A new device for ambulatory cough recording

Area of Science:

• Respiratory Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Devices

Background:

• Subjective reporting of daytime cough is potentially unreliable, similar to nocturnal cough diaries.
• Objective measurement of cough is needed to overcome the limitations of patient-reported outcomes.
• Existing methods for cough monitoring have limitations in duration and objectivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a new portable device (RBC-7) for objective, multiparametric cough monitoring.
• To assess the reliability and feasibility of the RBC-7 for ambulatory cough recording.
• To compare the performance of the RBC-7 with conventional tape recorders for cough signal detection.

Main Methods:

• Development of the RBC-7 device, integrating electromyographic (EMG), audio, electrocardiographic (ECG), and accelerometer signals.
• Optimization of EMG lead and microphone placement for maximal signal quality and patient comfort.
• Simultaneous 24-hour ambulatory recordings in 20 subjects using the RBC-7 and conventional tape recorders.

Main Results:

• The RBC-7 device successfully recorded cough signals objectively over a 24-hour period.
• Optimal positions for EMG leads and microphone were identified for enhanced signal detection.
• No significant difference was found in the number of single coughs detected by the RBC-7 compared to conventional tape recorders (correlation coefficient = 0.996).

Conclusions:

• The RBC-7 provides a reliable and objective method for assessing cough in ambulatory subjects.
• This device allows for the correlation of cough events with time, activity, and heart rate.
• The RBC-7 overcomes the limitations of subjective cough reporting, offering a valuable tool for clinical research and practice.