Asthma inhaler transmits your usage data to your smartphone
WASHINGTON, July 13 — Next in line in the world of smart health devices: a sensorised asthma inhaler that tracks your usage and transmits the data to your smartphone. Inhaler-makers Asthmapolis announced Wednesday that the US Food and Drug Administration has granted its asthma sensor and companion software clearance to begin marketing the device in the country.
Asthmapolis's mobile diary and website. — AFP/Relaxnews
The Asthmapolis sensor sits on top of most inhalers. — AFP/RelaxnewsThe "small and lightweight" device attaches to the end of most inhalers, and the app tracks the time and location of each medication discharge and reminds you to use it if you forget.
"Despite all we know about asthma and how to treat it, the majority of patients still do not have the disease under control, and traditional approaches to self-management have been time-consuming and complicated," said Inger Couture, chief regulatory officer of Asthmapolis, in a company press release. "The Asthmapolis technology makes it much easier to track symptoms and use of metered dose inhalers, allowing patients, their families and their doctors to gain a valuable new perspective on the disease."
As Physorg.com notes, this isn't the first inhaler of its kind. In 2009, SiliconSky GPS developed the first GPS-enabled asthma inhaler on the market, but the attachment came in the form of a bulky box.
Asthma is one of the world's most common chronic diseases, affecting some 300 million people and almost 5 percent of the world's population. — AFP/Relaxnews
