ResApp Health has developed a smartphone medical application designed to help with the diagnosis and management of respiratory diseases. They have now announced that the company has received $12.5 million (AU).
For illnesses, such as pneumonia, each person creates a unique sound signature when they cough. Based on four to five coughs, signal-processing algorithms in this app can detect those patterns, identifying both the type and severity of an ailment.
A research team, led by Associate Professor Udantha Abeyratne at The University of Queensland, has pioneered algorithms that accurately characterize the state of patients’ respiratory tracts. Based on this research, the team created a platform to diagnose respiratory disease just by using the sound of a patient’s cough with the microphones in a smartphone.
According to a company release, the proceeds from the placement will be used to:
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Expedite US FDA approval for the adult diagnostic test by accelerating US clinical studies in adults.
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Expand US market access beyond telehealth into in-clinic use, including in emergency department and outpatient settings.
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Accelerate development of tools for managing chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Globally, asthma affects as many as 334 million people and COPD affects 65 million people.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Photo: Flickr user Rebecca Brown
