Cough flows as a criterion for decannulation of autonomously breathing patients with tracheostomy tubes.

Background: Adequate cough or exsufflation flow can indicate an option for safe tracheostomy decannulation to noninvasive management. Cough peak flow via the upper airways with the tube capped is an outcome predictor for decannulation readiness in patients with neuromuscular impairment. However, this threshold value is typically measured with tracheotomy tube removed, which is not acceptable culturally in China.

Superhydrophobic, stretchable kirigami pencil-on-paper multifunctional device platform.

Wearable electronics with applications in healthcare, human-machine interfaces, and robotics often explore complex manufacturing procedures and are not disposable. Although the use of conductive pencil patterns on cellulose paper provides inexpensive, disposable sensors, they have limited stretchability and are easily affected by variations in the ambient environment. This work presents the combination of pencil-on-paper with the hydrophobic fumed SiO (Hf-SiO) coating and stretchable kirigami structures from laser cutting to prepare a superhydrophobic, stretchable pencil-on-paper multifunctional sensing platform.

Vanadium Oxide-Doped Laser-Induced Graphene Multi-Parameter Sensor to Decouple Soil Nitrogen Loss and Temperature.

Monitoring nitrogen utilization efficiency and soil temperature in agricultural systems for timely intervention is essential for crop health with reduced environmental pollution. Herein, this work presents a high-performance multi-parameter sensor based on vanadium oxide (VO )-doped laser-induced graphene (LIG) foam to completely decouple nitrogen oxides (NO ) and temperature. The highly porous 3D VO -doped LIG foam composite is readily obtained by laser scribing vanadium sulfide (V S )-doped block copolymer and phenolic resin self-assembled films.

Pencil-on-Paper Humidity Sensor Treated with NaCl Solution for Health Monitoring and Skin Characterization.

Although flexible humidity sensors are essential for human health monitoring, it is still challenging to achieve high sensitivity and easy disposal with simple, low-cost fabrication processes. This study presents the design and fabrication of highly reliable hand-drawn interdigital electrodes from pencil-on-paper treated with NaCl solution for highly sensitive hydration sensors working over a wide range of relative humidity (RH) levels from 5.6% to 90%.

Tracheostomy decannulation protocol in patients with prolonged tracheostomy referred to a rehabilitation hospital: a prospective cohort study.

Background: The aim of the study was to assess the feasibility of a standardized tracheostomy decannulation protocol in patients with prolonged tracheostomy referred to a rehabilitation hospital.

Methods: This prospective cohort study recruited conscious patients with prolonged tracheostomy who were referred to the pulmonary rehabilitation department of a tertiary rehabilitation hospital between January 2019 and December 2021. A pulmonary rehabilitation team used a standardized tracheostomy decannulation protocol developed by the authors.

Moisture-resistant, stretchable NO gas sensors based on laser-induced graphene for environmental monitoring and breath analysis.

The accurate, continuous analysis of healthcare-relevant gases such as nitrogen oxides (NO) in a humid environment remains elusive for low-cost, stretchable gas sensing devices. This study presents the design and demonstration of a moisture-resistant, stretchable NO gas sensor based on laser-induced graphene (LIG). Sandwiched between a soft elastomeric substrate and a moisture-resistant semipermeable encapsulant, the LIG sensing and electrode layer is first optimized by tuning laser processing parameters such as power, image density, and defocus distance.

Abnormal Pulmonary Function in Early Parkinson's Disease: A Preliminary Prospective Observational Study.

Early Parkinson's disease (PD) may cause respiratory dysfunction; however the findings vary among studies. The aim of the preliminary prospective observational study was to explore the deterioration of pulmonary function at various stages in patients with early PD. A total of 237 patients with PD were screened.

Intrinsically Breathable and Flexible NO Gas Sensors Produced by Laser Direct Writing of Self-Assembled Block Copolymers.

The surge in air pollution and respiratory diseases across the globe has spurred significant interest in the development of flexible gas sensors prepared by low-cost and scalable fabrication methods. However, the limited breathability in the commonly used substrate materials reduces the exchange of air and moisture to result in irritation and a low level of comfort. This study presents the design and demonstration of a breathable, flexible, and highly sensitive NO gas sensor based on the silver (Ag)-decorated laser-induced graphene (LIG) foam.

Wearable Pressure Sensors Based on MXene/Tissue Papers for Wireless Human Health Monitoring.

Though the widely available, low-cost, and disposable papers have been explored in flexible paper-based pressure sensors, it is still difficult for them to simultaneously achieve ultrahigh sensitivity, low limit and broad range of detection, and high-pressure resolution. Herein, we demonstrate a novel flexible paper-based pressure sensing platform that features the MXene-coated tissue paper (MTP) sandwiched between a polyimide encapsulation layer and a printing paper with interdigital electrodes. After replacing the polyimide with weighing paper in the MTP pressure sensor, the silver interdigital electrodes can be recycled through incineration.

Ventilation improvement after pneumonia treatment evaluated with electrical impedance tomography: an observational study.

Due to radiation exposure, not all patients with pneumonia receive chest x-rays or CT measurements to confirm treatment effectiveness. The aim of this study was to examine the ability to use electrical impedance tomography (EIT) to evaluate the treatment effectiveness in such patient group.A total of 35 consecutive patients with non-severe pneumonia were included in this prospective study.

The influence of an electrical impedance tomography belt on lung function determined by spirometry in sitting position.

Objective: The aim of the study was to examine whether an electrical impedance tomography (EIT) electrode belt changed the lung function in healthy volunteers and patients with respiratory muscle weakness (RMW) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Approach: In total, thirty subjects were included (10 healthy volunteers, 10 subjects with RMW, maximum inspiratory pressure < 40 cmHO, and 10 COPD, grade I-IV). Spirometry measurements were conducted in a sitting position once a day at similar times on two consecutive days.