Tokyo, Jan 23 – Japanese researchers have developed a tablet that generates therapeutic nitric oxide gas from air, offering a low-cost alternative to a life-saving hospital treatment for severe heart and lung conditions.

Nitric oxide inhalation is widely used in advanced hospitals to relax blood vessels in the lungs, boosting oxygen levels without lowering blood pressure elsewhere in the body. It is particularly effective for critically ill newborns with persistent pulmonary hypertension and adults with pneumonia or acute respiratory distress. But the therapy, typically delivered via heavy gas tanks and complex devices, remains prohibitively expensive. In the United States, a five-day course for a newborn can cost about $14,000.

Scientists at the Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) at Japan’s National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) say their tablet could make the therapy more accessible. The thimble-sized device contains a powdered mix of mineral compounds and vitamin C on silica gel, wrapped in filter paper. When exposed to air, moisture and carbon dioxide trigger a reaction that releases nitric oxide gas at safe, therapeutic levels for up to 24 hours.

Lead researcher Shinsuke Ishihara said the tablet was designed to be portable and simple to use. “In clinics without electricity or gas tanks, a health worker could just open the package and start treating a patient,” he said.

Tests showed harmful nitrogen dioxide by-products remained well below international safety limits. The tablets are stable at room temperature and can be stored long-term, making them suitable for ambulances, rural clinics and hospitals in developing countries.

The findings were published in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials.