BreatheSuite is about to launch a 30-person test of its new inhaler technology, whose purpose is to ensure people use common inhaler devices correctly.

BreatheSuite is a new company based in St. John’s that has developed software and hardware that aim to correct the improper use of inhalers. If successful, it could improve treatment for the millions of people who suffer from asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.

The company is also part of a trend in St. John’s we’ve been writing about: the increasing number of Memorial University students in STEM disciplines who are starting businesses focused on medical solutions. Co-Founder and CEO Brett Vokey, 22, has been launching the company during a work-term as he prepares to complete his engineering degree in the spring of 2019.

“It all started as an idea related to asthma and COPD,” said Vokey in an interview last week. “We found that how inhaler technology is used is a huge problem in the industry. . . . It affects how much [medicine] reaches the lungs. It requires a fair bit of coordination to do it correctly.”

Several organizations, including Eastern Health and the Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship, are organizing young innovators to come up with healthcare solutions. In February Vokey became aware of the frequent misuse of the common inhaler. Some studies state that 94 percent of inhalers are used incorrectly in terms of the timing, the angle at which the inhaler is held, and the breathing technique used.

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So Vokey brought together a seven-member team to fix the problem – including two software developers, a doctor and a PhD student specializing in mobile healthcare. Together, they have come up with a product that will teach people to use inhalers properly, ensure they do so at the proper times, and assess their success.

BreatheSuite is a small device that attaches to the inhaler and connects directly to a smartphone via Bluetooth. The software includes educational material on how to use inhalers, and a smartphone dashboard to show the user how he or she is doing in taking the treatment.

In just nine months, the team has designed and built the product, bringing it to the point at which they’re ready for tests. Funded by the Janeway Foundation, the test will involve 30 Eastern Health patients using the product for a few months and providing feedback that will be used in the design of the final product. Vokey said the product will not require Health Canada approval to enter the Canadian market, but regulatory approval may be necessary to sell into the U.S. or Europe.

The BreatheSuite team hopes to have the product on the market in late 2019 at a price of about $99.

 Another interesting note about BreatheSuite is that it is another company launched by a veteran of Memorial University’s entry into the SpaceX Hyperloop Competition. Like the founders of CoLab Software (which aids collaboration in 3D design), Vokey was a member of the OpenLoop team that competed successfully in the international competition.  He said the competition helped a lot of students realize they didn’t have to be daunted by the thought of going up against the best in the world.

“That whole competition opened our eyes as to what was possible and what we were capable of doing,” Vokey said. “Going down to the States and competing with the biggest universities in the world showed us what we could do as Newfoundlanders.”