Introduction
Non-communicable respiratory diseases are a significant healthcare concern in the developing world. These diseases include asthma, cystic fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). While diagnostic and monitoring tools exist, current solutions are not feasible for developing countries, largely due to the cost involved. In order to address this problem, a low-cost spirometer was designed by the team. This spirometer still lacks functional software and an optimized connection between the software and hardware.
Respiratory Diseases
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death in the world, and the only one that is increasing in prevalence (Mannino, 2007). Diseases that cause a persistent blockage of airflow from the lungs, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, are all covered under the umbrella of COPD. Symptoms such as breathlessness, excessive sputum production, and a chronic cough are characteristic of the life-threatening disease. 90% of deaths from COPD are in low- and middle-income countries, which shows the need for added attention to this problem in the developing world. Although COPD is incurable, symptoms can be managed to increase the patient’s quality of life ("Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)").
Another respiratory disease of particular concern is asthma. Asthma is an ailment in which tightening in lungs causes the air passages to constrict, hindering the person’s ability to breath. During such an attack, a person will suffer from shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, and coughing (Board, A.D.A.M.). The disease affects 235 million people, with most associated deaths occurring in low- and lower-middle income countries. Like COPD, Asthma is also incurable, but can be controlled with medication and the avoidance of particular irritants ("Asthma").
Another respiratory disease of particular concern is asthma. Asthma is an ailment in which tightening in lungs causes the air passages to constrict, hindering the person’s ability to breath. During such an attack, a person will suffer from shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, and coughing (Board, A.D.A.M.). The disease affects 235 million people, with most associated deaths occurring in low- and lower-middle income countries. Like COPD, Asthma is also incurable, but can be controlled with medication and the avoidance of particular irritants ("Asthma").
Previous Project Work Completed
The team worked on designing a low-cost spiroemeter over the 2011-2012 school year. The established basic design of the hardware utilizes a fluidic oscillator to condition the flow. As air enters the mouthpiece, it randomly chooses a side to flow through. This causes a pressure node, thereby causing a force on the stream that causes it to switch sides. An audible signal that can be picked up by a sensor, results from these oscillations. In a proof-of-concept experiment, it was found that the frequency of these oscillations is proportional to the velocity of the air. One can then derive all the graphs and parameters of interest from measuring the frequency of the oscillations with respect to time.