Latvian scientists develop smart assistant to help treat lung diseases

A team of Latvian scientists and clinicians is developing a unique device that will help doctors and nurses monitor the respiratory status of patients with pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and Covid-19, warn if breathing deteriorates and suggest treatment adjustments, such as increasing oxygen supply.

Non-invasive ventilation equipment is crucial in the case of breathing difficulties. Equally important is the ability to detect changes to a person’s quality of breathing in a timely manner. Unfortunately, the ventilatory support mechanisms currently on the market do not alert medical staff or the patient’s family at home when the patient’s breathing worsens, nor do they suggest adjustments to the treatment plan.

Experts join forces

In response to the problem and to create a device for monitoring the quality of patients’ breathing, a team of clinicians, scientists and experts from Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital (PSCUS), Riga Technical University (RTU) and Hipnos have joined forces in the interdisciplinary project “Deep learning-based clinical decision support system for the non-invasive ventilation devices in the treatment of Covid-19 patients”.

Valdis Pīrāgs, Member of the Council of the Scientific Institute of PSCUS, and Professor at the University of Latvia tells of the project: “In the past, science happened in attics and basements – regular people neither understood it, nor had access to it. Now, science has become practical and is rapidly entering people’s everyday lives. The pandemic has created many difficulties, but it has also opened up opportunities for scientific progress, for closer collaboration between scientists, doctors and society, and for addressing not only Covid-19, but also other long-standing issues.”

Dmitrijs Blizņuks, Associate Professor at RTU, contributes: “The device we are developing is an acute necessity for any doctor, nurse and patient dealing with cases of serious respiratory disease, as well as for the patients’ relatives. The device will measure the quality of a person’s exhalation and inhalation and help to react in time to respiratory deterioration. This is a giant leap not only in practical science, but also in healthcare and ensuring patients’ quality of life and survival.”

Next steps: validation and commercialisation

Artis Svaža, manager of Hipnos adds: “It is a great honour and a real pleasure to be part of this research project with the aim of creating new medical technology that could help many thousands or even millions of people around the world. Our role is to test and put into practice the work of the scientists so that it can be commercialised in the near future. I am excited in anticipation of experiencing the first participants and the first results.”

The smart assistant is currently under development. Clinical validation will take place this autumn, involving engineers, clinicians, pulmonologists, internists and other experts.

The “Deep learning-based clinical decision support system for the non-invasive ventilation devices in the treatment of Covid-19 patients” project is being carried out with funding from the European Regional Development Fund and state budget resources.

Source: Press release (labsoflatvia.com). Photo: Shutterstock