AUSTRAL Dx publishes a method for mapping regional pulmonary mechanics 

When a pulmonologist interprets a respiratory oscillometry test, the technique provides a measurement of global pulmonary mechanics but cannot localize regional mechanical abnormalities. Overcoming this limitation has long been a goal in respiratory medicine. In Annals of Biomedical Engineering, AUSTRAL Dx publishes a method that adds this spatial dimension. Using the Airborne Ultrasound Surface Motion Camera (AUSMC), a technology developed by AUSTRAL Dx, it is now possible to map regional pulmonary mechanics without direct contact, markers or ionizing radiation. This publication is part of the development of a new, non-invasive solution for the rapid assessment of cardiopulmonary function in the emergency department. 

Building on the pioneering work of Mathias Fink (Institut Langevin), Ros K. Ing. (Institut Langevin) and Thomas Similowski (Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière), the AUSMC uses airborne ultrasound — waves that propagate through air without direct contact — to detect and measure chest wall vibrations. The system combines an intelligent adaptive acoustic array, dedicated control electronics and proprietary signal-processing algorithms developed by AUSTRAL Dx. 

Conducted in collaboration with Prof. Sam Bayat, Professor of Physiology at Université Grenoble Alpes, the study compares regional pulmonary mechanics maps from six patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with those of six age-matched healthy controls. Measurements were obtained by applying a gentle oscillatory pressure at the mouth and airborne ultrasound reading the resulting chest-wall vibrations across every point. The analysis of pulmonary mechanics maps revealed distinct regional mechanical patterns between the two groups. 

“This paper introduces the AUSMC into the field of respiratory oscillometry and reopens a promising avenue of research: the spatial assessment of pulmonary mechanics.“ said Frédéric Wintzenrieth, AI & Processing Manager chez AUSTRAL Dx and first author of the publication.

The results published in Annals of Biomedical Engineering are based on an initial analysis of data from the AIRFORCE-2 First-in-Human PoC study, conducted in 2024 and 2025 at CHU de Caen and involving 213 subjects. Led by Dr. Éric Saloux, Principal Investigator, the study aims to identify signal characteristics that can discriminate between three groups: patients with cardiac disease, patients with pulmonary disease, and healthy subjects. The comprehensive results of the study will be reported in a forthcoming publication.

Alongside this first methodological publication, AUSTRAL Dx continues to advance the development of the AUSMC for its main application in emergency medicine, where a rapid, non-invasive assessment of cardiopulmonary function could support patient orientation.

Link to the publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42417958/

‍