Cut costs with new sensor for asthmatics
In Sweden, approximately 700,000 people suffer from asthma and every year around 200 people die according to the Asthma and Allergy Association. Asthma can therefore be regarded as one of the major endemic diseases in Sweden. Today's medication for asthma is however rather blunt which means that patients have to take more medication than necessary. A new sensor will cure this particular problem.
Niclas Roxhed, researcher on the Department of Micro Systems Technology at KTH, is currently involved in the development of a new version of a sensor which can sense the levels of nitric oxide in exhaled air. This is a measure of how inflamed the lungs are at any particular time, and it tells us, among other things, how much asthma medicine is needed.
The new sensor is much smaller than previous versions, which in turn means that smaller and cheaper test instruments can be produced. The objective is that asthma patients in the future will be able to determine how much medication they will need at any particular time and they will be able to do this themselves at their own homes. Today decisions like these need a visit from a doctor.
"The instrument we have today is as big as a packet of muesli and is typically only found at a specialist practice," says Niclas Roxhed.
The new sensor has several major advantages, both for the patient and for society.
"Asthma medicine is extremely expensive. The smaller the dose of medicine that a patient uses, the better it is in pure economic terms," says Niclas Roxhed.
He also adds that there are financial gains in the form of fewer emergency visits and routine visits to the country's hospitals. The side-effects of asthma medicine are controversial, but the body would hardly object to receiving smaller amounts of steroids.
Niclas Roxhed’s research is being carried out in cooperation with the company Aerocrine - the manufacturer of the test instrument. Hans Peter Starck-Johnson, product development manager at the company is not able as of yet to tell us how big the cost savings will be from using the new sensor. But he nevertheless has an idea.
"Roughly speaking; for the manufacturer we are talking about cost savings of around one quarter of the price. This means that the price per test will become more attractive for home use and the patient can keep the equipment at home. In this way, the patient can optimise his treatment and does not need to visit a doctor," Hans Peter Starck-Johnson says.
He adds that the new sensor means that the patient can be treated in a more appropriate and accurate manner. The sensor provides clear proof of how the patient is feeling.
For more information, contact Niclas Roxhed at 08 - 790 9143 or niclas.roxhed@ee.kth.se.
Peter Larsson