Scientists develop a new method for visualizing breath
What's the story
A new method for visualizing the air exhaled while someone is speaking or singing could shed light on how diseases such as COVID-19 spread and can help evaluate the effectiveness of face masks, according to a study. The new technique images temperature differences between exhaled breath and the surrounding air to estimate how far the breath travels before being dispersed into the surrounding air.
Details
Technique useful for music instruction and speech therapy
According to Thomas Moore, the study author from Rollins College in the US, the technique can be used to study the details of how the breath flows from the mouth while speaking or singing. This could be useful for music instruction and speech therapy. The technique, described in the journal Applied Optics, was originally developed to study the flow of air through musical instruments.
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Likely to determine how far the breath extends: Moore
Moore said he began imaging the breath of people speaking and singing. He added, "I realized that by scaling up my existing system, I could likely determine how far the breath extends and how effective masks may be in limiting the extent of the breath."
Technique
New technique overcomes the limitations of existing approaches: Moore
While most existing approaches used to image exhaled breath require expensive equipment and can image only a relatively small area, Moore said the new design uses common commercially available optical components to overcome these limitations. The new technique, Moore explained, is based on the fact that the speed of light changes depending on the temperature of the air it passes through.
Information
Technique can be used to create images of the air
As breath is warmer than the surrounding air, the light transmitted through the exhaled air arrives at the camera slightly sooner than light that did not pass through it, which Moore said can be used to create images of the air.
COVID-19 measures
Technique can reveal information about masking requirements
According to Moore, the technique can reveal new information that may affect how we approach distancing and masking requirements, especially when outdoors. "The pandemic has caused an economic catastrophe for many musicians, and any information we can give them that will help them get back to work is important," he added.