The T-Haler, a training inhaler for asthma sufferers
In the US alone, three people visit the emergency room every minute due to asthma attacks. Poor inhaler technique is one of the main causes identified, and studies show that, on average, three out of every four asthma sufferers fail to use their inhaler correctly. With this in mind, Cambridge Consultants, a subsidiary of the Altran group, has developed a training inhaler concept which can significantly improve inhaler technique and bring immediate benefits in terms of treatment efficacy.
The T-Haler is a training inhaler which allows asthma patients to check whether they are using their inhaler correctly and to learn how they can improve their technique. Equipped with interactive software, the inhaler is connected wirelessly to a video game-style interface which gives the patient real-time feedback on three key factors for proper inhaler use: it checks whether the patient has shaken the inhaler properly prior to breathing in, the force with which they breathed in, and when they pressed down on the canister (the step which releases the drug). The easy to use T-Haler demonstrated its efficacy in a study during which the proportion of participants using the device correctly went from 20% to 60%, after just three minutes' use and without instructions.
The T-Haler could help the 235 million asthma sufferers worldwide to get the best out of their inhaler, thus reducing the number of asthma-related visits to the emergency room and the resulting cost to the healthcare system.
Diallertest, a simple test to detect cow's milk allergies in young children
Considered a global public health problem by the WHO, allergies are on the rise. The issue of diagnosis, which is necessary at a very young age, is one of the strategic challenges being faced in the fight against this scourge.
Reliable, painless and easy for both medical professionals and parents to use, Diallertest is a response to the challenges facing food allergy diagnosis. DBV Technologies, laureate of the Altran Foundation for Innovation competition, created the patch test for food allergies in children. As part of its reward, the company benefited from a year's technological support from Altran at almost every stage of the product's life cycle: the production processes, improvement of the process quality and performance, analysis of patent-related issues, right up to the design of the patch applicator and its visual identity.
The test, which can detect cow's milk allergies in young children, was being sold through pharmacies barely a year after winning the Altran Foundation for Innovation Award. Diallertest is now available for other allergens, including soya and wheat.
