Face mask sensor detects chronic kidney disease

Researchers at the University of Rome Tor Vergata have modified a surgical mask with a sensor that can accurately detect chronic kidney disease.

Embedded between the fabric layers of this FFP2-style face mask is a specialised gas sensor that could help diagnose chronic kidney disease from a person’s breath
Embedded between the fabric layers of this FFP2-style face mask is a specialised gas sensor that could help diagnose chronic kidney disease from a person’s breath - Adapted from ACS Sensors 2025, DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.4c03227

The team has incorporated a specialised breath sensor within the fabric of a face mask to detect metabolites associated with the disease. In initial tests, the sensor correctly identified people with the condition most of the time. Their research is detailed in ACS Sensors

Kidneys remove waste products made by the body’s metabolic processes, but in the case of chronic kidney disease (CKD), these organs have become damaged and lose function over time, which can have wide-ranging implications on a person’s health.

According to Kidney Care UK, an estimated 7.2 million people are living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Britain. This includes those with CKD stages 1-5, with about 3.25 million in the later stages (stages 3-5). Additionally, over 70,000 people in the UK are currently being treated for kidney failure, which is stage 5 CKD. 

Currently, medical professionals diagnose the condition by measuring metabolites in blood or urine.

Now, chemical breath sensors are being considrered because people with CKD exhale elevated levels of ammonia. However, ammonia is also associated with other health conditions such as liver disease and certain congenital conditions. Consequently, Corrado Di Natale and colleagues wanted to create a specific sensor that simultaneously detects ammonia and other CKD-related metabolites.

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