirator and a blower; and   inserting at least a portion of the device housing into the at least one receiving structure opening with attachment of the filter onto the mask, the at least one opening of the receiving structure aligning with at least one opening of the plurality of openings of the device housing.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising calculating the service life of the filter based on a trend read-out determined using data received from at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising repeating the calculating step at set time intervals. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising transmitting data from the sensor device that indicates the service life of the filter. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the receiving structure extends the length of the sorbent bed of the filter. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprise at least one chemical concentration sensor.