Assessing Post-Blast Pulmonary Function using NIRS

With bombings and explosions being the primary terroristic method, ongoing military related bombings, and other industrial accidents such as gas explosions, there is a need for a rapid and portable instrument for assessing blast-related pulmonary dysfunction. A similar, if not identical, instrument has far reaching implications in diagnosing, monitoring, and treating the various forms of lung disease. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) offers the potential to spatially identify areas of pulmonary dysfunction, the presence of foreign bodies within the lung field, and at the same time provide breathing and cardiac frequency information. In this project, the development of such a device is proposed as is a plan for testing that device.