This New Hair-Sized Device Can Better Monitor Lung Diseases

Vinay Chopade - Sep 12, 2019

Recently, a team of researchers has invented a microscopic device able to measure important indicators of damaged tissues deep in patients’ lungs.

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Recently, a team of researchers from Universities of Edinburgh, Bath, and Herriot-Watt has invented a microscopic device which is able to measure important indicators of damaged tissues deep in patients’ lungs, therefore helping to monitor how the diseases have been developing, pneumonia for example. As mentioned in the research of Scientific Reports, there is an optical fiber in this medical device, which can hold up to 19 sensors in the space of nearly 0.2 millimeters across.

A-tiny-probe-that-senses-deep-in-the-lung-1 — A hair-sized probe that can move deeply into the lung

Different sensors will be in charge of different indicators in the damaged tissues, oxygen levels and acidity for example, which then provides valuable information on how patients’ bodies have been reacting to the disease.

This new technology, which was created by the University of Edinburgh, Bath and Herriot-Watt’s researchers in the British, makes it easier to monitor accurately the tissue in areas that cannot be reached by current technologies.

Tiny-probe-set-to-shed-light-on-lung-diseases-2 — Tiny probe set to shed light on lung diseases

Diseases related to the lungs are said to be one of the main reasons for disability and death all over the world. Even though considerable advances have been made, it appears that people do not know much about the development of the disease like lung injury or pneumonia inside the patients.

Pneumonia-both-lungs-become-red-and-swollen-3 — Pneumonia: both lungs become red and swollen

The research team says that this hair-sized device will be very helpful in improving the way patients are being treated and assessed because it is able to recognize even the smallest changes in the health of the tissue. Especially, it will be of great help for patients who are receiving intensive care or being supported by ventilators.

Patients-on-ventilators-4 — Patients on ventilators

The researchers also mentioned that they design this new technology with the aim of offering more accurate, flexible and faster measurements and augmenting more sensors.

Moreover, the technology can also be implemented in other parts of the human’s body, as well as used to provide more information about bacterial and inflammatory diseases.

Michael Tanner, in the University of Edinburgh, said: