Within the Department of Children's Pulmonary Diseases of the MUMC+ (Maastricht Universitair Medisch Centrum+) research is conducted into chronic pulmonary diseases among children, like asthma, Cystic Fibrosis and COPD. In close co-operation with IDEE the condenser was developed, a system used to condense fluid from exhaled air, to be tested for the presence of relevant bacterial fibers and other biomarkers, and the seriousness of such conditions.
It is difficult to diagnose asthma with certainty within the first 5 years of child’s life. The methods to retrieve information from children's lungs are very invasive, and show only limited information. By means of the condensate obtained from the exhaled air, research is conducted to check the possibilities of making the correct diagnosis at an earlier stage, and also of seeing whether the seriousness of the disease can be monitored. In the first half of 2008 a scientific joint venture was started with UMC Groningen, and also Maastricht Instruments supplied the Amsterdam Slotervaartziekenhuis with an improved prototype.Application for a patent for the condenser was made in 2007. |
