Strain sensor could manage chronic pulmonary conditions

Researchers at the University of California have developed an inexpensive, wearable, disposable strain sensor device that could provide patients with high-fidelity readings on a continuous basis to help them manage chronic pulmonary conditions and has the potential, in the case of asthma, to help warn of an imminent attack. The device is made by applying a thin layer of metal to a sheet of plastic and then heat-shrinking it to cause corrugation. This is then transferred to a soft, stretchy material like a plaster that can stick to a patient. One device is placed between the ninth and 10th ribs, a second is placed on the abdomen, and they track the respiratory rate and volume by measuring the local strain in those areas. The device have been tested on healthy patients, but plans are afoot for a trial with a small number of asthma sufferers.
Michael Chu, UCI graduate student researcher in biomedical engineering and lead author of a paper on the innovation, said: “The current standard of care in respiration monitoring is a pulmonary function test that’s often difficult to perform and limited in terms of the snapshot it provides of a patient’s respiratory health, meaning problems can sometimes be missed. Our new stretch sensors allow users to walk around and go about their lives while vital information on the health of their lungs is being collected.”