Grant: Collaborative Health Research Projects

Respiratory disease is a major health problem in Canada. Over 3 million Canadians have to cope with seriousrespiratory conditions. Effective diagnosis and monitoring requires ready access to clinical expertise andtechnologies that can assess lung function accurately. The capability of pulse oximeters to non-invasivelymeasure oxygen saturation in the blood (SpO2) through a sensor placed on the fingertip has already greatlyimproved patient safety in hospitals (a reduction in SpO2 strongly predicts abnormal lung function). Theextension of this medical device into homes will greatly improve the management of respiratory disease innon-hospital settings.Our goal is to develop the ""Phone Oximeter"", an intelligent, mobile device for the diagnosis and managementof respiratory disease in the community. Current portable pulse oximeters are limited in use because of theircost, cumbersome nature and inability to communicate with clinicians in real-time. Our innovative tool willovercome these limitations by integrating a pulse oximeter with a cell phone. In addition, it will improve theaccuracy of a standard pulse oximeter; the inherent processing power of a cell phone will be used to extractadditional information about other key signs of respiratory disease from the pulse oximeter's raw data, such asrespiratory rate and heart rate variability. Via an easy-to-use, intuitive display, the Phone Oximeter will convertthis information into real-time clinical advice that is accessible even to patients. When connected to a network,the Phone Oximeter will readily transmit critical information to and from central support and referral locations.This research will support the full time training of two types of student (engineering graduate and summerstudents), as well as clinical research fellows, residents and medical students.This healthcare service will be available to all Canadians, regardless of where they live. Prompt, appropriateaction for disease management will reverse clinical deterioration. Early intervention will reduce unnecessaryprocedures, improve health, save lives and reduce long term costs by minimizing resource wastage.