Mobile Application for COPD Patients

Application

Mobile application for teaching breathing techniques to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Key Benefits

Personalized coaching program.
Tracks and saves lung performance.
Adapts training program to patient’s lung performance.
Can be done from the comfort of the patient’s home.

Market Summary

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) refers to a group of diseases, including chronic bronchitis, asthma, and emphysema, that cause airflow blockage and breathing-related problems. Breathing exercises are very important for daily management of COPD patients and increases their quality of life by helping them to improve their pulmonary function. However, there is lack of personalized and adaptive guiding resources for COPD patients and most training is given only few times to a patient before they are instructed to go home and practice. There are a number of mobile apps on the market for deep breathing exercise and meditation, but none of them are specifically designed to train COPD patients. A mobile app tailored to COPD patients' particular needs, that can be used from the comfort of their homes would have a great impact in their quality of life.

Technical Summary

Emory researchers develop an app, called "Exheale," that teaches patients with COPD how to use pursed-lip breathing techniques in order to exhale slowly and evenly to relieve shortness of breath. In COPD patients their discomfort occurs because they are unable to force air out of their lungs as they exhale. The app instructs them to breathe using different inhalation-to-exhalation ratios to optimize their breathing. This app collects and provides feedback on their breathing patterns, such as whether they need to further lengthen the duration of exhalation. Exheale has several features including: exercises, reports, achievements (provides encouragement) and tutorials on how to perform the exercises.