NASA’s Glenn Research Center http://technology.nasa.gov has developed the “Portable Unit for Metabolic Analysis” (PUMA) able to provide highly precise real-time measurements of human metabolic functions.
PUMA is a battery-powered wearable device that measures concentrations of carbon dioxide and oxygen in breath as well as heart rate, temperature, gas pressure, and inhalation and exhalation airflow rates.
The device relays data wirelessly to a laptop computer for real-time analysis. Since the technology is packaged into a compact and wearable unit, it can be used anywhere with a multitude of applications possible such as monitoring patients with pulmonary disease in clinical settings.
For more information on the patent pending device, email the Technology Transfer Office at the Glen Research Center ttp@grc.nasa.gov or call 216-433-3484.
NASA www.nasa.gov has also developed a new technology that uses a network of nanochemical sensors on a silicon chip in combination with a monitoring system. The technology uses humidity, temperature, and pressure/flow sensors to measure real-time chemical and physical properties of human breath to perform non-invasive and low-cost medical diagnosis for diseases.
A number of volatile compounds called biomarkers are found in breath samples, normally at low parts per billion levels. For example, the acetone in the exhaled breath from a person along with other biomarkers can indicate Type 1 diabetes.
For more information on the technology “Nanosensor Array for Medical Diagnoses” with patent pending is available from the Ames Research Center, Technology Partnerships Office http://technology.nasa.gov at Moffett Field, California or call 855-627-2249.