The concept of a GPS-enabled asthma inhaler emerged less than a month ago, and already it is very nearly a reality.
SiliconSky GPS announced Tuesday that is has successfully developed a prototype of the first-of-its-kind asthma inhaler with built-in GPS tracking.
GPS-enabled inhaler
(Credit: Asthma Blog)This is the result of a collaboration between SiliconSky GPS and David Van Sickle, the University of Wisconsin researcher who first unveiled the concept. It took them six months to come up with the design.
Design was a huge challenge, as the the inhaler had to remain small enough to carry on the go and wouldn't sacrifice the ease of use, since asthma sufferers need to be able to quickly get a dose of medicine when needed.
The prototype GPS inhaler is packed with technologies. It features Assisted GPS, a GSM modem, integral antennas, an embedded microprocessor, and an internal rechargeable lithium ion battery. The battery allows for up to 10 days of operation between charges.
According to Edward Olson, CEO of SiliconSky GPS, the company was able to pack all of that into a package the size of a Zippo lighter. For now, that tech package is attached to the back of a regular inhaler.
The device reports data from anywhere in the U.S. to the research center using 3G GPRS. It can be used to track asthma inhaler use trends, including the exact time and geographic location of uses.
It seems it won't be long before you can get one yourself. Many of these prototype GPS-inhalers are being used in Van Sickle's University of Wisconsin research program. The data collected will assist with asthma research and help SiliconSky GPS come up with the final design of the product.
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 asthmap@mailplus.wisc.edu for more information.
(Credit:
Puffapouch)
Perhaps it's an omen for our environmental future, but there's been a rising number of products aimed at asthma sufferers on the market lately. Still, who would have thought that inhalers would become fashion items?
The "Apod" started the trend with its neon-colored cases, and now the "Puffapouch" has upped the ante with its own versions, which seem a bit more urban in such styles as denim and camouflage. And Respire's magnetic inhaler case provides a fashionable way to carry the devices while keeping them free of "dust and fluff." All three companies are based in the United Kingdom, which may be a sign of the disease's prevalence there.
(Credit:
Respire Cases)
Despite their different designs and products, they share the common goal of de-stigmatizing the disease, which is so often the subject of such nerdsome stereotypes as Carl Wheezer, the animated best friend of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius. That may be a tall order given the nature of schoolyard cruelty, but there may be hope for other reasons. With all the idiotic gadgets created almost daily, asthma inhalers may hardly draw a passing glance.
(Thanks to April and Guy)
(Credit:
Ben Oakley Design)
It's depressing, but the steady growth of asthma sufferers worldwide has given rise to more everyday products to deal with the disease. A few months ago, for example, we even saw a snorkel made for those with the affliction. Now, taking some design (and marketing) cues from the gadget world, a U.K. creative team has come up with the "Apod," a line of cases for the pocket inhalers used by those with the chronic respiratory ailment. The brightly colored Apods could prove especially important in de-stigmatizing the inhalers because so many asthma sufferers are children.
(Credit:
DelvTech)
Anyone who's suffered from asthma (like us) knows that water sports can be some of the most frightening activities--and any that require prolonged periods beneath the surface are the absolute worst of all.
That's why the Asthma Freedom Snorkel might sound like fodder for an SNL skit but is actually an important product. The snorkel--which manufacturer MediDive calls the first of its kind--gives immediate access to inhaler medication, helping to lessen the panic attacks that are so familiar (and potentially dangerous) to asthmatics.
So far, it has gotten positive reviews in Australia by tour operators on the Great Barrier Reef. It's a product that will be especially appreciated by parents of children with the condition, who would otherwise miss out on the unique experience. Think about it: What if Jacques Cousteau had been born with asthma?
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