Disease detective plans GPS-enabled asthma inhaler

Analog inhalers make way for GPS

(Credit: Flickr)

Thanks to David Van Sickle, we'll soon be able to track (and hopefully eliminate) recurring asthma attack outbreaks. Van Sickle, a scholar in the Department of Population Health Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is working with students in the biomedical engineering program to create an asthma inhaler with a built-in GPS receiver.

The project is still in its early stages, but David's goal is to eventually map out danger zones that could be life-threatening to those stricken with the lung disease. He already has it all mapped out: "rescue inhalers" will pinpoint the location of each asthmatic attack and cross-reference it with other devices, attempting to detect new locations and trends that previously flew under the radar undetected by asthma researchers. Van Sickle envisions a time when his technology can help researchers discover exactly why people suffer from asthma.

"It will allow us to better target public-health interventions to the places and times when people are really suffering," Van Sickle said.

Asthmatics interested in participating in the trials should be at least 18 years old, and can call 608-261-1036 or e-mail [e-mail] for more information.

[Fil0403]

Cool and interesting, this is what technology should mainly be used for: health.

[JoeC_GregoryFCA]

While incorporating GPS technology into a rescue inhaler seems to be a good idea to reduce exacerbations in asthma and could help an asthma patient to avoid specific locations where triggers may be present, a far better ? and less expensive - solution would be to identify the patients entire profile of allergic triggers themselves to actively reduce the total exposure. This technology exists today, and is available to any physician who wants to accurately identify a patient 's allergens.

Allergic triggers as a contributing factor to asthma is a major health issue, as 60 to 90% of asthma patients have allergic asthma. In fact, nearly two years ago the National Institute of Health mandated that physicians assess asthma for sensitivity to seasonal allergens. These guidelines are not routinely adopted and allergic asthma continues to be underdiagnosed and undermanaged. Specific IgE blood tests can be obtained through a primary care physician and can help the asthma patient understand what their allergic triggers are. With better understanding of the underlying allergic disease, patients can better manage their asthma symptoms, minimize hospital visits, and reduce medication use.

Dennis P. Kane
Vice President, Global Sales and Marketing
Phadia

www.isitallergy.com