The application of piezoelectric sensor as phlegm detector in simulated mammal lungs

Abstract

Detection of phlegm sounds may help to identify mammal with pneumonia-related disease. However, auscultatory findings may be subjected to clinically relevant observer variation. . Phlegm related diseases such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, and bronchitis is a fatal disease if not properly diagnosed and treated. Unfortunately, until now there is still no exact parameter to measure the intensity of phlegm in human or animal lung infected with phlegm related illnesses. Currently, doctors only rely on experience, anatomy knowledge, and visual cues from x-ray images to decide on the patient's condition. Piezoelectric is an electrical phenomenon where electric charges will accumulate in a certain piezoelectric material in response to applied mechanical stress. This study demonstrated a prototype sensor designed to have a fixed parameter with real-time analysis to measure the phlegm intensity by utilizing the inherent ability of piezoelectric sensor to detect movement of phlegm substitute in simulated mammal lungs. The prototype is presented with an Arduino board, a circuit, and a vacuum pump. It was proven, that the prototype were able to detect and differentiate viscous and runny phlegm substitute solution. This finding might be the foundation towards accurate and digitalized detection of phlegm in mammal lungs. Our result had shown that when the phlegm substitute solution was thick and viscous, will correlate with higher voltage values as detected by the piezoelectric sensor. In contrast, low values in voltage was produced when less-viscous solution was present. Based on these findings, the prototype has proved that it has the ability to measure the intensity of phlegm with a fixed parameter.