St. John's-based medtech startup BreatheSuite, which helps people with respiratory problems, is working on a $1.77 million project to use artificial intelligence to operate more efficiently.

The Newfoundland and Labrador government put out a press release this week saying the Department of Industry, Energy and Technology would provide a grant of $464,000 for the project. The company is also receiving a grant of up to $700,000 from the National Research Council’s IRAP program. The remaining $606,000 will be paid for by Breathsuite itself.

Founded in 2018, BreatheSuite assists patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other respiratory illnesses by delivering what it calls a “virtual pulmonary rehabilitation program”. BreatheSuite’s program helps users maximize their lung capacity and mobility through exercise, education, monitoring and self-management.

“Over the last 18 months, we have made a transformational change at BreatheSuite that has made an incredible impact to the patients that we serve across North America,” said Breathesuite CEO Brett Vokey in the statement. “With this investment from the province, we’re able to continue striving towards our ambitious goals, with the vision of helping respiratory patients live longer, healthier lives.”

Vokey began the company to provide hardware and software to help patients use their inhalers more efficiently, but it now offers a more complete range of services. Its customers take an assessment test and the company mails them a kit with the devices they need for their condition. They then work with a team from Breathesuite, which includes physical and respiratory therapists, to ensure they gain optimal benefits from the program.

The project announced this week, will use AI and automation to better manage referrals from physicians and patient enrollment. The company will also create AI-based tools to improve patient engagement and usability, including content delivery, goal tracking, gamification, and personalized recommendations.

The company will also develop an onboarding portal for healthcare providers to automate licensing processes, program delivery, appointment tracking and insurance records management.

Vokey mentioned in a LinkedIn post that the funding will help to “build on our existing momentum in the state of Arizona and continue to automate several legacy parts of traditional, in-person pulmonary rehab.”