The wearable health monitoring industry is seeing rapid innovation with devices like smartwatches and health sensors. Adding to this list is a new, advanced paper mask designed to monitor breath and enhance respiratory health.
Dr. Wei Gao, a medical engineering expert at Caltech, and his team have created a cutting-edge prototype called EBCare. Unlike other smart masks that track physical factors such as temperature and humidity, EBCare analyzes the chemical composition of exhaled breath in real time.
This breakthrough technology can track various medical conditions, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and post-COVID-19 complications. For example, it monitors nitrite levels in asthma patients’ breath, providing insights into airway inflammation.
EBCare offers a new level of personalized respiratory health monitoring, potentially improving countless lives. Its real-time chemical analysis capabilities could revolutionize respiratory health care.
“Currently, assessing a patient’s breath involves visiting a clinic for sample collection and waiting for lab results,” explains Dr. Gao, lead author of a study published in the journal Science. “With increased mask use since COVID-19, we can use this technology for remote, real-time health monitoring from home or work. This could help assess the effectiveness of medical treatments.”
Dr. Gao’s previous work includes developing wearable biosensors that analyze sweat to measure vital indicators like metabolites, hormones, and protein levels. His latest focus is on the challenges of breath monitoring.
To analyze breath chemicals, researchers typically cool breath vapor into a liquid using methods like ice or refrigerated coolers. Dr. Gao’s innovation involves a self-cooling mask with a passive cooling system that combines hydrogel evaporative cooling with radiative cooling. This technology cools the breath directly on the mask, setting new standards for breath analysis.
“The mask represents a new approach to managing respiratory and metabolic diseases. It allows for real-time chemical analysis through everyday mask use,” says Wenzheng Heng, lead author of the study and a Caltech graduate student. “Breath condensate includes soluble gases and non-volatile substances like metabolic indicators, inflammatory markers, and pathogens.”
Once the breath is liquefied, it is transported via bioinspired microfluidics to sensors for analysis. “We drew inspiration from plants, which use capillary forces to move water,” says Dr. Gao.
The results are then transmitted wirelessly to a phone, tablet, or computer. Dr. Gao notes that the smart mask is cost-effective, with materials costing around $1.
Human studies have tested the mask on patients with asthma or COPD, monitoring breath for nitrite, an inflammation biomarker. Results confirmed the mask’s accuracy in detecting airway inflammation.
The mask also showed precision in detecting blood alcohol levels, suggesting potential uses for on-the-spot drinking-and-driving checks and monitoring alcohol consumption.
Additionally, the study explored using the mask to assess blood urea levels for managing kidney disease. As kidney function declines, urea levels rise in the bloodstream and saliva, leading to higher ammonium levels in breath. The smart mask accurately detected these levels.
“These initial studies are just the beginning,” says Dr. Gao. “We aim to expand the technology to include various health markers, creating a versatile health-monitoring platform.”
Participants reported that the mask was comfortable, even for those with breathing difficulties.
“The smart mask represents a significant advance in real-time lung health monitoring,” says Harry Rossiter, co-author of the study and a researcher at the Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation and professor at UCLA. “The potential for adding biosensors for a wide range of compounds highlights the transformative potential of this technology for health monitoring and diagnostics.”
