These days a lot of our medical and health equipment is starting to get a lot more smarter and comprehensive in their functionality. For example back in the day, a weighing scale pretty much only told you your weight, but these days there are scales that can detect your body fat percentage, and some of them even work with your phone to set reminders to help log your progress and keep you on track of your goals.
So much so that it doesn’t really come as a surprise to learn that even the humble but incredibly important inhaler is getting an upgrade, and in the future don’t be surprised if you see more advanced models in the market. This is because the FDA has approved the “first and only’ digital inhaler that comes with built-in sensors.
Dubbed the ProAir Digihaler, this is a digital inhaler that was built by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries. The inhaler can connect to an app installed on a smartphone where it can provide additional information to its user, such when it was used and it can also measure inspiratory flow. This data will be saved and logged into the companion app which they can then share with their healthcare professionals if they so choose.
The ProAir Digihaler is expected to be available come 2019 via “Early Experience” programs, but a full nation-wide launch is expected to take place in 2020, assuming there are no issues.