“The biggest challenge has long been collecting timely and accurate real-time samples.” This downside has been solved. “That’s a profound paradigm shift,” asserts Dr. Rajan Chakrabarty, environmental and chemical engineering expert at Washington College, adding that it fundamentally alters the way we view the relationship between humans and the environment. Louis and his colleagues were not concerned with this analysis.
Researchers at Caltech studied the effectiveness of sensible masks in real-world settings, including interactions with patients, such as those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, or who had recently recovered from a COVID-19 infection. Researchers had been evaluating the face coverings’ comfort and ventilation, but also sought to determine whether these devices actually functioned effectively in tracking vital biomarkers throughout a patient’s daily routines, including physical activity and occupation.
The data revealed by the masks demonstrated a capability to detect increased ranges of nitrite in individuals afflicted with bronchial asthma and other conditions characterized by compromised airway health, specifically those involving infection. The device also detected increased levels of alcohol in exhaled breath following someone who had gone out drinking, illustrating another potential use case for the masks. Analyzing breath in this manner is more accurate than the typical breathalyzer test, which involves an individual blowing into a device. Blowing into a Breathalyzer test can lead to unreliable results due to the presence of alcohol in saliva that is expelled during blowing.
The researchers are optimistic that this breakthrough marks just the beginning of a new era in their field. They intend to test their masks on a larger population, with success, they will commercialize the products to expand their reach to a broader audience. The developers envision the masks as a foundation for future applications, enabling the seamless integration of various sensors capable of detecting diverse biomarkers that can be easily swapped in or out.
