March 24, 2003
WNBC "Know More"
Dr. David Marks

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Diagnosing asthma in children is a challenge. But, now engineers and pediatricians are testing a new tool that could make diagnosis a lot more accurate.

More than 7 million kids in this country have asthma making it the most common chronic disease among children.*

Diagnosing it in children is a challenge.

But, now engineers and pediatricians are testing a new tool that could make diagnosis a lot more accurate.

Enter a new laser-based technology for diagnosing childhood asthma.
*According to the American Lung Association.

Nine-year old Glad Inhofe has asthma. To diagnose his disease, doctors had him blow a very long, hard breath into a machine. That measures how air flows from his lungs.

But, that's actually easier said then done. "In children, it's a very difficult test to perform because it is so effort intensive... in the younger age groups we do not get reliable results," says Pediatrician Dr. Nancy Inhofe in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Now, electrical engineer Patrick McCann hopes to change that. "We're taking cutting edge laser technology, combining it with cutting edge computer technology and developing a medical application," says McCann, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Oklahoma.

Specifically - a device that simultaneously measures the levels of carbon dioxide and nitric oxide in one easy exhalation -- no forceful blowing required . "People that have asthma generate nitric oxide at higher levels than people that don't have asthma," says McCann.

How does it work?
- A computer measures the intensity of the transmitted laser light.
- Then, it searches for the unique fingerprints, which are associated with carbon dioxide and nitric oxide.
- A nitric oxide reading under 30 is considered normal. 

Nod of Approval: Dr. Inhofe says the device needs some fine-tuning - a high nitric oxide level could also mean a sinus infection. But, she says she likes the overall idea. "This test is so easy to perform it would be something we could do frequently and get a very good grasp of what is going on in the patient???s lungs," she says.

More info: McCann is currently working with the American Lung Association to test at-risk children. The device still needs FDA-approval.