Smart masks have the potential to unlock new health insights.
A new one study published in the magazine Science reports that scientists have created a mask-based device to help monitor biomarkers for certain medical conditions such as COPD and asthma by analyzing chemicals in a wearer’s breath.
Professor Wei Gao and his team at the California Institute of Technology have named the device EBCare, which is an abbreviation for ‘exhaled breath condensate’. Gao explains that “monitoring a patient’s breath is something that is done routinely, for example to assess asthma and other respiratory conditions. However, this required the patient to visit a clinic for sample collection, followed by a wait for laboratory results. ” This new device can now track users over time and remotely to get real-time feedback. One example the team explains is how the mask could potentially monitor the levels of nitrite in a person’s breath – a chemical often correlated with airway inflammation in patients with asthma.
“Smart masks” are not necessarily a new concept. The Covid-19 pandemic ushered in an era of interest and compliance with mask wearing worldwide, which also propelled the mask industry forward. Technology experts were keen to come up with ways to inculcate innovation in this regard masks— from UV cleaning to built-in headphones.
However, this latest invention introduces a whole new paradigm: the use of masks to monitor potentially chronic health conditions. For context, according to According to the World Health Organization, COPD is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Asthma is also common, have an impact hundreds of millions of people every year.
The widespread prevalence of respiratory diseases worldwide makes this technology important, given the enormous impact it could potentially have. It also joins the ever-expanding arsenal of smart devices and wearables that have emerged over the past decade to help users monitor their own health conditions. One of the best known and most successful examples of this is the Apple Watch, which now has a variety of health monitoring features, including oxygen saturation and heart rate monitoring. The famous Apple heart study and the significant resources the company has poured into the device have made it one of the most successful wearables worldwide. Other examples include fitness and activity trackers, such as Fitbit from Google. The technology has given millions of users control over their own activity monitoring and fitness goals.
Undoubtedly, the researchers behind this new mask technology and healthcare devices in general must ensure the highest standards of safety, privacy, and testing as these devices can process real-time clinical results. However, if successful, these innovations have enormous potential to transform the field of personalized health monitoring.