Health
‘Smart mask’ could detect asthma, COPD and other medical conditions, researchers say
Your breath could hold clues to your health, researchers say — and they have developed a “smart mask” to tap into them.
Wei Gao, professor of medical engineering at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, led the team that created the EBCare, a mask that analyzes the chemicals in someone’s breath to detect any existing health issues.
The mask is designed to screen for medical conditions like respiratory infections, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma and post-COVID infections, according to a press release from Caltech.
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EBCare works by cooling the breath to convert it into a liquid, then transports it to sensors to be analyzed for specific biomarkers.
Researchers have developed a “smart mask” (pictured at left) to detect signs of medical conditions. (Caltech/Wei Gao and Wenzheng Heng; iStock)
In an email to Fox News Digital, lead researcher Gao noted the mask’s ability to enable “continuous, real-time monitoring of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) in a non-invasive and wearable format.”
“This technology has the potential to revolutionize the way we monitor respiratory health by providing valuable insights into conditions like asthma, COPD and other metabolic disorders,” Gao said, noting that it could be a path to more personalized health care.
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“It can also be applied to pandemic management by monitoring respiratory infections on a wide scale,” he added.
The ultimate goal is for the EBCare technology to go beyond respiratory diseases, Gao noted.
“As research progresses, we envision that the smart mask can be adapted to detect a wider range of biomarkers, including those related to metabolic, cardiovascular and infectious diseases,” he said.
This schematic shows the process by which the smart mask can detect chemicals in the breath, such as nitrite, which is an indicator of airway inflammation. (Caltech/Wei Gao and Wenzheng Heng)
A study of the mask’s capabilities included 31 healthy adults who wore the EBCare in real-life settings over a 14-hour span, according to Caltech. They only removed the mask for three-minute intervals to eat.
Ten of the participants were smokers, 10 had asthma, nine had COPD and 12 had recently recovered from COVID-19.
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The masks accurately detected the biomarker for asthma and COPD in participating patients. They also successfully detected signs of kidney disease.
EBCare also produced accurate readings of blood alcohol levels.
“Monitoring alcohol levels in real time offers a non-invasive and continuous alternative to breathalyzers or blood tests,” Gao said.
“We would need to see at least a few clinical studies demonstrating that the masks can diagnose better — or more rapidly or with more sensitivity — than the standard of care.”
The research — which was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Tobacco Related Disease Research Program, and the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity — was published in the journal Science on Aug. 29.
The idea is not for the smart mask to replace traditional medical diagnosis, but to provide “early warning” through continuous health monitoring during daily activities and to “bridge the gap” between doctor’s visits, Gao said.
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“The goal is to identify subtle physiological changes before they develop into more severe conditions, giving individuals the opportunity to take proactive steps in managing their health,” he said.
This is especially important for those who need regular monitoring, such as patients with chronic conditions or those recovering from respiratory infections like COVID-19, according to Gao.
The mask (not pictured) is designed to screen for medical conditions like respiratory infections, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma and post-COVID infections. (iStock)
“I recommend that health care providers consider integrating real-time EBC analysis technology into their diagnostic and monitoring practices, especially for chronic conditions like asthma and COPD,” he said.
“For individuals, the ability to monitor one’s health non-invasively through a wearable device offers the opportunity to be more proactive in managing personal health, which can lead to early intervention and better health outcomes.”
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MarkAlain Déry, DO, MPH, infectious disease doctor and chief innovation officer at Access Health Louisiana, who was not involved with the development of the smart mask, agreed that it is an “exciting concept.”
“Could it work? Sure,” he told Fox News Digital.
Wei Gao, professor of medical engineering at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, led the team that created the EBCare mask. (Caltech)
“However, we would need to see at least a few clinical studies demonstrating that the masks can diagnose better — or more rapidly or with more sensitivity — than the standard of care,” he went on.
“Then, we would need studies that demonstrate clinical improvement.”
Potential limitations
Some external doctors not involved in the mask’s development questioned whether this mode of data collection is beneficial.
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“While the mask introduces an innovative method to monitor exhaled breath condensate (EBC), we need to ask an important question: Do these continuous, real-time measurements genuinely make a difference in everyday life?” said Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurosurgeon, in a conversation with Fox News Digital.
“For the average person, the biomarkers it detects — ammonium, pH, nitrite and alcohol — do not need constant monitoring, especially when routine blood tests can provide this information more accurately and with greater relevance.”
“For the average person, the biomarkers it detects … do not need constant monitoring, especially when routine blood tests can provide this information more accurately and with greater relevance,” a doctor said. (iStock)
Osborn believes that the concept of the EBCare mask is better suited for “specific, high-stakes environments,” such as real-time monitoring of toxic gases in military or industrial settings.
“However, for the average person, especially in a post-pandemic world, the idea of wearing a mask like this is counterproductive,” he said.
Dr. John W. Ayers, PhD, vice chief of innovation in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at the University of California San Diego, also questioned the idea of having patients with asthma or COPD — who already experience breathing difficulties — wear the masks.
“For the average person, especially in a post-pandemic world, the idea of wearing a mask like this is counterproductive.”
The lead researcher, Gao, responded to some of these comments.
“While routine blood tests are indeed reliable, they are typically periodic and require a clinical setting, which limits their ability to capture dynamic, day-to-day physiological changes,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“The real innovation of the EBCare mask lies in its ability to continuously monitor health in real time, offering insights that might not be detectable with intermittent tests.”
For individuals managing chronic conditions like asthma, COPD or metabolic disorders, fluctuations in certain biomarkers can provide early warning signs, according to the researchers. (iStock)
For individuals managing chronic conditions like asthma, COPD or metabolic disorders, fluctuations in certain biomarkers can provide early warning signs before symptoms worsen, allowing for timely intervention, according to the researcher.
Gao, however, did acknowledge some limitations with the EBCare device.
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“One limitation was the relatively small sample size in some of the clinical trials, particularly for conditions like COPD and asthma,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Future studies with larger and more diverse populations will help to further validate the device’s performance across a broader range of conditions and environments.”
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
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