Robotic system for real-time analysis of inhaled submicron and microparticles
2021
University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
Vitamin E acetate (VEA) has been strongly associated with the onset of lung injury caused by the use of electronic cigarettes (EC) or vaping products. To understand whether VEA affects the disposition profile of inhaled particles, a biologically inspired robotic system was developed to quantitatively analyze submicron and microparticles produced by e-cigarettes in real-time while mimicking clinically relevant breathing and vapour topography exactly as in humans. This allowed the researchers to observe that the addition of even small amounts of VEA was sufficient to alter the size distribution and significantly increase the total number of particles inhaled by ECs. In addition, the usefulness of the biomimetic robot for studying the influence of nicotine and respiratory profiles in obstructive and restrictive lung diseases was demonstrated.
Accordingly, the platform is capable of providing information on exposure to ingredients and additives of e-liquid cigarettes, thus facilitating health risk assessment.
A robotic system for real-time analysis of inhaled submicron and microparticles
Kambez H. Benam
Added on: 10-20-2021
[1] https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(21)01059-2?emci=9dd66ae8-d22d-ec11-981f-c896653b9208&emdi=803aa719-2430-ec11-981f-c896653b9208&ceid=2015591#articleInformation
