This technology is a device that measures electrical impedance of pulmonary liquid at local sites lining the airway lumen, epithelium, and extracellular matrix to assess tissue health in real-time.
The airway epithelium serves as a protective barrier within the lungs and enables clearance of inhaled substances through mucociliary clearance. Due to its delicate structure and constant exposure to the external environment, the airway epithelium is highly susceptible to damage. Airway electrical properties, including bioimpedance, can serve as markers of airway tissue health at both the cellular and mucosal levels. However, existing electrical measurement systems cannot be applied within the airway and therefore do not provide real-time assessment of airway health. Therefore, there is an unmet need for real-time in situ quantification of airway tissue electrical properties.
This technology measures in situ electrical impedance of the airway mucus barrier and the underlying airway epithelium. Direct contact with the airway surface enables rapid, real-time assessment of airway tissue health which can improve diagnostic accuracy and inform treatment strategies. Therefore, this technology could advance both diagnosis and treatment of a range of pulmonary diseases that impact the airways, including cystic fibrosis and asthma. This technology could be further extended to use in other tissues where electrical properties and barrier function are essential to tissue health, including heart, brain, and skin.
This technology has been validated in in situ airway tissue and ex vivo rat liver.
Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, Ph.D.
Patent Pending (US/2023/077227)
IR CU22293
Licensing Contact: Cynthia Lang
