Project Description:
The COVID-19 pandemic heightened interest in telehealth and personal fitness. We designed a device to take advantage of these growing markets by providing a portable cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) for use in both the telemedicine and athletic world. Rather than replace medical-grade CPETs, this device will bring cardiopulmonary health tracking outside the lab, for more casual and convenient use. For telemedicine patients and athletes, the device will identify significant changes in cardiopulmonary health over time, reducing the need to visit a clinical lab or high-performance athletic facility. For patients with cardiopulmonary concerns, this device could be used at home under the guidance of a healthcare provider who can use the results to monitor patient health progression. For athletes–professional and now with our device, everyday enthusiasts–the device can monitor fitness, informing users of their aerobic capacity and allowing athletes to better tailor their workouts for maximum performance.
The device was constructed from a 3D printed case which holds an oxygen sensor, carbon dioxide sensor, arduino, and a homemade flowmeter with a differential pressure sensor. The miniaturized CPET can indicate basic cardiopulmonary health metrics on a Matlab application by measuring O2, CO2, and breath volume. Our device meets our technical specifications, including cost, with the prototype costing under $250 dollars, and size, being easily handheld and weighing 11.22 oz. Importantly, the device can also increase equality in research and clinical trials regarding cardiopulmonary health by reaching more diverse populations and settings. As with any device that collects personal health information, the privacy of user data is of the utmost importance. Our device has the potential to bring the power of an advanced medical test into a hand-held apparatus available at home or in the gym for patients and athletes alike.
