Smart Sensing in Pulmonary Disease Management

PhD Thesis Proposal Defense


Title: "Smart Sensing in Pulmonary Disease Management"

by

Mr. Yanbin GONG


Abstract:

Pulmonary diseases such as pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary 
disease (COPD) impose significant social and economic burdens globally, 
affecting millions of patients through frequent hospitalizations while 
diminishing quality of life. As conditions requiring long-term management, 
pulmonary diseases present an ideal opportunity for smart sensing 
technologies to transform patient care by enabling continuous monitoring 
outside traditional clinical settings. However, implementing these 
technologies faces numerous challenges. This thesis focuses on smart sensing 
solutions for home and community environments that detect critical biomarkers 
and behaviors to facilitate timely interventions and rehabilitation 
monitoring. For pneumonia prevention, we developed systems to detect 
aspiration in stroke patients and created algorithms that recognize abnormal 
lung sounds through automated auscultation. For patients with 
muco-obstructive lung diseases such as COPD, we designed novel sensing 
approaches to identify mucus locations within airways and support effective 
secretion clearance to prevent inflammatory exacerbations. Furthermore, we 
focused on pulmonary rehabilitation by developing a system that employs 
acoustic sensing to evaluate breathing phase and mode, while another system 
using RGB camera monitoring to assess proper deep diaphragmatic breathing 
technique, measuring both breathing mode and volume. Through these 
contributions, we aim to advance respiratory care beyond clinical settings, 
enabling personalized interventions and improving quality of life for 
patients with pulmonary diseases.


Date:                   Tuesday, 25 March 2025

Time:                   3:30pm - 5:30pm

Venue:                  Room 2408
                        Lifts 17/18

Committee Members:      Prof. Qian Zhang (Supervisor)
                        Prof. Bo Li (Chairperson)
                        Prof. Gary Chan