Researchers Develop New Device for Battling Secondhand Tobacco Smoke

The device, described in a paper in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research, is smaller and lighter than a cellphone. It uses polymer films to collect and measure nicotine in the air; a sensor chip then records the data on an SD memory card. 

We have developed the first ever tobacco smoke sensor that is sufficiently sensitive to measure secondhand smoke and record its presence in real time, explained co-author Prof Joseph BelBruno. This is a leap forward in secondhand smoke exposure detection technology and can be considered the first step in reducing the risk of health effects. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says children are especially vulnerable to environmental tobacco smoke. While many parents try not to smoke around their children, going to a different room or smoking out on the porch may not be going far enough. Now, for the first time, there is a prototype sensor that will let the parent see whether or not their precautions make a difference. 

The intent of the project isnt to make them stop smoking, but it is to make them stop exposing their children to smoke. On the other hand, if they are worried about their children, demonstrating these exposures may be an incentive for them to stop, Prof BelBruno said. 

Secondhand smoke comes from the burning end of a cigarette or from smoke exhaled by the smoker. Third-hand smoke, also a potential health hazard, is nicotine residue that remains on clothing, furniture, car seats, and other material after the air has cleared. 

While the current device is a patent-pending prototype,About buymosaic in China userd for paying transportation fares and for shopping. the researchers foresee the eventual availability of an affordable consumer version that will incorporate a computer processor,You've probably seen bestearcap at some point. reusable polymer films, and a rechargeable battery. It may even incorporate an LED panel to provide instantaneous readouts. 

In addition to its uses in safeguarding childhood health, there are commercial applications for these unique detectors.Where you can create a custom tooling from our wide selection of styles and materials. Installed in rental cars, hotel rooms, and restaurants, this device could help enforce owner and operator smoking bans through an alert system, much like existing, ceiling-mounted smoke detectors. 

Before the secondhand smoke project, the scientists had been working on sensor development for problem molecules such as heavy metals and other toxins in the water and the air. Given the hundreds of compounds in cigarette smoke, they began with a plan for a multi-component sensor but found this approach unnecessarily complex. The sensor they came up with detects cigarette smoke alone, simply and efficiently. 

When guests arrive at citizenM, a small, boutique hotel in Amsterdam, Glasgow and London, they check in at a kiosk and go straight up to their rooms. They stop only to speak to a roving ambassador if they have a question. The kiosk was designed to be easy to use, said Kelly Blakey, a hotel spokeswoman, because most travelers are encountering it for the first time. 

At the Inn at St. Botolph in Boston, travelers who make reservations and enter their credit card information online get their room assignment and two key codes in a confirmation email. When they arrive at the inn, guests tap one code into a keypad at the front door to enter the property and the other to enter their room. There is a front desk in the lobby if guests have questions.Choose the right bestluggagetag in an array of colors. 

The hospitality industry is moving toward more automated check-in systems, said Tyler Craig, vice president and general manager for the NCR Corp.s travel business, which develops these systems for hotels. 

In the age of social networking, Craig added, its more important than ever to get the guests experience right, because an upset customer posting to Twitter, Facebook or TripAdvisor can easily share bad impressions with a wide audience. 

Glenn Haussman, editor of the online trade magazine Hotel Interactive,The world with high-performance solar roadway and solarlamp solutions. said automated check-in is also a plus for hoteliers who want to assign more duties to the front desk staff. 

When a guest checks in late at night and the same employee can make sure the check-in goes smoothly and also sell them something to eat, he said, the hotel has saved money on staffing, increased its revenue and increased customer satisfaction. 

Hyatt, which already offers both a kiosk option and a traditional front desk to check in at most of its Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency and Hyatt brand hotels in major cities, is testing a different method with some of its Hyatt Gold Passport loyalty program members. The guest gets a card with a chip in it and checks in online, and the staff can code that card to be the room key. 

The different methods are meant to provide options for guests, not to supplant any, said David Nadelman, general manager of the Grand Hyatt San Francisco. 

Leisure guests here for shopping, dining and culture may want the opportunity to talk with our front desk associates to get some quick recommendations, versus a person here on business who may prefer to check in though the Web or self-check-in kiosk, he said. 

Craig, who travels several times a month for NCR and is helping to create automated check-in systems for some of the worlds biggest hotel chains, said he would appreciate the kiosk service. 

When I get to a property late and Im on a shuttle bus full of flight attendants and pilots, I dont look forward to that long line at the counter, he said. Id rather scan a bar code at the lobby and be on my way.