An investigation into the feasibility of fabrication of inkjet SERS sensors to detect bacteria in sputum samples for the early detection of excerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a prevalent lung disease (3 Million in UK) that accounts for a major burden in the UK in terms of morbidity (25,000 deaths a year) and health care costs (£4bn). COPD is punctuated by exacerbations which are episodes of increased respiratory symptoms associated with systemic and airway inflammation. Most exacerbations however are either triggered by viral or bacterial infection, a diagnostic test which could confirm the presence of of pathogenic airway bacteria would be useful in helping guide physicians in prescribing appropriate medication. In this project we will investigate the viability of using a nanomaterial based printed SERS sensor array to detect bacteria in sputum samples to predict the onset of exacerbations. We will use SERS for identification and discrimination of bacteria based on their detected spectral fingerprints.