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CeNTI, one of the largest Portuguese centres for nanotechnology and intelligent materials, is developing a sensor that when incorporated into the protection mask can monitor its user’s breathing rhythm and identify possible changes and deviations from normal patterns.
With this equipment, which should be on the market by the end of the year, “will be possible to act more quickly in case of contamination by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus”, the centre said in a statement.
The innovation involves the development and integration of a disposable sensor into the mask, “through which the user’s respiratory rate will be monitored. The data collected by this sensor will be sent to a mobile app and can be analyzed by health professionals, who will detect any nonconformities in the results”.
“Ensuring the protection of the user data was one of our major concerns. Therefore, the data collected will only be available to users, who can make the decision to contact a doctor if there is a deviation in their breathing patterns. The user will have full control over the data collected by his mask”, state the researchers responsible for the project, which they called SenseBreath.
The sensor, which is being developed by CeNTI, will be incorporated, in this first phase, in masks that are being produced by OldTrading, a textile company which is collaborating with the project and that is a specialist in the textile sector. However, according to those responsible, the system can also be attached to other types of masks.