What is an Environmental Exposure Chamber (EEC)?
Thinking about participating in an allergy study at Cliantha Research? If so, you may have come across the term Environmental Exposure Chamber (EEC) and wondered what it is and how it’s used in our allergy studies.
What it is
The Environmental Exposure Chamber (EEC) is a specialized room at the Cliantha clinic in Mississauga which is designed to conduct allergy studies. In appearance, the room is similar to a small lecture hall or movie theatre with theatre style chairs.
What it does
The EEC mimics naturalistic airborne allergen exposure in a controlled environment that study participants would encounter in their everyday lives. In a ragweed allergy study for example, study participants are exposed to similar levels of ragweed pollen that they would experience on a peak pollen day during ragweed season.
What’s expected of study participants while in the EEC?
You’ll be asked to put on protective wear to help minimize pollen adhering to your clothes. The protective wear also minimizes the chance of bringing pollen from outside into the chamber. Once inside the EEC, you will be seated for a period of time. You may also be asked to record symptoms and/or rating of symptoms. The specific requirements will be detailed in the Informed Consent Document for the study.
Will I experience allergy symptoms while inside the EEC?
During your stay in the EEC, you may exhibit common allergic signs and symptoms such as itchy eyes, watery eyes and/or red eyes as well as nasal symptoms of runny, itchy, stuffy nose and/or sneezing. Clinical staff including physicians and clinical coordinators are always present to answer your questions and monitor your health status.
How many studies have been conducted in the EEC?
Cliantha Research has conducted multiple allergy studies involving the EEC with thousands of study participants.
If you’d like more information about the Environmental Exposure Chamber or how you can participate in our clinical trials, please contact us at 905-282-1808.