Friday, April 29, 2011

Breath of Fresh Asthmapolis: GPS Inhalers




Dr. Sickle's previous work involved studying asthma and chronic respiratory disease in India but in developing Asthmaoplis he and his team are seeking to better track the environmental factors and triggers to asthma attacks.  His goal is to map where and when environmental exposures trigger asthma symptoms by using inhalers that have a built-in GPS device that signals the central server whenever the puffer is used.  Of course they will also have access to other sets of data including pollutants, pollen, wind direction which will enable them to better track factors impacting lung disease and overall air quality.

[Via Geekosystem - Better Lives for Asthma Sufferers With GPS Inhalers]

What is Asthmapolis? from Asthmapolis on Vimeo.


ExerGame Potential

  1. By having realtime data on potential "red" or "danger" zones, players can use the GPS to find alternate routes to their destination. Although, after writing that, I realize the potential to send people to not-so desirable areas. Wait a minute.... GPS units already do that.
  2. I could easily see an adapted mobile-motion-gaming title similar to Outbreak! Zombie (location-based RPG). 
  3. Maybe the game could tie into the transit system in case the air quality is so poor and then gamers can play the alternate-reality game (ARG) Chromaroma - as featured here earlier.
Via Droid Life


David Van Sickle, an epidemiologist and medical anthropologist by training, is looking to change how asthma is treated by creating high-tech inhalers that plot the time and GPS location of their use. One of the most common chronic diseases, better treatment for asthma could help over 300 million people worldwide and possibly prevent the over 50,000 annual hospitalizations in the U.S. alone.
Van Sickle’s company, Asthmapolis, is aiming to introduce a device that give patients valuable information about their disease. When a patient has an attack, he or she uses an inhaler to deliver medicine to stop the attack. Van Sickle’s device attaches to the patient’s existing inhaler, and logs the time and location of the use. In the advanced test models, it uploads that information to a central database via a wireless internet connection. The data would then be compiled and analyzed by Asthmapolis. By tracking the exact date, time, and frequency of attacks, doctors can provide better, targeted care to their patients.
Though the device is still being tested, Van Sickle has already done some limited trials that have yielded good results for patients. In these trials, patients and their doctors received periodic reports about their attacks derived from the inhaler’s GPS data. With such precise information, patients could be given drugs that better fit the patient’s needs. Moreover, they can potentially pinpoint the environmental cause of their attacks and change their habits accordingly.
The most exciting possibility from this project isn’t on the individual level, but on a much larger scale. With enough inhalers in the hands of the public, regional maps showing the areas where asthma attacks are more likely to occur could be generated. For thousands of people in the U.S. alone, this could lead to better treatment, better quality of life, or even the elimination of asthma triggers from the environment.
Van Sickle hopes to have a consumer version of his smart inhaler available beginning this fall. A smartphone application, which works independently from the inhaler, is also being developed and could provide Asthmapolis’ analytical tools without the need for a specialize device. Look below to see a video of the GPS inhaler in action.
(The Economist via Geek.com)

6 comments:

  1. This is good news to asthma sufferers like me. With this device, physicians can now help us track and manage our condition, using the data gathered when the inhaler was used.

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  2. This device can definitely help asthma sufferers. If you are afraid of the serious side effects of asthma medications, you can try chiropractic care to reduce the likelihood of future attacks.

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  3. This is a useful tool for people suffering from the condition. It helps to monitor your health.

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  4. I find that device helpful, especially to asthmatic people. I advice those people who have that health problem to consider it.

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  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. This is a great hybrid for the GPS devices that helps asthmatic individuals.
    gps tracking

    ReplyDelete

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