‘Game-changing’ AI-driven lung test set for GP surgery rollout

A test driven by artificial intelligence (AI) is set to be rolled out in GP surgeries to help doctors diagnose a common lung condition faster and more accurately, according to its developers.

The device, known as N-Tidal Diagnose, uses carbon dioxide sensors to measure changes in a patient’s lung function with results given in minutes.

It has been hailed as “game-changing” by medics, and is also currently being tested for use on asthma.

N-Tidal Diagnose has been granted regulatory clearance and is CE-marked under EU Medical Device Regulations for the diagnosis of COPD.

It will be rolled out in GP surgeries in England from April 14 with the rest of the UK expected to follow, its developer TidalSense said.

COPD refers to a group of lung conditions which cause breathing problems and includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

It is currently diagnosed using spirometry, a lung function test which measures how much air a patient can breathe in and out and how quickly they can exhale.

Appointments, which can last between 30 and 90 minutes, involve a patient inhaling fully and breathing out quickly and forcefully.

N-Tidal uses AI to measure carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in a patient’s normal breathing pattern and can give a diagnosis within five minutes.

Dr Ameera Patel, chief executive of TidalSense, said: “For decades, respiratory diagnostics have lagged behind other areas of medicine, despite lung disease being one of the UK’s greatest healthcare challenges.

“The N-Tidal Diagnose device represents the first real breakthrough in COPD diagnosis in several decades, addressing both the needs of the patient and of the health system – and it’s designed to be deployed at scale across the NHS.

“Our goal is to make respiratory diagnosis fast, accurate, and accessible to everyone who needs it, at the instant that they present.”

It is estimated about 1.2 million people in the UK have COPD, with as many as two million people undiagnosed.

Dr Patel claims the test could help the Government meet its goal of slashing NHS waiting times.

She added: “The NHS is under immense pressure and the Government has laid out ambitious plans to change the way services are delivered.

“Its targets against reducing waiting times and using staff time more efficiently will be easier to meet with the introduction of new tools like N-Tidal Diagnose.

“This simple device can help significantly reduce waiting lists, improve patient experience, deliver accurate diagnoses and ultimately provide a better standard of care for the millions of people in the UK who have COPD.”

N-Tidal is also being tested for asthma, with the hopes it will one day be used to diagnose the condition once research trials are complete.

Dr Simon Rudland, a GP in Suffolk, hailed the test as a “game changing”.

“COPD is one of the most underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed conditions we see in the NHS, and because spirometry testing can only be carried out by specially trained practitioners, it can lead to sizeable wait lists for diagnosis,” he said.

“Having the ability to assess a patient’s lung health quickly and accurately with a device that gives near-instant results will be game-changing for respiratory care across both primary and secondary healthcare settings.”