New device diagnoses and predicts lung problems

Print 06 September 2017
Marchmont Innovation News

At the Far East Center for Respiratory Physiology and Pathology in Blagoveshchensk, in the Amur region some 7,800km east of Moscow, researchers have come up with a new device to diagnose allergy to cold and a range of dangerous respiratory diseases in patients. 

“A patient breathes in air cooled down to minus 20 degrees Celsius, and sensors register temperatures at inhalation and exhalation, drawing a comprehensive picture of the way the person’s respiratory system works. A physician receives a report on the lung condition and prescribes therapy,” said Nikolai Ulyanychev, a senior research fellow at the Center and device developer. 

The scientists say their new instrument can diagnose chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a hazardous lung condition that develops symptom-free for years and only manifests itself at too late a stage to rely on therapies known today. That’s why early warning is critical here. 

In Russia, about a million people have COPD, and another 5% are at risk of contracting the disease—especially those who have relocated to low-humidity areas, such as the Amur region. 

The device is also reported to be able to reveal one’s susceptibility to asthma. Research shows that people that can’t tolerate cold are at great risk of catching the disease. 

The solution would benefit not only physicians and patients, but also athletes, the developers believe. 

Their lab prototype has been tested on more than a thousand patients. The Center team is seeking funds to finance the development of a life-size, full functionality prototype.

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