I am a BSc(Hons) student studying Product Design. For my final year project I would like to design or improve something that would help asthmas suffers or make their lives easier. Can anyone help me with ideas? Is there any item that could be improved (how) or designed (what)??
Hope there are lots of people out there who have ideas.
Look forward to hearing from you
Hi Judith,
Interesting to hear of your plans. Did you chose this topic because of a personal interest in asthma?
I have always thought that it would be useful to have some sort of device that could be attached to a chair or bed to allow one to lean forward, while supporting the head and upper body. Most asthmatics are more comfortable sitting up in a slightly forward leaning position when having an attack, but this gets very tiring after a while. We mostly tend to improvise with a table at a suitable height, with pillows on it, but it's not ideal! It would have to support the head and possibly the upper body, but without putting any pressure on the chest or restricting chest or shoulder movement.
Nebuliser masks are another pet hate of mine - surely it must be possible to come up with a design that a) doesn't result in the chamber falling off the mask, which spills the medication, and b) can be used in any position, not just upright (actually, some of the ultrasonic makes can be used in any position, but they are no good in an acute severe attack, as they are not really fast enough and cannot be used with oxygen).
A kit bag to store nebs, neb mask, Epipens, medication and so on would also be useful - a lot of us have bags that are intended for diabetes equipment, which we have adapted, but a special one for asthma would be good. If it was clearly marked 'asthma medication kit bag' or something similar, perhaps with instructions of what to do in an attack, so much the better - easier for people with us to find in an emergency!
Hope this helps, I may think of some more, shortly!
Em
Hi Judith
A great help would be spacers that were able to fit the inhalers inside (for storage). My son (3) uses a teddy bear inhaler for when we're out and about and i have to carry 2 different type of inhalers (reliever and preventer) - i've made a bag for all this to fit into but it would be easier if the inhalers fitted inside the spacer chamber - would make bag less bulky.
We also use a volumatic - which is bigger - usually at home - but this is very bulky especially as we have a mask aswell.
It would also be really good if all inhalers had counters on them so you knew how many puffs were left/used.
Hope that helps and good luck.
Claire
Hello Claire,
The able spacer available on prescription will take an inhaler inside it and was more or less designed for that purpose - I think it is available with a paediatric mask too!
Yes a neb mask & chamber that held together better rather that projecting the meds all over the place as it pops off & swings around.
A bag with a logo which everyone will recognise that you can pop all meds in too.
There are many gadgets out there allready for keeping inhalers in such as the puffapouch and also a pod thingy - apod which keep inhalers handy and clean.
One with a name slot / area would be a good idea! esp for kids!
How about a gadget for helping people with using power inhalers - there is a device called 2Tone which helps train people to use pMDIs properly.
See 2toneTrainer.com
Powder ones need a different technique to pMDI ones
Kate
Something to hol turbohalers roundtour necks like the puffapouch is for MDIs there nothing available for turbohalers :o(
Not sure how many there are around but stories for kids which asthma like you can get stories based on other subjects eg going to the dentist etcetc one on asthma and inhaler useage for those kids and teenagers that are not keen on using their meds
Books
Desmond Dragon by Allen & hanbury
Ben and his Magic Puffer - an AUK publication
There must be others somewhere too!
Not sure about teenager books though!
Kate
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