BAM simply explained
Child-safe oil lamp
Products sold in the shops must be harmless to consumers. It is not sufficient to warn about wrong usage or explain with easily seen instructions how one should handle an object correctly. Products must be safe, even if their users make errors. That problems may occur, is illustrated by decorative lamps which run on low-viscosity oils based on mineral oil. These lamps are pretty, even if they do not burn. Also infants are fascinated by them and are often so entranced that they start sucking the wick sometimes with fatal consequences. The paraffin-based low-viscosity lamp oils can get into their lungs and cause serious damage. What can be done to prevent this from happening? The dangerous but beautifully coloured and perfumed lamp oils, which are a particular delight to children because they look like colourful lemonade and have a pleasant smell, have been banned. Paraffin oils available in the shops now, are uncoloured. BAM has also tested alternative oils, but the tests showed that they did not burn properly. Therefore, in co-operation with the Federal Institute for Risk Research (BfR) ), in 2007 BAM developed a child-safe burner for oil lamps. The burner is designed so that the wick is covered and children cannot open the lamp or drink the oil. BAM and BfR provide the design idea for these child-safe oil lamps free of charge to manufacturers and dealers.
More information:
BAM Press Release 14/2007
BAM Press Release 10/2007
‘Harvesting’ flower pollen
Allergists are hopeful, but they must be patient. If everything goes well, the results of a current research project into flower pollen can later be used in immune therapy for quality assurance of certain active substances.
How and under what conditions do pollen grains release their contents and active substances? Does heat and humidity play a role? What is the influence of air pollutants whose concentration often achieves a high value? Which methods can be used to precisely analyse flower pollen and associated processes in the nature? For the analysis of pollen samples BAM’s scientists use highly sensitive investigation methods which apply laser radiation. These methods enable spectroscopic finger prints to be established which help scientists identify the chemical elements or compounds contained in the sample. Samples of as many different plant types as possible must be analysed. The large amount of collected data will be stored in a database which is the forerunner of a new type of measurement net. In the future, this will make possible the fast and automatic identification and classification of different kinds of pollen.
Weitere Informationen:
BAM Division 1.4 Process Analysis
BAM Press Release 1/2008
Intelligent textiles
Textiles that think with their wearer – such textiles may make life a lot easier to people with certain health problems in the future.
BAM’s scientists are participating in a research project in which fibre-optic sensors are being developed which can be integrated into textiles. Using optical measurement techniques, these new sensors can for example supervise respiration, in as much as they measure the changes in the chest perimeter. They can also be used to record the oxygen content of the blood or the body temperature of a patient. The new, intelligent textiles are based on polymeric fibre-optic sensors. Polymeric fibres offer advantages in comparison to glass fibres: they are more flexible, more robust and easier to handle. In addition, they are cost-effective and safer for the patient, since broken polymer fibres cannot hurt, while broken glass fibres can. Optical fibres can be integrated into textiles, thus they become intelligent textiles, from which such things as medical clothing can be made. Such textiles also offer advantages for the medical personnel. Doctors and nurses will be able to use the new, intelligent textiles for instance to medically monitor unconscious or anaesthetized patients.
More information:
Division 8.1 Measurement and Testing Technology; Sensors
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