RespirTech Develops Novel Remote Monitoring System for Cystic Fibrosis Patients as Part of NIH Grant
ST. PAUL, Minn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–RespirTech, the nation’s fastest growing provider of Airway Clearance
Therapy (ACT) vests, is introducing a novel way to remotely monitor the
treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients as part of a project funded
by a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National
Institutes of Health. SBIR grants provide early stage capital for
research that has a strong potential for commercialization.
For the first time, two key diagnostic and treatment tools used in CF
management—spirometry and high-frequency chest compression (HFCC)—will
be available in a coordinated system that wirelessly transmits therapy
data to a smartphone. The information is then shared with healthcare
providers via a web-based app, allowing them to obtain a more complete,
accurate picture of a patient’s status. Spirometers measure lung
function. HFCC systems—in this case, the inCourage® System
from RespirTech—help clear patients’ airways of excess mucus.
“By monitoring patients’ lung function and therapy adherence at home,
clinicians can optimize patient care,” says K. James Ehlen, MD, CEO of
RespirTech. “A primary goal of this initiative is to use ongoing data to
detect and address pulmonary issues before they require more serious and
costly interventions.”
With the innovative home monitoring system, clinicians will use current
data to quickly identify and respond to changes in a patient’s pulmonary
function. They can then adjust the prescribed HFCC regimen and lung
function monitoring based on a patient’s specific needs. Remote
monitoring may be particularly useful for patients living in areas with
limited access to CF specialists.
HFCC is a standard airway clearance intervention. For Americans with
cystic fibrosis, more than 70 percent of adults and nearly 90 percent of
children ages 6-17 use HFCC vest therapy. More than 95 percent of the
nation’s 110 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation-accredited CF care centers
prescribe HFCC for their patients.
Other project collaborators include
leading pulmonary researchers affiliated with two major U.S. academic
medical centers and Health Factors, Inc., a Minneapolis company creating
and implementing the connected-device strategy.
“From a patient perspective, there will now be a level of support that
didn’t exist before,” says Dan Spors, Health Factors co-founder. “The
patient does the same therapy, but the care staff will have new
information and greater visibility into what the patient is doing. They
will be able to correlate symptoms and objective device information,
providing better context for making decisions.”
RespirTech has agreed to license resulting technologies from Koronis
Biomedical Technologies, the grant applicant and an R & D firm in Maple
Grove, Minn.
“We look forward to applying these technologies for patients with CF and
other chronic airway conditions like COPD and bronchiectasis. Measures
that lead to better therapy adherence and more robust treatment
information can contribute to better outcomes,” says Ehlen. Research
shows that patients who adhere to therapy may experience fewer
respiratory infections1 and a reduced need for antibiotics.2
“Improved outcomes are good for patients, their caregivers and the
health care system.”
About RespirTech
RespirTech is the developer, manufacturer
and distributor of the inCourage® System, which is designed
for simple, effective airway clearance therapy (ACT) for a wide range of
chronic lung conditions including cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD), and bronchiectasis, an often under-diagnosed
condition3 affecting an estimated 475,000 people in the
U.S.4 RespirTech is the only ACT vest company to use
“triangle wave” air pulses, demonstrated to improve airway secretion
clearance by as much as 20 percent over “sine wave” vest therapy systems.5
1-5. References available upon request.
Contacts
RespirTech
Greta Drentlaw, 651-348-3823
Manager, Marketing
Communications
gdrentlaw@respirtech.com
