The technology offers an alternative to traditional spirometry - a diagnostic technique dating back to 1846.

Unlike spirometry, which requires forceful breathing and specially trained medical professionals to operate, N-Tidal Diagnose provides a 'simpler, more comfortable solution that reduces strain on healthcare providers and helps tackle long diagnostic waiting times'.

Developed by respiratory diagnostic technology company TidalSense, the device uses AI to automatically interpret the CO2 waveform output from a patient's normal breathing pattern and can give an accurate diagnosis in as little as five minutes.

N-Tidal Diagnose has been granted regulatory clearance and is CE-marked under EU Medical Device Regulations for the diagnosis of COPD and is now being rolled out across GP practices across the country.

COPD affects around three million people in the UK. It is the country's third biggest killer, costing the NHS £1.9bn annually and contributing to more than 30,000 deaths each year.

Data validated for TidalSense by Health Tech Enterprise indicates that around 45,000 patients a year are either under or over-treated while waiting for current spirometry testing, with 1,455 patients experiencing a deterioration in their condition as a result of under-treatment. Meanwhile, data from Asthma and Lung UK shows that only 50% ICBs can meet demand for spirometry for COPD.

The Health Tech Enterprise data also suggests that incorrect prescriptions for mis-diagnosed COPD for patients waiting for spirometry cost the NHS over £15.9m annually.

Dr Ameera Patel, chief executive of TidalSense, said: ‘For decades, respiratory diagnostics have lagged behind other areas of medicine, despite lung disease being one of the UK's greatest healthcare challenges.

'The N-Tidal Diagnose device represents the first real breakthrough in COPD diagnosis in several decades, addressing both the needs of the patient and of the health system - and it's designed to be deployed at scale across the NHS. Our goal is to make respiratory diagnosis fast, accurate, and accessible to everyone who needs it, at the instant that they present.'

N-Tidal Diagnose will be available for use across the NHS from 14 April.