Helping people to breathe - Continuous Laryngeal Exercise test

Helping people to breathe - Continuous Laryngeal Exercise test Continuous Laryngeal Exercise Test (CLE test) is an innovative and patented method for filming the throat during intensive exercise. The test makes it possible to distinguish between asthma and EILO (Exercise Induced Laryngeal Obstruction). Asthma is a disease that affects the lower airways and gives the patient difficulty exhaling. On the other hand, EILO is a disease that affects the upper airways and gives the patient difficulty inhaling. Asthma and EILO are two different diseases which require two different treatments, but distinguishing between the two airway diagnoses has been problematic. Studies show that at least 5% of children and 30% of athletes have EILO, the wrong diagnosis can affect both activity level and performance level. Haukeland University Hospital has developed the CLE test, a method that helps to distinguish between asthma and EILO diagnosis. The method and technology consist of a head rack and software, which makes it possible to film and analyse the throat during intensive exercise. The head rack keeps the camera steady throughout the test, and the tailored software displays result from the test in real-time on a screen. The technology allows the physician to analyse the results of the test in real time and helps to set the correct diagnosis so that the patient can receive the appropriate treatment. Haukeland University Hospital has performed the CLE test on more than 2000 patients and verified that the method works. Future work on the project is to further develop the software and making it ready for the commercial market. Making the CLE test available to the European market will affect the lives of over 40 million children and young adults, giving them the opportunity to get proper treatment for their breathing problems.