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Series of compact sensors that are attached to COPD or asthma prescription medications to record usage.
The mission of Propeller Health is to “empower every person living with a chronic respiratory disease to take control of their health so they can live a better life.” They are a leader in digital health and therapeutics for COPD and Asthma and strive to improve the cost of healthcare and the quality of life for the patient.
Propeller sensors attach to the user’s COPD or Asthma prescription medication that automatically senses where, when and how often the patient uses the medication. Monitoring the use allows the doctor and caregiver to manage the patient’s condition and quality of life.
Asthma and COPD are the 5th and 6th most costly medical conditions in the US, estimated at $50 billion annually. [1] Propeller aims to reduce these costs by providing tools for improved self-management of asthma and COPD symptoms. The company wanted to develop a connected system of products and digital tools that would track a patient’s medicine use. This approach allows patients to better understand their triggers while aiding doctors in better identifying high-risk patients before a crisis.
[1] United States Environmental Protection Agency. Asthma Facts. March 2013. http://www.epa.gov/asthma/pdfs/asthma_fact_sheet_en.pdf
Propeller Health’s mission was to develop a connected system of products and digital tools that would track a patient’s medicine use. The solution was a family of Bluetooth sensors that would record medicine use and communicate it to a proprietary mobile app that would also track the time and locations of use.
Over the course of 3-months, i3 worked to reduce the number of components in Propellor’s second generation sensor from 21 to 8 which allowed for a much smoother assembly process and huge costs savings during manufacturing.
Sensors were developed through a true integration of design and engineering. The sensor’s touch-points, materials and electrical reliability were all crucial to making the overall system a success. Numerous prototypes were created by Propeller Health and i3 to validate each design and engineering detail to ensure the proper user experience and quality.
Our initial work with Propellor began the start of a long and productive development partnership. Over the years, Propeller Health has trusted i3 for Mechanical Engineering and Prototyping of their connected healthcare products and we have helped grow their portfolio to become an attractive startup for acquisition. They were acquired by ResMed for $225 Million in early 2019.
