NSF PR 02-82 - October 4, 2002

Media contact:

Manny Van Pelt

(703) 292-8070

[email protected]

Program contact:

LaVerne Hess

(703) 292-4937

[email protected]

Laser Research Yields Precision Breath Analysis Tool for Asthma Diagnosis (Treatment)

Research at the University of Oklahoma has yielded a novel way of using a laser to analyze exhalations of asthma sufferers, opening the door to more accurate diagnosis and prescriptive treatment of the malady.

Patrick McCann, through a National Science Foundation research award, coupled a laser spectroscopy system to a tunable laser to create a device that can accurately and simultaneously measure both carbon dioxide and nitric oxide levels of a single exhalation of breath.

The precise measurements provided by McCann's instrument might help doctors evaluate airway inflammation and prescribe medications at a level of accuracy corresponding to the measurement, thereby providing the most efficient and effective treatment while eliminating overmedication.

In diagnosing and treating asthma, physicians must assess how much air is actually flowing through a patient's airways, which is made more difficult with airway inflammation. Airway inflammation itself is most often assessed by physically invasive procedures. Earlier research found that asthmatics exhale more nitric oxide when their airways are inflamed, making measurement of its levels the preferred method for determining inflammation severity.

At present, nitric oxide levels are measured with devices that analyze chemiluminescence, a photochemical reaction between nitrogen and an ozone sample. Multiple tests are sometimes necessary. Also, chemiluminescence-based devices require periodic recalibration, whereas McCann's laser does not.

The device is currently undergoing clinical trials.

The findings are published in two journals of the Optical Society of America -- the October edition of Applied Optics and the Jan. 15 edition of Optics Letters.

Note to editors: The award numbers related to this discovery are 9416871, 9704255 and 9802396. The proposals can be found by entering the numbers in the search field at https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a6/A6AwardSearch.htm. The Optical Society of America's Web site address is www.osa.org. The two journals can be found at: http://www.osa.org/pubs/osajournals/ao/aohome.cfm; and http://www.osa.org/pubs/osajournals/ol/olhome.cfm

NSF is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering, with an annual budget of nearly $5 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 30,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes about 10,000 new funding awards. NSF also awards over $200 million in professional and service contracts yearly.

Receive official NSF news electronically through the e-mail delivery system, NSFnews. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to [email protected]. In the body of the message, type "subscribe nsfnews" and then type your name. (Ex.: "subscribe nsfnews John Smith")

Receive NSF publications and reports through the email- and web-based alert service, Custom News. To subscribe, go to http://www.nsf.gov and click on "Custom News Service."


National Science Foundation
Office of Legislative and Public Affairs
4201 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, Virginia 22230, USA
Tel: 703-292-8070
FIRS: 800-877-8339 | TDD: 703-292-5090




This article comes from Science Blog. Copyright © 2004
http://www.scienceblog.com/community

Archives C