Fiscal Year:
2001
Title:
Continuous Measurement of Breathlessness
Agency:
HHS
Contract:
N/A
Award Amount:
$99,321.00
Abstract:
DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): For patients with respiratory disease the
symptom of breathlessness (dyspnea) is the most frequent reason for seeking
medical attention. Current methods for measuring breathlessness have patients
provide ratings each minute during an incremental exercise test. Such
"discrete" methods have limitations: 1) as patients breathe through a
mouthpiece, they must point to a number on a scale which can lead to recording
errors; 2) in patients with severe impairment only a few ratings of
breathlessness are obtained; and 3) information is lost about the progressive
nature of breathlessness because patients are asked for ratings at arbitrary
time periods rather than when actual changes in breathlessness occur. The
long-term objective of this project is to develop a continuous method to
measure breathlessness in patients with respiratory and/or cardiopulmonary
disease. The Phase I approach will assess breathlessness during exercise using
a computer system whereby patients provide spontaneous ratings that are then
related to the levels of concomitant physiological variables. The aims of this
feasibility study are to establish the reliability and validity of the
continuous method for measuring breathlessness. Subjects will be 24 patients
with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and a control group of 24 healthy
individuals matched for age and gender.
PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION:
The commercial goal is to privide the areas of respiratory physiology and sports medicine
with a continuous method for measuring breathlessness during exercise. The Product will be
a computer software package that can be purchased by physicians, clinics and hospitals throughout the world.
Principal Investigator:
John C. Baird
Small Business Information at Submission:
PSYCHOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS, LLC
456 CORNISH TPKE NEWPORT, NH 03733
EIN/Tax ID:
020507400
DUNS:
N/A
Number of Employees:
N/A
Woman-Owned:
No
Minority-Owned:
No
HUBZone-Owned:
No