10 Nov, 2009

A UK company has been granted funds to develop a new software that will be able to detect respiratory illnesses by distinguishing different kinds of coughs by sound, reported The Telegraph.

The software, currently being devloped by STAR Analytical Services, aims to measure the subtle characteristics of a cough to find out whether a patient is suffering from a common cold, flu or is at risk of a serious respiratory disease.

By detecting whether a patient has a 'dry' or 'wet' cough (indicating the presence of mucus in the lungs), the software would be able to give information on whether the cough may be caused by a viral or a bacterial infection.

"Cough is one of the most common symptoms of illness and a common mode of disease spread, yet we don’t use technology in any way to measure or understand what coughs mean," said Dr. Suzanne Smith, Senior Investigator of STAR Analytical Services.

It's expected that the software would compare a patient's cough with a database of pre-recorded coughs. If successful, the technology may be adopted as a smartphone application -- saving patients a trip to the doctor's surgery.