AI-powered device enables real-time lung function monitoring, signaling a major breakthrough in severe respiratory failure treatment.
London, United Kingdom – April 1, 2025 – SIME Diagnostics has announced the publication of a clinical study in Diagnostics Journal, evaluating a new point-of-care device that rapidly assesses lung health in adult ICU patients. The study demonstrates how this innovative, AI-driven tool can quickly and accurately measure surfactant levels—a key substance involved in oxygen exchange—providing real-time insights into lung function in cases of severe respiratory failure.
The study, titled “Lung Surfactant Deficiency in Severe Respiratory Failure: A Potential Biomarker for Clinical Assessment” (https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15070847), evaluated an AI-powered, reagent-free device that analyzes bronchial aspirates—airway samples already collected during routine ICU care—to detect levels of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), a key surfactant biomarker.
In conditions like Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and other forms of severe respiratory failure, oxygenation can decline rapidly—raising the risk of life-threatening hypoxia, multi-organ failure, and death. Surfactant, a naturally occurring substance in the lungs, plays a vital role in stabilizing alveoli and supporting oxygen exchange. Yet, until now, there’s been no fast, point-of-care method for assessing surfactant levels in real time. This new study found a consistent link between lower surfactant levels and greater respiratory impairment, highlighting the potential of this diagnostic tool as a means for tracking lung function and informing treatment decisions in the ICU.
“Our findings show that surfactant—a key marker of lung oxygenation—can be measured in minutes. Providing a direct biochemical readout of how well the lungs are functioning. This could fundamentally shift how we monitor respiratory failure, allowing for more personalized ventilation, quicker weaning, and better-informed treatment decisions,” said Peter Schousboe, senior researcher at Holbaek University Hospital, Denmark.
This new research builds on SIME Diagnostics’ prior work published in Nature, which identified low surfactant levels in COVID-19-related ARDS. The key advancement here is clinical usability: instead of relying on invasive procedures like bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), the new device uses bronchial aspirates—samples already routinely collected in ICU care—making the test faster, safer, and more scalable.
“This marks the next evolution of our diagnostic platform,” said Povl Verder, CEO of SIME Diagnostics Ltd. “We began with a rapid lung maturity test for preterm infants—now under FDA review—and quickly recognized that this first-in-market technology could also transform care for adult ICU patients. In critical care, timing is everything and every breath matters. We’re committed to delivering fast, actionable diagnostics that empower clinicians to act sooner, treat with precision, and reduce the burden on critical care systems.”
This marks the third product in our respiratory intensive care pipeline. A larger clinical trial is now being planned to further validate these promising findings and pave the way for broader implementation in ICUs around the world. The full study is available now in Diagnostics Journal.
