Automated inhalation toxicology exposure system and method

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes but is not limited to exposing an animal to an inhalant; acquiring near real time measurement of at least respiration during said exposing; and calculating a received dose of the inhalant in response to the near real time measurement of the at least respiration during said exposing. In one embodiment, a method includes but is not limited to automatically controlling an environment of an inhalant chamber; and automatically controlling a concentration of an inhalant in the inhalant chamber. In one embodiment, a method includes but is not limited to displaying near real time measurement data related to an animal in an inhalant chamber. In addition to the foregoing, other method embodiments are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present application. In one or more various embodiments, related systems include but are not limited to circuitry and/or programming for effecting the foregoing-described method embodiments; the circuitry and/or programming can be virtually any combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware configured to effect the foregoing-described method embodiments depending upon the design choices of the system designer. In one embodiment, a system includes but is not limited to at least one inhalant chamber; and at least one animal respiration sensor integral with the at least one inhalant chamber.

1 . A method comprising: 
 automatically controlling an environment of an inhalant chamber; and    automatically controlling a concentration of an inhalant in the inhalant chamber.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of an animal is inserted into the inhalant chamber.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein automatically controlling an environment of an inhalant chamber includes: 
 controlling gaseous input and gaseous egress from the inhalant chamber.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said automatically controlling an environment of an inhalant chamber includes: 
 maintaining an environmental factor via feedback control, wherein the environmental factor includes a pressure of the inhalant chamber.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said maintaining an environmental factor via feedback control includes: 
 controlling the environmental factor via monitoring a pressure sensor of the inhalant chamber.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said controlling the environmental factor includes: 
 controlling the environmental factor via a controller receiving input from the pressure sensor and adjusting a pressure driver.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 displaying near real time measurement data related to an animal in the inhalant chamber.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said displaying near real time measurement data includes: 
 displaying animal-related respiration data.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said displaying near real time measurement data includes: 
 displaying a pressure of the inhalant chamber.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said displaying near real time measurement data includes: 
 displaying a temperature of the inhalant chamber.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said displaying near real time measurement data includes: 
 displaying a humidity of the inhalant chamber.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said displaying near real time measurement data includes: 
 displaying an airflow into the inhalant chamber.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said displaying near real time measurement data includes: 
 displaying an airflow out of the inhalant chamber.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said automatically controlling a concentration of an inhalant in the inhalant chamber includes: 
 dispersing a substance via electronic control of one or more inhalant dissemination devices.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said dispersing a substance includes: 
 dispersing a substance having a wet aerosol form.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said dispersing a substance includes: 
 dispersing a substance having a dry aerosol form.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said dispersing a substance includes: 
 dispersing a substance having an aerosol form.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said dispersing a substance includes: 
 dispersing a substance having a gaseous substance form.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said dispersing a substance includes: 
 dispersing a substance having a mist form.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said dispersing a substance includes: 
 dispersing a substance having a fog form.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said dispersing a substance includes: 
 dispersing a substance having a fume form.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said dispersing a substance includes: 
 dispersing a substance having an airborne substance form.    
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said dispersing a substance includes: 
 controlling the one or more inhalant dissemination devices via a controller receiving input from a chamber pressure monitor.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said dispersing a substance includes: 
 controlling the one or more inhalant dissemination devices via a controller receiving input from an inhalant-concentration sensor.    
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said dispersing a substance includes: 
 controlling the one or more inhalant dissemination devices via a controller receiving input from a gas sensor.    
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said automatically controlling an environment of an inhalant chamber includes: 
 automatically controlling a plurality of environmental factors.    
   
   
       27 . A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for the method steps recited in  claim 1 .  
   
   
       28 . A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process performing the method steps recited in  claim 1 .  
   
   
       29 . A system comprising: 
 means for automatically controlling an environment of an inhalant chamber; and    means for automatically controlling a concentration of an inhalant in the inhalant chamber.    
   
   
       30 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein said inhalant chamber is configured to receive at least a portion of an animal.  
   
   
       31 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein means for automatically controlling an environment of an inhalant chamber includes: 
 means for controlling gaseous input and gaseous egress from the inhalant chamber.    
   
   
       32 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein said means for automatically controlling an environment of an inhalant chamber includes: 
 means for maintaining an environmental factor via feedback control, wherein the environmental factor includes a pressure of the inhalant chamber.    
   
   
       33 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein said means for maintaining an environmental factor via feedback control includes: 
 a pressure sensor of the inhalant chamber; and    means for controlling the environmental factor via monitoring the pressure sensor.    
   
   
       34 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein said means for controlling the environmental factor includes: 
 a pressure driver; and    means for controlling the environmental factor via a controller receiving input from the pressure sensor and adjusting the pressure driver.    
   
   
       35 . The system of  claim 29  further comprising: 
 displaying means for displaying near real time measurement data related to an animal in the inhalant chamber.    
   
   
       36 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein said displaying means includes: 
 means for displaying animal-related respiration data.    
   
   
       37 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein said displaying means includes: 
 means for displaying a pressure of the inhalant chamber.    
   
   
       38 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein said displaying means includes: 
 means for displaying a temperature of the inhalant chamber.    
   
   
       39 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein said displaying means includes: 
 means for displaying a humidity of the inhalant chamber.    
   
   
       40 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein said displaying means includes: 
 means for displaying an airflow into the inhalant chamber.    
   
   
       41 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein said displaying means includes: 
 means for displaying an airflow out of the inhalant chamber.    
   
   
       42 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein said means for automatically controlling a concentration of an inhalant in the inhalant chamber includes: 
 dispersing means for dispersing a substance via electronic control of one or more inhalant dissemination devices.    
   
   
       43 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein said dispersing means includes: 
 means for dispersing a substance having a dry aerosol form.    
   
   
       44 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein said dispersing means includes: 
 means for dispersing a substance having an aerosol form.    
   
   
       45 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein said dispersing means includes: 
 means for dispersing a substance having a gaseous substance form.    
   
   
       46 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein said dispersing means includes: 
 means for dispersing a substance having a mist form.    
   
   
       47 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein said dispersing means includes: 
 means for dispersing a substance having a fog form.    
   
   
       48 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein said dispersing means includes: 
 means for dispersing a substance having a fume form.    
   
   
       49 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein said dispersing means includes: 
 means for dispersing a substance having an airborne substance form.    
   
   
       50 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein said dispersing means includes: 
 an inhalant chamber pressure monitor; and    means for controlling the one or more inhalant dissemination devices via a controller receiving input from the chamber pressure monitor.    
   
   
       51 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein said dispersing means includes: 
 an inhalant concentration sensor; and    means for controlling the one or more inhalant dissemination devices via a controller receiving input from the inhalant-concentration sensor.    
   
   
       52 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein said dispersing means includes: 
 a gas sensor; and    means for controlling the one or more inhalant dissemination devices via a controller receiving input from the gas sensor.    
   
   
       53 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein said means for automatically controlling an environment of an inhalant chamber includes: 
 means for automatically controlling a plurality of environmental factors.    
   
   
       54 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein said means for automatically controlling an environment of an inhalant chamber includes: 
 means for maintaining an environmental factor via feedback control, wherein the environmental factor is a temperature of the inhalant chamber.    
   
   
       55 . The system of  claim 54 , wherein said means for maintaining an environmental factor via feedback control includes: 
 a temperature sensor; and    means for controlling the environmental factor via monitoring the temperature sensor.    
   
   
       56 . The system of  claim 54 , wherein said means for controlling the environmental factor includes: 
 a temperature driver; and    means for controlling the environmental factor via a controller receiving input from the temperature sensor and adjusting the temperature driver.    
   
   
       57 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein said means for automatically controlling an environment of an inhalant chamber includes: 
 means for maintaining an environmental factor via feedback control, wherein the environmental factor includes a humidity of the inhalant chamber.    
   
   
       58 . The system of  claim 57 , wherein said means for maintaining an environmental factor via feedback control includes: 
 a humidity sensor; and    means for controlling the environmental factor via monitoring the humidity sensor.    
   
   
       59 . The system of  claim 58 , wherein said means for controlling the environmental factor includes: 
 a humidity driver; and    means for controlling the environmental factor via a controller receiving input from the humidity sensor and adjusting the humidity driver.    
   
   
       60 . A system comprising: 
 an inhalant chamber;    at least two environmental sensors, each environmental sensor monitors an environmental factor of the inhalant chamber;    a concentration sensor for monitoring an inhalant concentration of the inhalant chamber;    a data processor operably connected to the environmental and concentration sensors for automatically controlling the at least two environmental factors and the inhalant concentration in the inhalant chamber.    
   
   
       61 . The system of  claim 60 , wherein the environmental sensors include at least two of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, an airflow sensor, and a pressure sensor.  
   
   
       62 . The system of  claim 60 , further comprising: 
 an inhalant concentration driver operably connected to the data processor for adjusting the inhalant concentration; and    at least one environmental factor driver operably connected to the data processor for adjusting at least one environmental factor.    
   
   
       63 . The system of  claim 62 , wherein the at least one environmental factor driver includes at least one of a temperature driver, a humidity driver, an airflow driver, and a pressure driver.  
   
   
       64 . The system of  claim 62 , further comprising: 
 a proportional integral derivative controller for receiving input from the inhalant concentration sensor and adjusting the inhalant concentration driver, and for receiving input from the environmental factor sensor and adjusting the environmental factor driver.    
   
   
       65 . A system for controlling an inhalant exposure system comprising: 
 an environmental controller having a plurality of inputs for environmental conditions of the inhalant exposure system and a plurality of outputs for controlling environmental conditions of the inhalant exposure system based on predefined environmental parameters, and    an inhalant controller having at least one input for inhalant concentration of the inhalant exposure system and at least one output for controlling a concentration of the inhalant in the inhalant exposure system based on at least one predefined parameter.