Early Warning Sensor for Asthma Attacks

A SENSOR 100,000 times smaller than a human hair could give asthma patients an early warning of an attack.

The tiny device can detect chemical changes that occur early in the development of an attack, several days before symptoms appear.

It works by measuring a patient’s breath for increased levels of a gas associated with inflammation of the airways.

Asthma affects five million people in the UK, and may cause 1,000 deaths a year. During an attack, the lining of the airways gets inflamed, mucus is produced and the airways become narrower and irritated.

Symptoms can include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness.

There is no cure, but drug treatments can reduce the frequency, severity and length of attacks. These include relievers, such as Ventolin, which ease symptoms; and preventers, usually containing a steroid like beclomethasone, that reduce inflammation.

The new device, which is being developed by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, detects nitric oxide gas in breath, levels of which gradually rise, as early as one to three weeks before an attack, as the airways become inflamed.

The graphite sensor would be put into a handheld device which patients would blow into regularly. It is batterypowered and displays results on a small screen. When patients see that levels of the gas are climbing, they can increase their medication.

FOR details, see www.pitt.edu

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