Bengaluru doctor develops non-invasive, pocket-sized device to diagnose chest diseases

BENGALURU: A city doctor has developed a prototype of a non-invasive pocket-sized diagnostic device that can be used to diagnose chest diseases like TB, pleural effusion and pneumonia, among others. The doctor was recently granted a patent in the US for the device, but his application in India is still pending.

Dr Rajesh Palani, a private medical practitioner in Bengaluru, hopes to begin clinical trials soon to “prove the true potential” of the device.

“This is a non-invasive, rapid, economical, hand-held, simple (can be operated by any person with minimal skills), device which uses no radiation and does not require any body fluids (eradicating the risk of transmission of infectious diseases),” said Palani. He was born in Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) and completed his MBBS from JJM Medical College in Davanagere.

The device makes a diagnosis through audiometric analysis of medical percussion sounds. It contains a mechanism to create the sounds when placed on an anatomical surface (a patient’s chest, for example), and an analyser that interprets the sounds. The results, which are displayed on a screen, form the basis of diagnosis of chest diseases.

“The device is yet to be clinically tested; its potential will be known after trials across various therapeutic areas,” said Palani. Eventually, the device could be used as a replacement for percussion technique in physical examination of patients for better diagnosis. “As a stethoscope is for auscultation sounds, this device is for percussion,” he said.

Also, since the device is safe to be carried around in one’s pocket, it could potentially be used as a mass screening tool for respiratory diseases and even come in handy during emergencies. “On a battlefield, this device could diagnose chest injuries like hemothorax among soldiers,” Palani said.