Lab-grade air cleanliness could soon be coming to educational facilities, based on a recent collaboration with the University of Miami University of Miami Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC). The partnership, featuring the likes of Phizzle, Cisco, Intel and Glasshouse Systems, will work on identifying ways in which cleanroom technology and data analytics could be used for real-time air quality monitoring on campus, according to Facility Executive.
Ensuring the Highest Standard for Schools
Having already provided an automated air quality measurement system to the University of Miami’s Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute (BioNIUM) Nanofabrication Facility, the companies seek to leverage the same IoT edge capabilities that helps maintain the rigorous standards found in pharmaceutical manufacturing environments.
The Nanofabrication Facility represents an even more unique scenario, with air quality being of the utmost importance to prevent contamination of experiments occurring at a molecular level. As such, the lab is nearly devoid of all particulate matter, exceeding the “class one” clean room industry standard, meaning the room contains fewer than 12 particles per cubic meter at .3 microns or smaller.
The solution being tested for campuses will consist of Phizzle’s EDGMaker software, combined with lab-grade particle counters to measure air quality inside and outside university-designated buildings. Cisco’s 829 edge routers, meanwhile, will provide secure connectivity and as Intel Xeon Scalable processors allow measurement of indoor air quality in real-time. Glasshouse Systems will provide the managed services to deliver the initiative with the university.
“We are excited to bring innovation from the pharmaceutical industry to the university campus, especially in the era of COVID,” said Ben Davis, Phizzle CEO. “Counting what matters most in the air, under the most stringent conditions, is what the EDGMaker solution is built for, and we look forward to helping ensure campus air is as pristine as a clean room.”
Creating Greater Visibility for Indoor Air Data
Upon its completion of the project, IDSC plans to publish the documentation of its air quality testing after deploying and extensively testing the solution across its Coral Gables Campus. The Institute plans to collaborate with other universities and locally within the Coral Gables community to extend the clean air benefits beyond its campus.
“We have already captured data and found ways to improve building health on campus,” said Nick Tsinoremas, vice provost for research and computing and IDSC founding director at the University of Miami. “It is our intent to build a global data repository and apply deep data science to make indoor air quality as easy to understand as outdoor air quality.”