Students of Novosibirsk State Technical University (NETI) are creating a domestic device capable of diagnosing respiratory system pathologies at an early stage. The device will be distinguished by its mobility and wireless interface.
Spirometry is the main way to assess the functional state of the lungs and bronchi. This diagnostic method shows the amount of air passing through the respiratory tract after maximum inhalation and maximum possible exhalation, which helps the doctor assess the functionality of the lungs. Students of NSTU-NETI are developing a functional device with a full set of parameters necessary for diagnosis, which will have a lower cost compared to its foreign counterparts.
"The device is a device with a measuring tube into which a person exhales. Data from the air flow sensor located in the measuring tube is sent to a smartphone or computer to process and display information about the state of the respiratory system with the further possibility of storing and sending via the Internet," said Alexey Misyura, a 4th—year student at the Faculty of Radio Engineering and Electronics at NSTU-NETI.
According to him, the goal was to create a portable, user-friendly device with the ability to Wi-Fi-connect to the sensor and transmit the necessary measurements. The developers took into account the breathing parameters necessary for monitoring: the volume of inhaled/exhaled air, the peak rate of inhalation/ exhalation, and a number of other parameters.
"Using a spirometer, it is possible to monitor the health status of patients with chronic respiratory problems. A person, without leaving home, measures breathing parameters every day, the data is entered into the system, and the doctor sees them on his work computer. He can evaluate the effectiveness of the prescribed therapy and, if necessary, adjust the treatment to avoid possible complications," says Anna Kazmina, the project's scientific supervisor and senior lecturer at the Department of Electronic Devices.
To date, a mock-up of the device has been created and an algorithm for measuring various breathing parameters has been written. The students plan to consult with doctors and improve the device based on the recommendations. In the future, they will complement the algorithm to provide a complete set of diagnostic parameters. A working prototype will be ready by autumn.
The work is carried out within the framework of student project activities. Previously, the development team won a student grant competition and a university engineering project competition. An application has been submitted for the Student Startup competition.
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The work is a continuation of the work of the head of the Department of Electronic Devices (1993-2019), Professor, Doctor of Technical Sciences Vladimir Karpovich Makukha. In the 80s, specialists of the department, together with scientists from the Institute of Physiology and Fundamental Medicine of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, developed the Elf-Laspec-01 spirotachoanalyzer. The device has been successfully used for many years in the Regional Diagnostic Center, in the Novosibirsk Regional Tuberculosis Dispensary, in leading hospitals and polyclinics in Novosibirsk.