Med-Tech Innovation Drug delivery


professionals to have a continuous and uninterrupted flow of data on patients’ patterns of use and documenting a track record of their asthma attacks. By aiding the identification of attack triggers and symptoms, the hope is that a smart electronic inhaler may enable practitioners to tailor treatments to the individual needs of patients. Taking into account the worrisome number of people requiring emergency room treatment due to improper use of inhalers, a core feature of the inhaler is the ability to detect incorrect use, while also providing educational information on correct operation. A common theme of patient noncompliance is users stopping their medication because they “feel better.” This in many cases leads to them suffering an asthma attack because they are no longer protected by the drug. By incorporating electronic components such as an accelerometer commonly used in consumer electronics (such as smart phones), parameters such as device orientation and drug agitation can be monitored, recorded and fed back directly to the patient via the screen and/or audible signals, giving unprecedented intelligence.


Features


Developing a technology-driven device did not go without its challenges. The power consumption of an integrated screen, for example, was a potential major stumbling block and an alternative to a traditional liquid crystal display was required. Working alongside Bristol-based Folium Optics (www.foliumoptics.com), which has developed a thin film colour polymer display, new technology enabled critical power consumption challenges to be met. The display draws power when switching icons, similar to E Ink display technology (www.eink.com/technology.html). The display integrated into the inhaler contains no glass, which allows it to be treated as plastic waste. In addition, the display is


less than 0.5 mm thick, which allows a single curvature bend to follow the shape of the device without disrupting performance or the quality of the screen. The display can almost be regarded as a “structural label,” providing the ability to have a common delivery mechanism with drug differentiation via the screen.


Future outlook


As exciting as this rapidly changing environment is, adopting connected health on a wider scale will be far from easy. The overriding problem is that the industry lacks the necessary experience to exploit the use of IT, consequently creating further issues. Learning from their mistakes is not an option for healthcare providers and the development of IT systems involves high costs. The use of the Cloud as a data platform also has its challenges, including meeting legislation standards and data security regulation to dismiss any fear of legal liabilities.


Figure 1:


The display is less than 0.5 mm thick, which allows a single curvature bend to follow the shape of the device without disrupting performance or the quality of the screen


Nevertheless, the future is expected to yield many more opportunities for inhalation innovation. The lung is increasingly being explored as a platform for delivering new therapies with devices incorporating the latest technologies. The quality of patient experience is of paramount


importance to ensure the acceptance of smart devices. The use of emotional engagement tools such as Live-in marketing, where selected target demographics can be reached in a non-invasive manner via smart phone applications and web services or even gamification may prove to be lucrative and will undoubtedly have a decisive role in any new product’s success.


James West MEng, CEng is a Director at Crux Product Design Ltd, 4.4 Paintworks, Bath Road, Bristol BS4 3EH, UK, tel. +44 (0)117 300 9788 www.cruxproductdesign.com For more information contact Sunny Panesar, email: sunny.panesar@cruxproductdesign.com


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