myAirCoach · Project

Smart Inhaler System That Predicts Asthma Attacks Before They Happen

healthTestedTRL 6

Imagine your inhaler could actually tell you how well your lungs are doing and warn you before an asthma attack hits. That's what myAirCoach built — a smart inhaler packed with sensors that talks to your phone, tracks your breathing patterns, environment, and medication use, then figures out when trouble is coming. Think of it like a fitness tracker, but instead of counting steps, it monitors your airways and coaches you on managing your asthma day to day. The system was tested with real patients at three different hospital sites across Europe.

By the numbers

EUR 4,581,378

EU research investment in smart asthma management

consortium partners across academia and industry

countries represented in the consortium

clinical testing sites for patient validation

formal test campaigns with patient cohorts

SMEs involved in the consortium

total project deliverables produced

The business problem

What needed solving

Asthma affects hundreds of millions of people globally, yet most patients manage their condition reactively — they use inhalers only when symptoms flare up, often ending up in emergency rooms for attacks that could have been prevented. Current inhalers are simple drug delivery devices with zero intelligence — they can't track how well a patient is responding to treatment, detect worsening conditions, or warn about environmental triggers. This means clinicians fly blind between appointments, and patients lack the tools to stay ahead of their disease.

The solution

What was built

The project produced a sensor-equipped smart inhaler that continuously communicates with a mobile device, along with computational models for predicting clinical state and an asthma-related virtual community platform. A total of 17 deliverables were produced, including the personal mHealth guidance system and validated patient models tested across 3 clinical sites.

Audience

Who needs this

Inhaler manufacturers looking to add smart features to their product linesDigital health companies building chronic disease management platformsHealth insurers seeking to reduce emergency hospitalization costs for asthma patientsTelemedicine providers expanding into remote respiratory monitoringPharmaceutical companies wanting companion digital therapeutics for asthma drugs

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Digital Health & Medical Devices

enterprise

Target: Medical device companies making inhalers or respiratory monitoring equipment

If you are a medical device manufacturer dealing with the commodity trap in basic inhalers — this project developed a sensor-based smart inhaler with continuous mobile connectivity that was validated in 2 test campaigns across 3 clinical sites with 13 consortium partners. Adding predictive monitoring capabilities to your inhaler product line could differentiate you in a market where patients and insurers increasingly demand connected health solutions.

mHealth & Telemedicine Platforms

SME

Target: Digital health startups and telemedicine providers expanding into chronic disease management

If you are a telemedicine platform looking to add chronic respiratory disease management — this project built a complete pipeline from sensor data collection through clinical modelling to a personal guidance system. The technology was designed for both automated self-management and remote clinician oversight, covering the full care loop. With 4 SMEs among the 13 partners, the consortium was built for commercialization.

Health Insurance & Corporate Wellness

enterprise

Target: Health insurers or large employers running chronic disease management programs

If you are a health insurer struggling with costly asthma-related emergency visits and hospitalizations — this project created a system that gives early indications of increasing symptoms or exacerbations before they become emergencies. The EUR 4,581,378 research investment produced validated patient models and a decision support system tested at 3 clinical sites that could reduce unplanned care costs.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or integrate this technology?

The project was funded with EUR 4,581,378 in EU contribution across 13 partners over 3.5 years. Licensing terms would need to be negotiated directly with the coordinator (CERTH, Greece) and relevant IP-holding partners. As a publicly funded RIA project, results may be available under favorable licensing conditions.

Can this scale to large patient populations?

The system was designed for self-management in realistic conditions and tested in 2 formal test campaigns at 3 clinical sites. The mobile-based architecture (inhaler communicates with smartphone) is inherently scalable since it doesn't require specialized clinical infrastructure for day-to-day use.

Who owns the intellectual property?

IP is distributed among the 13 consortium partners across 5 countries (Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Sweden, UK). The consortium includes 4 industrial partners and 4 SMEs who likely hold commercialization rights for their specific contributions. Contact the coordinator CERTH for IP and licensing details.

Does this meet medical device regulations?

The project ran from 2015 to 2018, before the EU MDR (2021) took full effect. Any commercial deployment would need to go through current medical device certification. The 2 clinical test campaigns at 3 sites provide a validation foundation, but additional regulatory trials would likely be needed.

How long before this could be deployed commercially?

The project ended in June 2018, meaning the core technology is mature but may need updating for current platforms and regulations. With a working prototype tested on real patients, a commercialization partner could potentially bring this to market after regulatory clearance and manufacturing scale-up.

Can it integrate with existing hospital and EHR systems?

The system was designed with a telemedicine component allowing healthcare professionals to remotely guide patient treatment. Based on available project data, specific EHR integration protocols are not detailed in the objective, but the data pipeline architecture suggests API-based connectivity was considered.

Is there clinical evidence supporting the approach?

Yes. The project conducted 2 formal test campaigns with carefully designed patient cohorts at 3 testing sites. These were designed for objective formal validation of both the patient models and the overall system, providing clinical evidence for the sensor-based self-management approach.

Consortium

Who built it

The myAirCoach consortium brings together 13 partners from 5 countries (Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Sweden, UK), with a healthy mix of 4 universities, 4 industrial partners, 2 research organizations, and 3 other entities. The 31% industry ratio and 4 SMEs signal genuine commercial intent — this wasn't purely academic research. The coordinator is CERTH (Greece), a major national research center. The geographic spread across northern and southern Europe suggests the system was designed and tested across different healthcare contexts, which strengthens its adaptability for commercial deployment. With EUR 4,581,378 in EU funding, this was a substantial investment in bringing smart respiratory care from concept to clinical validation.

ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXISCoordinator · EL
ACADEMISCH ZIEKENHUIS LEIDENparticipant · NL
MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTthirdparty · UK
IHP GMBH - LEIBNIZ INSTITUTE FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE MICROELECTRONICSparticipant · DE
THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTERparticipant · UK
IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINEparticipant · UK
CNET SVENSKA ABparticipant · SE
EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF ASTHMA &ALLERGY ASSOCIATIONS IDEELL FORENINGparticipant · SE
PANEPISTIMIO PATRONparticipant · EL

How to reach the team

CERTH (Ethniko Kentro Erevnas Kai Technologikis Anaptyxis), Greece — use SciTransfer's coordinator lookup service to find the right contact person

Order a report on this consortium See ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXIS profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore licensing this smart inhaler technology or partnering with the myAirCoach team? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the right people in the consortium.

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