COVID-19 prompts a team of engineers to rethink the humble face mask

John Xu is a research scientist in the lab of mechanical engineer Friedrich “Fritz” Prinz, where the two are known for their work on creating fuel cells for next-generation cars.

When the novel coronavirus struck, they looked for ways their deep understanding of electrochemical processes might be useful against the pandemic. Their contribution is a new type of protective face mask that extracts and concentrates oxygen from the air to avoid the considerable side effects of oxygen deficiency while preventing the spread of the virus.

Xu, who received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering in 2016, spoke to us about their work. Excerpts follow:

What problem did you set out to solve?

We’ve all become familiar with the value of surgical face masks in both preventing infection or, in the case of an already infected person, in preventing further spread of the disease. The masks essentially filter the air coming in and out of the lungs, trapping the virus and other particles in its mesh. Through the COVID-19 crisis, many have become familiar with N95 masks, which filter out 95 percent or more of small particulate matter from the air — including the virus.

But in filtering those particles, the mask also makes it harder to breathe. N95 masks are estimated to reduce oxygen intake by anywhere from 5 to 20 percent. That’s significant, even for a healthy person. It can cause dizziness and light-headedness. If you wear a mask long enough, it can damage the lungs. For a patient in respiratory distress, it can even be life threatening.

How have you tried to address that problem?

The Prinz Laboratory team was already working on electrochemical conversion of oxygen from the air for energy applications for sustainable automobiles. It’s important to remember that ambient air is only about 21 percent oxygen, so we wanted to see if we could extract more oxygen to provide a more-concentrated flow — we call it oxygen enrichment. It’s a common process in combustion and electrochemical fuel conversion because you need oxygen to burn things. Our goal was to develop a portable device that uses these electrochemical processes to enrich oxygen from the ambient air.

We are working on a couple of ways to do this. The first is a classical process known as splitting water. If you collect water and run an electrical current through it, the additional electrons will cause the water to split into pure hydrogen and pure oxygen. The hydrogen can be used as a fuel and the oxygen goes to the mask to be breathed. The other reaction we’re working on involves moving oxygen-containing anions — a negatively charged atom or atoms — through a membrane to isolates the oxygen on one side where it can be collected and directed to the mask.

Do you have a working prototype?

We do. It is a small box that is worn at the waist with a tube that extends to the face mask.

The device we have created actually generates clean, pure oxygen using this electrochemical process to supplement loss of oxygen due to masking. We think it can protect the respiratory system of long-term mask wearers, particularly healthcare workers and patients.

Who is the primary target for this device?

We are targeting this to anyone who has to wear a mask for the long term, first responders, doctors, nurse and even patients who don’t want to infect others. In the near term, we hope to get these into healthcare workers as soon as possible. We are working with Allison Okamura and her postdoc Ming Luo to make it a wearable pneumatic device with additional engineering physics and user-experience design modifications.

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New device to help people with swallowing problems

Here's the good news for the patients suffering from swallowing disorders. Scientists reveal a wearable monitoring device that will make the treatments easier and more affordable.

An associate professor of speech, language, and hearing sciences and an assistant professor of biomedical engineering and mechanical engineering  have founded Curasis LLC to commercialise their wearable technology and move it as quickly as possible to clinics and people with swallowing difficulties.

"We want to provide a reliable, patient-friendly and affordable way to treat the millions of people with swallowing disorders," said the Prof. "Many devices to help these people are expensive, not able to be taken home and not accessible in many rural areas."

The researchers have created a skin-mountable sensor sticker that attaches firmly to the neck area and is connected with small cables to a wireless transmitter unit. The skin-mountable sensor sticker measures and records muscle activity and movement associated with swallowing.

The information is then sent wirelessly by a separate unit clipped on the wearer's shirt to software that stores it for later analysis by a doctor.

Successful completion of a swallow requires the precise coordination of more than 30 pairs of muscles of the head and neck, six pairs of cranial nerves, and complex circuitry in the brainstem and several brain areas.

Any disruption in these pathways can result in severe swallowing disorders.

"Our device is unique in that we specifically created it to work well with the small and intricate muscles associated with swallowing events," Lee said.

"The sensor sticker is stretchable and flexible to work well with the skin and curvilinear head and neck shape, while the connected unit has electronic chips and more rigid components," added the Prof.
The sensor stickers are disposable, designed with inexpensive components and meant to be used about 10 times before they are thrown away.

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Wearable artificial kidney may improve peritoneal dialysis

Automated wearable artificial kidney is effective in removing toxins from the blood of patients during peritoneal dialysis, claims a recent study.

 The study was presented at ASN Kidney Week at the Walter E. Washington Convention Centre in Washington, DC.

Researchers are testing the potential of an automated wearable artificial kidney (AWAK) device for peritoneal dialysis (PD) treatments, which would allow dialysis to be performed on-the-go, overcoming the challenge of long hours of therapy and connection to large dialysis machines.

A sorbent-based regenerative technology in the AWAK PD therapy allows for high dose dialysis to be delivered with a low volume of dialysis solution.

The technology regenerates and reconstitutes used dialysis fluid into fresh fluid while removing toxins.

In a first-in-human study, 15 participants underwent over 100 AWAK PD sessions. There were no serious adverse events up to 1 month after treatment, and the AWAK PD sessions were effective at removing waste substances from the blood.

"The regenerative sorbent technology used in AWAK PD is an innovation with the potential to revolutionise the way peritoneal dialysis has been done in the past 40 years, providing portability and flexibility of treatment," said principal investigator.

"This technology also helps to reduce wastes and save resources by reusing dialysis fluids," she added.

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Kerala Scientists Have Designed a Low-Cost Bra That Detects Breast Cancer!

Of all forms of cancer, breast cancer has the highest rate of incidence in India. Data says that one in every 22 women develop it.
Sadly, the latest cancer statistics in India states that out of every two women who develop breast cancer, one dies.

Unlike what has been observed across the world, the strata of female population being diagnosed with breast cancer is alarmingly getting younger across both urban and rural settings in India. Breast cancer is increasingly being detected in the 30-40 age group and sometimes, even younger.

Despite the high prevalence of the disease, there are huge, underlying deficits in the procedural as well as infrastructural facilities for breast cancer and that includes not just detection, diagnosis, counselling or treatment but most importantly, awareness across India.

The most common initial course of action for diagnosing and screening of breast cancer is the mammogram test of which radiation is a major concern. In fact, doctors and cancer specialists in India have repeatedly advised mammogram only after the age of 50.

Additionally, the test is not really an economically viable option for everyone, with its costs ranging anywhere between Rs 1,500 to Rs 8,000.

Addressing all these shortcomings, a group of scientists from Kerala have invented a path-breaking device. Years of research and development culminated in a product that can play a crucial role in detecting breast cancer that too more cheaply.

A team from Thrissur branch of Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET) invented a wearable device that is embedded with sensors and incorporates thermal imaging to detect cancerous cells in breasts.

Speaking to the media, a  Dr. sheds light upon the catalytic moment that led the team to developing the innovative “bra” that can detect breast cancer.

“The idea took root when the director of a Cancer Centre visited us sometime in 2014. They’ve been our medical partners in this project. They broached the idea of working out ways of breast cancer detection on a community scale. Mammogram was the golden standard but the provision wasn’t available in even Primary Health Centres across the country. What they had in mind was a portable device that could be implemented at a community level. This propelled us to conceptualise a wearable device for detection through thermal imaging,” she explains.

The next four years went into developing the “bra” and then getting it approved through successful clinical trials conducted at the Cancer Centre.

So, how does this thermal-sensor embedded device work?

“The sensors map the skin temperature of the breasts and detects the presence of any form of abnormalities. Which can then form the basis for patients to take further course of action,” Dr. adds.

She goes on to explain how this device stands out from the regular mammogram, “There is no exposure to radiation with this device as it physically maps the breast skin temperature. In addition to that, the device is portable which makes it perfect for any health care or ASHA worker to carry with them during field visits. It can be easily contained in a small briefcase.”

Another feature is that a person does not experience any pain that is inevitable with the mammogram screening.

“Most importantly, this device ensures the privacy of the wearer because one can wear clothes over it during the test. This is really significant as most women deter from taking the mammogram or any form of clinical screening because of their cultural conditioning and privacy issues,” she elaborates.

Furthermore, the contraption doesn’t have any age restrictions like the mammogram, “Even girls as young as 15 or 20 years of age can use the wearable device which caters to all body types. This is not possible in the case with the mammogram, as only women above 40 can undertake the screening. We have resolved that issue as well,” she adds.

Shedding light on the cost factor, Dr. explains that a digital mammogram machine easily costs about Rs 3.5 crores, while their device with its data acquisition system, amounts up to Rs 25,000 and that is only for one hospital.

A total of 117 patients and 200 volunteers were part of the C-MET team’s clinical trials. Currently, they are working in collaboration with a company to make the technology commercial.

“At present, they are in the training process and as soon as their production begins, another set of clinical trials will be undertaken from their end. As these trials often take some time, we are estimating that the device will be in the market in a year or so,” she informs.

The Dr. specially mentions that this was not an individual project and attributes her team for their years of collective hard work and invaluable contribution that make the innovation a success.

“Receiving awards and recognition is really motivating but what really would validate our years of efforts would be when this device will reach the market and benefit every single woman. That was the sole reason why we immediately put out the device for commercialisation as soon as it fulfilled the clinical trials. We are earnestly waiting for that day,” she concludes.

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