Local Student Redesigns The Asthma Inhaler
By Ian Bush
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Asthma inhalers haven't changed much over the decades, but a Drexel student has come up with a way that could revolutionize how people manage the disease.
Step one: redesign the inhaler.
"I wanted to make sure to slim it down to make it something comfortable in the pocket."
Drexel senior Osman Cueto, himself an asthma sufferer, aims to reduce stigma and inconvenience: no more lost mouthpiece caps.
"I made it retractable."
And it's connected to a mobile app.
"It will basically learn with you. It can track how often you're using your inhaler, when you use it, where you use it. From all that information you can find out why you're using it."
It reveals how many doses remain and reminds you to call the pharmacy. A locator tracks down a misplaced inhaler, and a peak flow meter measures the strength of each breath.
"I don't want people to just settle. They have asthma so they have to use this. That's not good enough."
Drug companies looking for the next big thing might look to Cueto, who's showing off the invention along with other product design majors at a show at Drexel at the end of the month.
