Portable and Low-Cost PM Dust Concentration Sensor Device for Vietnamese Asthma Patients

Air quality has plummeted to alarming levels worldwide, especially in Vietnam where recently have been recorded to have cities with the lowest air quality. About the pollution situation in Vietnam, PM (particulate matter) has always been one of the most hazardous factors along side NOx and CO. This negative trend has increased the number of patients suffering from respiratory-related diseases and the severity of their conditions through inflammation. However, most Vietnamese asthma patients don't have access to high-quality air quality monitors due to their high prices. As a result, this project focuses on providing those with asthma with a low-cost and portable dust sensor. Through monitoring the concentration of PM2.5, PM1.0, and PM10.0, our project aims to mitigate the impact of PM2.5 on Vietnamese asthma patients. The device was tested by comparison with IQAir's air monitoring device as well as We integrated a dust sensor with a timer, a storage compartment for an inhaler, and a microcontroller for serial communication between components, creating a sensor that assists in dust concentration management and the patient's asthma condition. In the final steps, we did surveys to confirm the need for our device on 300 asthma patients and we expect the developed sensor to be a great assistance for about 50% of Vietnamese asthma patients if mass produced. Ultimately, our sensor was built with a much lower cost, and a smaller size while exhibiting a positive correlation with the IQAir Pro air monitor. It shows little deviation and, thus can produce accurate real-time measurements as well as perform the additional timer task specifically for daily medication reminders of asthma patients.