Inhale-eXHale: smart breath analyzer will tell asthmatics effective treatment

Russia has created a detector capable of detecting lung pathologies such as asthma, COPD and other diseases in a minute. The value of the device lies in the support of machine learning algorithms that can predict the exacerbation of a patient's condition and provide individual recommendations. Experts note that the device is able to reduce the risk of complications, but at the same time warn: do not self-medicate and rely solely on the gadget.

A new device for asthmatics

A Russian technology startup with the support of the National Technology Initiative (NTI) has created a device for early diagnosis and monitoring of lung diseases such as asthma, COPD and others. It analyzes breathing data using artificial intelligence, quickly identifies organ abnormalities and evaluates the effectiveness of treatment, and can even predict an exacerbation of a patient's condition. According to the authors of the project, this is the world's first breath detector capable of learning and improving diagnostic accuracy.

The main advantage of the new product is the speed and clarity of the results. Unlike conventional picoflowmeters (meters of peak exhalation velocity) or spirometers (meters of the volume of air coming from the lungs at the greatest exhalation after the greatest inhalation), which show only individual numbers (for example, exhalation volume), this device generates a detailed report with graphs and metrics (scores) in a minute. It's like a smart glucose meter used by diabetics, but only for asthmatics: the doctor and the patient do not receive raw data, but interpreted health information with additional recommendations from AI.

Technically, the device is equipped with sensors (turbine spirometers, IR sensors for co₂, temperature, humidity, and breathing sound). The data is processed by machine learning algorithms, and the results are displayed through the patient's mobile app and the doctor's web interface.

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— For doctors, it is a tool for accurate diagnosis during admission without unnecessary examinations. Patients will be able to monitor their condition at home, reducing the risk of complications. In the long term, such devices will help reduce the cost of treating chronic lung diseases in the country," said Sergey Davydov, technical director of the startup.

The developers plan to conduct clinical trials with Sechenov University, then register the device with Roszdravnadzor, after which they will launch mass production for clinics and telemedicine services. There is already a prototype of the device, laboratory tests and the first pilot studies have been conducted, and a patent has been obtained for it.

— Engineers have created not just a device for measuring respiration, but a comprehensive tool that combines AI technologies and medical practice to make diagnosis and health monitoring easier and more effective. It has analogues in the world, but it is the machine learning technology SpiroCap that has become the key know-how, which I have not seen from others," concluded Sergey Davydov.

How the device will help asthmatics

Early personalized diagnostics is one of the key trends in modern medicine, and similar devices are already being successfully used in the world. In Russia, such a portable telemedicine device may be in high demand, given the high demand for the diagnosis of lung diseases, said Alexandra Vatyan, Candidate of Technical Sciences, expert at the National Center for Cognitive Research at ITMO.

—Using AI gives the new product a number of advantages: the ability to rely on significant amounts of medical data, perform predictive analytics and interpret research results with high accuracy and individually for each patient," the expert added.

According to Alexander Malov, a market expert at NTI Helsnet and a therapist at the Center for New Medical Technologies, such systems can be used for an approximate assessment of the condition of certain indicators at home. The main limitation today is legal, as the device must be registered as diagnostic and rhyme with clinical guidelines and standards. Nevertheless, such developments are necessary, because the digitalization of medicine is being actively carried out. Such projects will become the most in demand in the future, when the Internet of things becomes commonplace, he noted.

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Candidate of Medical Sciences Sergey Kuznetsov is convinced that it is too early to trust the device: if users try to self-medicate without the participation of a doctor and rely solely on AI solutions, this can cause irreparable harm to the body. Such devices, the author notes, do not negate the need for interaction with attending physicians and specialists.

— The technology is easy to use: the patient breathes into the device, and it measures the parameters using precise sensors, including a turbine spirometer and a sensor that analyzes the level of carbon dioxide in the breath. Additionally, air temperature and humidity are taken into account, as well as breathing sounds," explained Anton Averyanov, CEO of the ST IT Group of companies, TechNet NTI market expert.

The device will simplify the diagnosis and reduce the risks of exacerbations. Patients will be able to check their condition at home, and doctors will be able to receive accurate data for prescribing treatment, which is especially important in regions with limited access to clinics, the expert noted. The technology can reduce the cost of treating complications of lung diseases and diagnose them at an earlier stage, he added.