Musdah Mulia Mukmin, a student of the Biomedical Engineering Master Program at Gadjah Mada University, class of 2021/2022 (Even Semester), has completed her thesis research focusing on the development of a nasal obstruction screening device. She officially graduated on October 22nd 2025, after defending her thesis entitled “Development of a Nasal Obstruction Test Device Using a Modified Cold Spatula Test.”
This research was supervised by Ir. Rini Dharmastiti, M.Sc., Ph.D., IPM., ASEAN Eng. as 1st Supervisor and the 2nd advisor dr. Agus Surono, Ph.D., Sp.THT.BKL (K). The data collection process and initial testing were conducted at Menteng Community Health Center (Puskesmas Menteng).
Musdah explained that nasal obstruction is a common symptom encountered in primary healthcare facilities, yet its assessment is still largely subjective. Simple methods such as the cold spatula test and the Glatzel mirror have been used, but they have limitations in terms of objectivity, accessibility, cost, and anthropometric suitability for the Indonesian population.
“Nasal obstruction symptoms are often assessed subjectively, there is a need for a measurement tool that is more objective, simple, and suitable for primary healthcare services in Indonesia,” Musdah explained.
This research is a product development study including stages of concept design, prototype development, and device performance testing. Performance testing was conducted using a cross-sectional design involving 34 healthy subjects.
The results showed that the modified device was able to produce quantitative and consistent measurements of the condensation area. The average Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) values ranged from 0.791–0.948 (p<0.001), indicating good measurement reliability. In addition, the Wilcoxon test showed a significant difference in user perception between the modified device and the conventional cold spatula test (Z = -3.342; p = 0.029), with a tendency of users preferring the modified device.
“Besides being more objective, this device is also designed to be ergonomic and easy to use by healthcare workers in primary care services,” she added.
Initial evaluations of ergonomics and ease of use showed positive responses from test subjects. Based on these validation results, the device is considered having potential as an early detection (screening) instrument for nasal obstruction in primary healthcare facilities.
This research is expected contributing to the development of simple medical devices that are more objective, affordable, and aligned with clinical needs in Indonesia, particularly at the primary healthcare level.
This activity is aligned with the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) number 3: Good Health and Well-being, number 4: Quality Education, and number 5: Gender Equality.
Author: Adinda
Editor: Arni