Researchers from Vanderbilt University have developed a system of artificial cilia that can reportedly monitor mucus conditions in human airways for detecting infection, airway obstruction or the severity of diseases like cystic fibrosis (CF), chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) and lung cancer.

With their artificial cilia, researchers were able to mimic the sensing ability of biological cilia to develop technology capable of detecting mucus conditions, including viscosity and layer thickness, which are biomarkers for disease severity.

Source: Vanderbilt University

“The sensing mechanism for mucus viscosity leverages external magnetic fields to actuate a magnetic artificial cilium and sense its shape using a flexible strain-gauge,” the researchers noted. “Additionally, we report an artificial cilium with capacitance sensing for mucus layer thickness, offering unique self-calibration, adjustable sensitivity, and range, all enabled by external magnetic fields generated by a wearable magnetic actuation system.”

Artificial cilia were tested by deploying them both independently and in conjunction with an airway stent inside artificial trachea and sheep trachea. The team explained that sensing signals were transferred wirelessly to a smart phone or the cloud for additional data analysis and disease diagnosis.

The proposed sensing mechanisms and devices enable real-time monitoring of mucus conditions, supporting early disease detection and providing alerts on stent blockages, thus enabling timely interventions and personalized care, the researchers added.

The research was published in the article, “Sensory Artificial Cilia for In Situ Monitoring of Airway Physiological Properties,” which appears in the journal PNAS.