Chronic respiratory disease is a terrifying condition both individually and worldwide. When you’re short of breath even for a few seconds, it’s uncomfortable and often scary. Imagine how it would be to feel that way all the time. According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) more than a billion people worldwide suffer from chronic respiratory disease. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute estimates more than 25 million people in the U.S. have diagnosed or undiagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is just one form of chronic respiratory disease (CRD). Other types of CRD include lung cancer, cystic fibrosis sleep apnea, pulmonary hypertension and many more.
A pulse oximeter/oxymeter is a device used to determine respiratory problems by detecting oxygen levels in your bloodstream by taking a reading from your finger. The way they typically work is to pass two wavelengths through the finger to a photodetector, measuring the blood oxygen saturation in your finger. From that reading most oximeters display the results on LCD or LED screens on the reader. By tracking blood oxygen periodically, healthcare providers have a better chance of predicting and discovering problems so they can suggest or adjust medications or other interventions, preferably before symptoms appear or worsen.
Visiomed’s MyOxy, part of the BewellConnect family of personal Health Tech devices, measures blood oxygen saturation with a pulse oximeter and stores the data on a mobile device. After you place one of your index fingers into the rubber opening of the pulse oximeter, the reading takes 10 seconds, after which it syncs automatically and instantly with a Bluetooth wireless-connected smartphone or tablet running the BewellConnect app.
In addition to people with chronic respiratory diseases, MyOxy is also recommended for athletes preparing for marathons or other sports who are training in high altitudes to increase blood oxygen saturation. With stored oxygen level readings on your smartphone or tablet, you can see your own progress and can also send the data to healthcare professionals or trainers.
The convenience of a single mobile app for reading and storing results from a family of personal measurement devices cannot be discounted. You can also use the BewellConnect app to find the nearest medical facility anywhere in the world. Like the other devices in the BewellConnect family MyOxy has CE approval and FDA clearance. The entire lineup is due for release for sale in the U.S. at the end of Q1 2016.
