We at PatientWorthy are always on the lookout for ways to make living with a chronic illness easier.
And we’ve heard about new technology that might just be a godsend for people who have cystic fibrosis.
It’s a breathalyzer that, with the help of a smartphone, detects infections instead of blood alcohol levels! How dope is THAT?
For the peeps who aren’t familiar with CF, frequent infections are a dangerous and common problem.
In a healthy person, lungs are protected from infection by the mucus and airway surface liquid that coats the lining of the lungs and transports bacteria out of them. In people with CF, mucus is thick and sticky, making it hard to clear from the lungs. Consequently, this can trap bacteria. And because mucus, itself, is a good source of food for the bacteria, CFers’ lungs can turn into a regular smorgasbord for nasty germs. Avoiding lung infections—and nipping them in the bud—is essential.
That’s why the work being done by University of California, Irvine (UCI) is so important. Engineers have created a “nano-optical sensor” that detects even tiny amounts of infection from a small puff of breath.
Now the word “breathalyzer” probably does nothing more than conjure up images of tipsy people trying to walk a straight line along the side of the road.
But soon, it may mean much more to people who live with CF.
Because the sensor can be synced with a smartphone, CFers can be alerted to infections germinating (yes, that pun is intended, yuk-yuk) in their lungs, possibly earlier than ever before.
As the saying goes, “forewarned is forearmed.”
Source: reactiongifs.me
Hopefully this device will hit the market soon and be a helpful tool for CFers and the medical teams who help them.
If you want to learn more about the nano-technology that forms the basis for the infection detector, click here.
PatientWorthy is teaming up with CysticLife.org to spread awareness of CF and support their collaboration with the Mayo Clinic for a community-driven research project investigating the benefits of exercise for CF patients. If you’re interested in contributing to the fund or want to become a CysticLife member, drop by CysticLife.org or donate here today! Don’t forget to share this post!
