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Home Health Box

Comprehensive indoor air sampling
Home Health Box
Home Health Box with sorbent cover removed
Home Health Box in kitchen

The Home Health Box (HHB) is a compact indoor air sampler and monitor. The HHB can be configured to sample and sense a range of pollutants:

  • Up to two particulate matter sampling channels
  • Up to two active gas sampling channels
  • Time-resolved particulate matter sensing
  • Time-resolved CO2 sensing
  • Time-resolved sensing of up to five additional gases (e.g., NO2, CO) using electrochemical sensors 

All samples are collected using the same virtually-silent pumping technology as our Ultrasonic Personal Air Sampler (UPAS).

Configuration Options and Specifications

Particulate matter sampling channels

Quantity The Home Health Box can configured with 0, 1, or 2 particulate matter sampling channels
Flow rate 1.0 or 2.0 L min-1 (depending on the size-selective inlet used) 
Flow rate accuracy ± 4% of setpoint (actively controlled) 
Available size-selective inlets PM2.5 @ 1 L min-1, PM2.5 @ 2 L min-1, Respirable PM @ 2 L min-1, PM10/Thoracic @ 2 L min-1 
Filter size 37 mm (default) or 25 mm; quick-change filter cartridges for easy in-field handling 
Maximum back pressure 7.0" H2O @ 1 L min-1, 4.5" H2O @ 2 L min-1

 

Gas sampling channels

Quantity The Home Health Box can configured with 0, 1, or 2 gas sampling channels
Flow rate 3 to 30 mL min-1; user programmable
Flow rate accuracy ± 4% of setpoint (actively controlled) 
Compatible sorbent media ¼” OD × 3.5” long (6.35-mm OD × 89-mm long) thermal desorption tubes
Waters™ Sep-Pak® cartridges
Common glass sorbent tubes (e.g., 6 to 10-mm in diameter)
Maximum back pressure 34" H2O

 

Pollutant sensors

Baseline sensor package Particulate matter: Sensirion SEN55 (laser light scattering)
Carbon dioxide (CO2): Sensirion SCD30 (non-dispersive infrared; NDIR)
tVOCs and NOx (qualitative estimates): Sensirion SGP41 (MOx)
Electrochemical sensors for additional pollutants Up to four Alphasense B-4 series electrochemical sensors. These sensors are designed to measure ppb-level concentrations. NO2-B43F for nitrogen dioxide (measurement range = <1 to ~15 ppm); CO-B4 for carbon monoxide (measurement range = <1 to ~10 ppm); contact our engineering team if you'd like sensors for other pollutants added to your HHB (e.g., NO, O3).
We can also include the Sensirion SFA30 formaldehyde sensor (measurement range = 0 to 1000 ppb) in your HHB as an experimental feature; however, the accuracy of data reported by this sensor has not been evaluated by AST.

 

Power

Power supply 15 W, 5 V USB Type-C®
Line power The Home Health Box can run indefinitely when plugged into a wall outlet
Battery Li-ion; 24 W-h; battery life will depend on the sample configuration, filter media, sorbent media, and local air density; 8-h runtime on battery when collecting two filter samples on MTL PTFE membrane filters at 2 L min-1 and two gas samples on Markes Carbopack X SafeLok™ thermal desorption tubes at 30 mL min-1 with PM sensor, CO2 sensor, formaldehyde sensor, and one Alphasense B-series electrochemical sensor running in a location with 1.0 g L-1 air density.
Charging time When the HHB is not running, the battery will charge fully in 2 h using the provided 15 W, 5 V USB Type-C wall adapter.

 

Size, weight, and noise

Exterior size 213 mm × 132 mm × 107 mm, excluding size-selective inlets
Weight Up to 1.5 kg; depends upon configuration and sample media installed (all sample media to be provided by the user)
Noise < 50 dB at 25 cm distance

 

Data logging

Memory type microSD™ card
Data logging interval 5, 15, 30, or 60 s; default = 30 s

 

Operating conditions

Temperature Operating = -20 to 60 °C; Charging = 0 to 45 °C; Storage = -20 to 50 °C
Relative humidity Up to 95% at 40 °C (non-condensing)
Altitude 2,500 ft (760 m) below sea level to 20,000 ft (6,100 m) above sea level; all sample flow rates will be adjusted automatically for variations in air density within this altitude range.

 

Technical Resources

Screenshot of page 1 of Home Health Box Product Information Sheet

Product Information Sheet

HHB capabilities and specifications

Download PDF from Dropbox

Screenshot of Home Health Box User Guide cover page

User Guide

Home Health Box User Guide

Download PDF from Dropbox

Screenshot of Home Health Box Quick-Start Guide cover page

Quick-Start Guide

A shorter version of the HHB User Guide

Download PDF from Dropbox

Screenshot of public Dropbox folder containing most recent Home Health Box firmware

Firmware

Latest firmware version for the HHB

Download .bin file from Dropbox

Screenshot of Home Health Box Configurator software

Desktop software

For programming HHB sample settings

Download .zip folder from Dropbox

Screenshots from public Home Health Box Zotero library

Zotero Library

Publications that feature the HHB

Link to public Zotero library

Screenshot of readme for astr package

astr package

R package for working with HHB log files

Link to GitHub

Related Blog Posts

hut_img1

Measuring Indoor Air Pollution on a Hut Trip with the UPAS v2.1 PLUS

 

 

 

 

Forms

Photograph of UPAS and accessories with shipping cases
Photograph of UPAS v2.0 at workbench

Request a free product demonstration

We can send you a Home Health Box to try for a few weeks before you buy. This demonstration is free as long as the product is returned at the end of the demonstration period. No purchase is required.  Fill out and submit this form to request a demonstration unit.

Request service

Want to send your Home Health Box back for routine recalibration? Worried there might be something wrong with your Home Health Box?  Have a technical question?  Fill out and submit this service request form.