FloGlow

The World Health Organization has called an Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases between 2013 and 2020. Included in this list of NCD's are chronic respiratory disease (COPD) and asthma. FloGlow intends to tackle both COPD and asthma management through development and implementation of a device capable of measuring lung function to aid in both diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Asthma are characterized by reduced lung function by airway narrowing. COPD shows a progressive decline, while Asthma patients experience sporadic events that can be triggered by genetic or environmental causes. In 2005, 5% of deaths were caused by COPD, 90% of those occurring in the developing world [1]. While it is currently the 5th leading cause of death, COPD is estimated to be the 3rd leading cause of death in 2030 [1]. There are approximately 235 million people worldwide that have asthma [2]. 80% of asthma-related deaths also occur in the developing world [3]. Asthma itself accounts for a huge economic health burden worldwide. Both of these disease remain under-diagnosed, and under-managed. Control in the treatment of these disease could reduce patient morbidity and mortality.