Project Description:

Doctor’s appointments can be short, never lasting long enough to get sufficient care, especially for complex diseases like asthma or COPD with confusing treatments like the dozens of types of inhalers used today. Despite their differences, almost all inhalers have one thing in common, a set of complex steps with very particular timing. And for many patients learning to do that in a few minutes is impossible. These patients end up back in the hospital because they are unable to use the medicines they have been prescribed. And with nearly 68% of patients not knowing how to use their inhalers properly, it’s clear that something needs to be done to help the patients get the relief they need and stay out of the hospital. Thus, the Puffection is a self-contained handheld training tool that instructs the patient on how to improve their use of their inhalers. All a patient needs to do is use they device like they would with their own inhaler, and the device will speak to them, providing them with auditory instructions on how to correct any mistakes they are making. Utilizing a system of three sensors working in tandem, the device tracks the patient’s inhaler technique to provide personalized feedback in real time. Furthermore, the Puffection comes with several easily swappable mouthpieces shaped like those of real inhalers, helping patients train their tactile sense of what it feels like to use any type of inhaler. It is a well-rounded solution to the problem of undereducation in patient inhaler use, targeting both medical challenges and the systemic issues that have long hindered progress. The Puffection is designed for the clinic, and not for the patient’s home, making the life of the patient so much simpler and targeting the problem at its root source: miseducation in the clinic.