Pnoi-phone: Preface

Preface

This research project is a continuation of Dr. Shivani Yadav's doctoral thesis, "Analysis of vocal sounds in asthmatic patients." The study, guided by Dr. Prasanta Kumar Ghosh, aimed to develop a simple and efficient method for diagnosing and monitoring asthma using sound-based analysis. The project builds upon the work done by Dr. Yadav and takes it forward with new insights, findings and its utilization.

Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition that affects millions of people worldwide, causing inflammation and narrowing of the airways, leading to breathing difficulties. The conventional method, spiromety test, for diagnosing asthma involves complex and strenuous procedure to obtain pulmonary function tests (PFT) values, which is expensive, particularly in rural areas of our country. We sought to address this issue by proposing a new, affordable, and straightforward method for asthma diagnosis using sound-based analysis, in conjunction with the development of a complementary biomedical device called Pnoi-phone.

This research project is an example of acoustic epidemiology, a rapidly growing field that uses sound analysis to diagnose and monitor various health conditions. By analyzing acoustic biomarkers, we can identify and track various health conditions in real-time, providing valuable insights into disease progression and treatment efficacy. We believe that our research will have a significant impact on the field of acoustic epidemiology and asthma diagnosis and monitoring.

The Pnoi-phone project, sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology, began in May 2020 and is an ongoing research project in the SPIRE Lab, EE dept., IISc. We are grateful to Dr. Prasanta Kumar Ghosh, Associate Professor, EE dept., IISc, and Dr. Uma Maheshwari, Professor, Pulmonary Dept., St. John Medical College, for their guidance and support throughout the project. We present our findings with enthusiasm and look forward to further research in this field.