Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 18, 2026
Asthma Detection Research Based on Voice Signal Processing and Machine Learning
Published on: July 22, 2025
A new modality using breath sound analysis to evaluate the control level of asthma
Chizu Habukawa1, Katsumi Murakami, Noriaki Horii
1Department of Pediatrics, Minami Wakayama Medical Center, Wakayama, Japan. habukawc@mwn.hosp.go.jp
Insights
A new breath sound analysis method accurately assesses asthma control in children. The breath sound index (BSI) shows high sensitivity and specificity for distinguishing between well-controlled and poorly-controlled asthma.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Biomedical Engineering
- Pediatric Respiratory Health
Background:
- Reliable symptom assessment is crucial for effective asthma management in children.
- New technologies for analyzing breath sounds can offer objective measures for monitoring asthma control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and assess the clinical utility of a novel breath sound analysis technology for monitoring asthma control in pediatric patients.
- To determine if a new breath sound index (BSI) can better differentiate asthma control levels compared to existing sound parameters.
Main Methods:
- Breath sounds were recorded from 80 asthmatic and 59 non-asthmatic children using chest and tracheal sensors.
- Acoustic transfer characteristics were analyzed to calculate chest wall sound index (CWI) and tracheal sound index (TRI).
- A new breath sound index (BSI) was derived from CWI and TRI to evaluate its effectiveness in assessing asthma control.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in TRI and BSI were observed between asthmatic and non-asthmatic children (p = 0.007, p < 0.001).
- CWI and TRI differed significantly between well-controlled and not-well-controlled asthma groups (p < 0.001).
- BSI accurately discriminated between asthma control groups with 83.6% sensitivity and 84.2% specificity.
Conclusions:
- A novel breath sound index (BSI) derived from breath sound analysis can effectively evaluate asthma control in children.
- This technology offers a promising, objective tool for monitoring pediatric asthma management.
Background:
Reliable symptom assessment is essential in asthma management. We developed new technology for analyzing breath sounds and assessed its clinical usefulness for monitoring asthmatic children.
Methods:
Eighty asthmatic children and 59 non-asthmatic children underwent breath sound analysis in an asymptomatic state. Their asthma control was assessed by the Asthma Control TestTM or Childhood ACTTM scores and divided into two groups, namely, well-controlled (perfect) (n = 19) and not well-controlled (not perfect) (n = 61). Breath sounds were recorded using two sensors, located on the right anterior chest and trachea. We calculated the acoustic transfer characteristics between the two points, which indicated the relationship between frequencies and attenuation during breath sound propagation. Two indices of sound parameters, the chest wall sound index (CWI) and the tracheal sound index (TRI), were calculated from the transfer characteristics and tracheal sounds. We also developed a new parameter, the breath sound index (BSI), on a 2-dimensional diagram of CWI and TRI and tried to determine whether BSI may clarify asthma control better than CWI or TRI alone.
Results:
There was a significant difference in TRI and BSI between asthmatic and non-asthmatic children (p = 0.007, p < 0.001). There was a significant difference in CWI and TRI between the well-controlled and not-well-controlled groups (p < 0.001). BSI discriminated between the two groups accurately (p < 0.001). The sensitivity and specificity of BSI for asthma control were 83.6% and 84.2%, respectively.
Conclusions:
Asthma control could be evaluated using a new index calculated from breath sound analysis.
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