MEC_Final.docx

Minimum Essential Characteristics Air-liquid interface exposure system, installation, training, and warranty with shipping for U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD)

Quantity 1 = Air-liquid Interface Exposure Chamber

· Air-liquid interface (ALI) exposure

· Provides control over airborne test articles

· Holds and maintains cells and tissue models at physiological ALI conditions consistent with human respiratory tract or dermis

· More closely replicates mammalian lung inhalation exposure conditions by delivering airborne gas, vapor, aerosols, or dry particle test articles than traditional submerged culture models

· Exposed ALI models can be easily moved to incubators post-exposure via single insert or entire exposed plate

· Provides high quality and repeatable data comparable to published scientific literature

· Associated mini-incubator housing for controlled environment

· Heated enclosure to adjust, maintain, and record temperature and humidity close to human physiological condition

· Airtight seal to maintain physiological relevant humidity

· Operates under a vacuum to reduce potential exposure to researchers while maintaining emission source

· Internally facing components are made of material to minimize reactivity, damage to system components, and loss of toxicant to internal wall surface and make cleaning easy

· All air flow system components and sensors are housed within the system for stable reproducibility of mammalian physiological conditions.

· Modular and versatile design to evaluate different toxicant phases, experimental designs, and in vitro model formats

· All-in-One system to evaluate any type of airborne toxicant or drug delivery regardless of its physical form (gas vs. vapor vs. mixed aerosol vs particle).

· User-friendly design for someone with minimal to moderate experience with using ALI systems to conduct airborne toxicant exposures

· Modules are highly compatible and allow easy switch out capabilities

· Flexible design to handle user-defined multi-well ALI model formats

· Allows acquisition of one system under a single funded equipment ceiling budget

· Electrostatic deposition system

· Uses electrostatic unipolar charging source to push particles onto ALI culture models to maximize particle deposition and reduce the use of costly particle samples

· Can be turned off and on, or completely removed from the chamber depending on experimental goals

· Multi-well plate format

· Allows for simultaneous exposures to the same test atmosphere, for example:

· Comparison of with/without electrostatic deposition

· Comparison of two different ALI model systems

· Assess mixed aerosols (particles + gas) by allowing particles to deposit on one plate and not the other

· Dynamic exposure platform capability

· Options to maximize deposition of either gases, vapors, aerosols or particulate

· Ability to hold single “transwell” inserts or entire cell culture plate in 6, 12, or 24-well “Transwell” formats in exposure system

· Throughput design allowing between 6 to 24 replicate samples per exposure run

· Easy integration with other generation and monitoring systems

· Systems that provide liquid aerosols, dry particle, gas, vapors, and mixed aerosols can be incorporated into the system

· Real-time monitoring systems can be deployed and up- and down-stream of ALI exposure system to monitor and quantify airborne test article concentrations and air flow parameters

· Cleanup and filters can easily be incorporated into the downstream airflow to remove toxicants before discharge into laboratory exhaust

· Small physical footprint in lab

· Generation, ALI exposure system, and vacuum pump must fit within a standard (48” wide x 36” deep x 59” high) chemical fume hood

· Low maintenance cost

· Components are self-maintained by user

· Minimal maintenance services for only repairs required by company field technicians Quantity 1 = Airflow Humidifier

· Humidification of test atmospheres

· In-line humidification of test atmosphere above 75% humidity

· Easily charged and reused

· Customizable for other fittings for different tube sizes and integration with several different upstream aerosol generation systems and downstream ALI exposure designs, modules, and chambers Quantity 1 = Airflow Dryer

· Drying of test atmosphere

· Placed downstream of ALI exposure chamber to dry test atmospheres before exhausting to waste bottles or chemical fume hood

· Prevents condensation and blockage of air flow downstream of ALI exposure chambers Quantity 1 = Vacuum pump

· Provides an internal, battery-operated vacuum pump when house provided vacuum is inadequate to maintain low air flow conditions

· Small footprint and sits inside chemical fume hood

· Alternative vacuum source other than house provided

· Allows slower and controlled airflows (<0.5 L/min), especially for nozzle-based systems that require push-pull airflows Quantity 1 = Digital In-line Temperature/ Relative Humidity Sensor

· Monitor and record both temperature and humidity real-time prior to and during experimental exposure runs

· data logging capability with a user provided computer Quantity 1 = Mass flow controller

· Controls air flow upstream of chamber to create a steady and consistent airflow to deliver test atmospheres to exposure chamber

· Visual digital readout to control and monitor airflow during exposures Quantity 1 = 24 nozzle module to accommodate 24-well insert plate design

· Modular

· Compatible with temperature, humidity, and air flow control systems and read outs

· Effective gas and vapor delivery for exposures to 24-well inserts

· Push-pull vacuum control over test atmospheres

· Upstream airflow is ~ 1 L/ min while downstream airflow is < 0.5 L /min

· Each transwell insert receives its own nozzle to ensure and maximize exposure

· Control multiple doses in same experimental run

· Air flow to the module can be divided in halves or thirds to conduct clean air plus one or two target doses of test atmosphere

· Capture of toxic gases and fumes

· Provides more efficient capture of toxic gases and vapors compared to static and passive aerosol delivery systems thereby minimizing accidental exposure to internal surfaces and researchers Quantity 1 = Quartz Crystal Sensor / Microbalance

· Real-time mass quantification of aerosol and particle deposition

· Capable of fitting within exposure chamber, insert holder, or test plate

· Easy placement within chamber

· Interfaces with established software program running on a standard laptop computer

· Reusable if appropriately cleaned and maintained Quantity 1 = Software for microbalance sensor

· Evaluation of real-time mass deposition

· Ensures dry particle or aerosol exposures are occurring to ALI tissue models during exposure runs

· Helps to identify airflow anomalies or bad exposure runs prior to long downstream sample processes

· Compatible with sensor/microbalance

· Receives and logs data in acceptable format, such as text file, comma delimited (.csv), or tab delimited (.tsv)

· Export capability to other data management programs such as Microsoft Excel Freight and shipping to USAMRICD Installation and training to be completed at USAMRICD by 30 September 2026 OPTIONAL 1 year warranty