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Stanford's Design and Medical Schools team up on Respira paper asthma spacer

By squirrelbait - August 23, 2007

in design.edu

In order for asthma inhalers to perform effectively, the discharged medicine must be taken in coordination with a deep breath. This action can be very difficult for young children gasping in the midst of an attack. In these cases, supplementary devices called spacers are used to capture and hold the medicine until the user is ready to inhale. Over 8 million children in Mexico suffer from asthma who are without proper medical care or preventative measures and spacers, at more than $50 a piece, are far too costly for Mexican health centers to stock.

Stanford's Design and Medical Schools teamed up to face this obstacle, creating a super cost-effective and easily distributed solution. With a cost reduction of over 99% (dang), the flat-pack, foldable paper Respira spacers can be shipped by the hundreds for the cost of a stamp.

In the long term, we believe this innovation is sufficiently affordable and easy-to-use that it can be distributed directly to patients and their families. Used in the home, this device will enable not only the rapid treatment of acute attacks, but also a more comprehensive prevention strategy. Patients would use the spacer together with an inhaler to give the preventive medication that is known to dramatically decrease the number of acute attacks.

This rethinking of asthma management will yield savings and improvements in quality of life for patients and their families. The reduced cost will benefit the Mexican health care system, which will avoid unnecessary, expensive emergency room treatments, as well as patients' families, who will save bus fares and lost wages. With the knowledge that treatment is easily accessible, or even in the home, the anxiety and limitations in activity that plague asthma sufferers and their families will be greatly diminished. Importantly, this simple device empowers asthma patients and their families to take an active role in managing their disease.

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Nick Bird

14 years ago

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Great Idea, we are working on a plastic flat pack spacer that will have much better drug deposition results due for release early 2011. This will get to market for less than $3. We currently have a large volume spacer just released, re-usable and anti-static for $3.95, drug deposition is as good as the volumatic (considered the best). This allows hospitals to spend less money and provide the patient a re-usable spacer for the home, Emergency departments are loving them. Check it out www.birdhealthcare.com (E-Chamber 510ml) Available now (La Petite E-Chamber 215ml )soon to be released and Flat Pack Eco E-Chamber in design stage. Distributors welcome
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Nick Bird

14 years ago

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Z

Reply

Great Idea, we are working on a plastic flat pack spacer that will have much better drug deposition results due for release early 2011. This will get to market for less than $3. We currently have a large volume spacer just released, re-usable and anti-static for $3.95, drug deposition is as good as the volumatic (considered the best). This allows hospitals to spend less money and provide the patient a re-usable spacer for the home, Emergency departments are loving them. Check it out www.birdhealthcare.com (E-Chamber 510ml) Available now (La Petite E-Chamber 215ml )soon to be released and Flat Pack Eco E-Chamber in design stage. Distributors welcome
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canuck

16 years ago

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Many patients choose not to purchase an aerochamber because of the cost. A low-cost alternative would help many of my patients utilize their inhalers in a more efficient manner. I have only seen these products used in one of our hospitals...wish is was more widespread
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Allen

17 years ago

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Pretty awesome cost-reducing method of medication dispensing. The branded "AeroChambers" are not _terribly_ expensive, but can obviously be seen as a cost-barrier to lower-income communities. It's such a simple concept (one way valves and a big space), that I would never imagine it could be simplified even more. Very cool.
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Idpete

17 years ago

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Does it bother anyone else that we have to pay $50 for something that can be easily substituted for folding a piece of paper? Are Mexicans getting a substandard product...or are we just getting screwed over?
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