by Daniel Gill, Queen Mary University of London
This week (9-15 September), as many young people are heading back to school after their summer holiday, NHS England is suggesting that teachers, employers and government workers #AskAboutAsthma. The goal is to raise awareness of the experiences of those with asthma, and to suggest techniques to put in place to help children and young people with asthma live their best lives.
One of the key bits of kit in the arsenal of people with asthma is an inhaler. When used, an inhaler can administer medication directly into the lungs and airways as the user breathes in. In the case of those with asthma, an inhaler can help to reduce inflammation in the airways which might prevent air from entering the lungs, especially during an asthma attack.
It’s only recently, however, that inhalers are getting the technology treatment. Smart inhalers can help to remind those with asthma to take their medication as prescribed (a common challenge for those with asthma) as well as tracking their use which can be shared with doctors, carers, or parents. Some smart inhalers can also identify if the correct inhaler technique is being used. Researchers have been able to achieve this by putting the audio of people using an inhaler through a neural network (a form of artificial intelligence), which can then classify between a good and bad technique.
As with any medical technology, these smart inhalers need to be tested with people with asthma to check that they are safe and healthy, and importantly to check that they are better than the existing solutions. One such study started in Leicester in July 2024, where smart inhalers (in this case, ones that clip onto existing inhalers) are being given to around 300 children in the city. The researchers will wait to see if these children have better outcomes than those who are using regular inhalers.
This sort of technology is a great example of what computer scientists call the “Internet of Things” (IoT). This refers to small computers which might be embedded within other devices which can interact over the internet… think smart lights in your home that connect to a home assistant, or fridges that can order food when you run out.
A lot of medical devices are being integrated into the internet like this… a smart watch can track the wearer’s heart rate continuously and store it in a database for later, for example. Will this help us to live happier, healthier lives though? Or could we end up finding concerning patterns where there are none?
More on…
- Internet of Things [CS4FN Portal]
- Leicester’s smart inhaler research study [EXTERNAL]
- Asthma and Lung UK: A charity providing support and information to those with lung conditions [EXTERNAL]
Linked Research Papers
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EPSRC supports this blog through research grant EP/W033615/1,
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