Inhaler Compliance Aid
Smartphone Medical Device Application
Signal Analysis, App Coding, Verification, Validation
Inhaling medication into the lungs can be a very effective delivery pathway – but frequently it is not.
It has been well documented that the majority of asthma patients use inhalers incorrectly and that poor inhaler technique is correlated with poor asthma control. It is estimated that more than 25% of the $25 billion spent on inhalers annually are squandered due to incorrect inhaler use.
This applies equally to metered dose inhalers and dry powder inhalers and leads to poor disease control and increased healthcare costs.
The reasons for inhaler use errors are multi-faceted. They can be grouped into several categories relating to the device itself, the user (patient) or the health care professional (prescriber or trainer).
Some of the most common mistakes seen when patients use a pMDI are:
- Not shaking the canister before use
- Not breathing out first, away from inhaler
- Pressing the canister before inhalation
- Pressing the canister too late
- Inhaling too fast
- Inhaling through the nose
- Pressing the canister twice during single inhalation
- Not continuing to breathe in after pressing the canister
- Not holding breath after inhalation
Cambridge Medtech Solutions are developing an ‘active’ smartphone app Inhaler Compliance Aid. It incorporates signal analysis, and provides accurate and useful feedback to the user.
CMS are responsible for the full development programme. This includes human factors, app coding, signal analysis, risk management, verification, validation and documentation. All is consistent with the EU and FDA regulatory demands for medical devices and medical software.
The first version of the app is being developed for the iPhone.
