ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA
— PMD Healthcare Inc., announced today the launch and availability of its
novel new lung health monitoring device – Spiro PD. Recently cleared by the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Spiro PD is the first and only
personal spirometer that enables patients with lung diseases – those with
asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis (CF) and
lung transplants – to easily and accurately monitor their lung function anytime
and anywhere.
As the first and only personal spirometer, the easy-to-use
device is designed specifically to monitor lung function of an adult,
adolescent or young child. Other features of Spiro PD allow patients to view
their lung function trends over time, manage medications, set reminder alarms
to take medicine, do breathing exercises and quickly upload data to their
computer and share it with their doctor.
“With the increase in prevalence of emergency room visits
and hospitalizations for asthma and other pulmonary problems in the U.S., the
availability of Spiro PD is especially significant,” explained Dr. Michael S.
Blaiss, a member of the Board of Directors of the World Allergy Organization
and a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, University of Tennessee
Health Sciences Center in Memphis. “This new device allows patients and parents
of young children with lung diseases to know exactly how their condition is
doing at any time, enabling patients to have a more active role in controlling
their lung health, and potentially identifying problems before the need for
costly emergency treatment.”
Lung, or pulmonary, disease is any disease or disorder that
occurs in the lungs or that causes the lungs to not work properly1. Regular
measurement and monitoring of lung function is important to pulmonary disease
management.
“We are excited about the launch of Spiro PD, as we were
able to utilize the latest electronic technology to provide patients with lung
diseases with an easy-to-use device that conveniently allows them to monitor
their lung function anytime and anywhere,” said Wayne Meng, Founder, Chief
Executive Officer and President of PMD Healthcare, Inc. “We are confident that
this innovative, portable and affordable personal spirometer will empower
patients to better control their disease, by enhancing medication adherence,
improving communication between doctor and patient and avoiding expensive ER
trips and hospital stays.”
About the Spiro PD
The Spiro PD (“Spiro” stands for spirometer, a device used to measure
the volume and flow of air entering and leaving the lungs2 and “PD”
stands for personal device), is the first personal spirometer that enables
patients with lung diseases – those with asthma, COPD, CF and lung transplants
– to easily and accurately monitor their lung function anytime and anywhere.
Spiro PD allows patients to view their lung function trends over time, manage
medications, set alarms reminding them to take medicine, do breathing exercises
and quickly upload data to their computer and share it with their doctor.
Spiro PD is cleared to market by the FDA for the use by a
patient to test lung function in children, adolescents and adults. It is a
single-patient device. Spiro PD is also certified with the CE mark for the
European Union (EU) market. Spiro PD meets American Thoracic Society (ATS) and
European Respiratory Society (ERS) standards.
Spiro PD is available online with a prescription. Spiro PD
is designed and marketed by PMD Healthcare, Inc. For more information visit www.spiropd.com.
About Lung Disease
Lung, or pulmonary, disease is any disease or disorder that occurs in the lungs
or that causes the lungs to not work properly1. One example is COPD, the number
three cause of death in the U.S.
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)3. Regular
measurement and monitoring of lung function is important to pulmonary disease
management, including:
Asthma is a chronic lung disease that inflames and narrows
the airways and can be a life-threatening illness if not properly managed4. An
estimated 25 million Americans, including nearly 7 million children, are
currently living with asthma5,6. Annually, asthma accounts for approximately 17
million doctor office visits, including physician offices, hospital outpatient
and emergency departments7, 10 million missed work days and 13 million missed
school days8.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which includes
chronic bronchitis and emphysema, is a progressive lung disease that obstructs
the airway or damages the small air sacs in the lungs. These changes restrict
airflow into and out of the lungs and result in breathing difficulty. More than
12 million Americans are estimated to have COPD, and an estimated additional 12
million adults are undiagnosed3.
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a fatal, inherited chronic disease
that causes severe lung damage and nutritional deficiencies. Approximately
30,000 children and adults in the U.S. are living with this disease
and more than 10 million Americans are carriers of the CF gene. About 1,000 new
cases of CF are diagnosed each year9.
Lung transplant involves a surgical procedure in which a
patients diseased lungs are partially or totally replaced by lungs from a
donor. It is usually used as a last resort for lung failure10.
About PMD Healthcare, Inc.
PMD Healthcare, Inc., headquartered in Allentown,
Pennsylvania, is dedicated to
creating innovative, easy-to-use, portable and affordable personal medical
devices, and to empower people worldwide to improve their healthcare and
quality of life. For more information about PMD Healthcare, Inc. visit www.personalmedicaldevices.com.
References
1. American Lung Association. Lung Disease. http://www.lungusa.org/lung-disease/.
Accessed January 2012.
2. American Lung Association. Tools for Identifying & Diagnosing Patients
at Risk for COPD. http://www.lungusa.org/associations/states/iowa/events-programs/ia-copd-coalition/ia-copd-assets/tools-for-identifying.pdf.
Accessed January 2012.
3. American Lung Association. Understanding COPD. http://www.lungusa.org/lung-disease/copd/about-copd/understanding-copd.html.
Accessed January 2012.
4. American Lung Association. Understanding Asthma. http://www.lungusa.org/lung-disease/asthma/about-asthma/understanding-asthma.html.
Accessed January 2012.
5. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. What is Asthma?. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/lung/asthma/naci/asthma-info/index.htm.
Accessed January 2012.
6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Asthma Prevalence, Health Care
Use, and Mortality: United States, 2005-2009. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr032.pdf.
Accessed January 2012.
7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Asthma: FastStats. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/asthma.htm.
Accessed January 2012.
8. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. National Asthma Control Initiative.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/lung/asthma/naci/pubs/naci-factsheet.pdf.
Accessed January 2012.
9. American Lung Association. Understanding Cystic Fibrosis. http://www.lungusa.org/lung-disease/cystic-fibrosis/understanding-cystic-fibrosis.html.
Accessed January 2012.
10. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. What is a Lung Transplant?. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/lungtxp/.
Accessed January 2012.