Entrepreneur invents asthma lifesaver
A Manchester-based entrepreneur has invented a device that he thinks could potentially save thousands of lives from asthma.
Ali Moiyed, 40, has battled asthma most of his life and decided to do something because his seven-year-old daughter Ruqaiyya suffers from the condition.
Every year asthma kills 250,000 worldwide but Moiyed says 75% of deaths are avoidable and believes the problem isn’t with the treatment but making sure patients take their medication – which is the idea for Aerobit.
The device is an elasticated, one-size-fits-all jacket that transforms inhalers into smart devices, similar to Fitbit.
Measuring 3.2cm in size it connects them to a mobile app and reminds patients to take their medication, keeping track of the doses.
Explaining the idea the Stockport-based inventor said: “When my daughter Ruqaiyya suffered an asthma attack my wife and I realised that we didn’t know 100% whether she’d taken her medication, the dose she’d taken or the precise time she’d had it. We were worriedif we gave it again she could overdose.
“As responsible parents we felt guilty but when we did our research we found that most parents had a similar experience. People live busy lives and you can’t watch your children 24/7, especially when they’re at school. The vital thing for patients like Ruqaiyya is that they take right dosage of medication at the right time. That’s where the Aerobit device comes in.
“The smart bit is the Aerobit device uses patented sensor-based technology to detect when you’ve taken your meds and sends a signal to the mobile app. The important bit is it doesn’t rely on the patient to feed in information so it’s ideal for elderly or very young asthmatics who might forget to take their medication on time.”
Moiyed has submitted a patent application for the technology and has a track record of setting up companies after previously founding Manchester-based fintech business AccessPay, growing it from two people to 160 and raising millions of dollars in the process from investors.
The Aerobit device is set to be launched early this year and has attracted interest from the pharmaceutical industry, inhaler manufacturers, hospitals and health insurance companies. It could be sold per unit or rented out.
Moiyed is also looking at ways of making it fun for children to use the device so it’s seen as a toy rather than a medical product.
He added: “Three people die every day because of asthma in the UK and given the fact that both my daughter and I have the condition the incentive to make Aerobit a success couldn’t be greater.”
