Israeli Device May Prevent Readmission for COPD

A unique device developed in Israel can significantly enhance the treatment effectiveness of any respiratory diseases, including asthma. However, it is primarily planned for use in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the management of which currently poses a significant challenge for healthcare providers. The use of the device, which is expected to hit the market soon, is anticipated to reduce the number of readmissions.

The mobile respiratory monitoring system, designed as a chest strap with sensors by Resmetrix Medical, continuously and accurately tracks, records, and analyzes so-called types or patterns of breathing and alerts users to the first signs of deterioration. It can be used for the treatment of any respiratory diseases, including asthma. "But the initial focus of the developers is on COPD, as it places a huge burden on the healthcare system," explains the company's CEO, Carmit Levi.

According to the latest data, nearly a quarter of a billion people worldwide live with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, suffering from persistent airflow limitation in the airways. In the U.S., this condition is the third leading cause of death among children and adults.

"The main problem with COPD lies in the associated costs – it costs the American government $50 billion annually, with $15 billion spent on readmissions," says Levi. "One in five patients who is hospitalized ends up back in the hospital within a month of discharge. Due to such patients, insurance companies impose penalties on hospitals, so healthcare facilities have a strong incentive to monitor them after discharge. And we will help them with that."

To this end, the Israeli company has developed a flexible sensor embedded in the chest strap that will allow people with respiratory diseases to monitor their condition at home, timely identifying even the slightest signs of exacerbation, recording possible deteriorations, and thus preventing costly hospitalizations.

The sensor determines the type of breathing by responding to changes, even minor ones, in chest circumference and other parameters, such as relative tidal volume (the amount of air in the lungs at different points in the breathing cycle). Typically, this is measured using a spirometer, but that device cannot provide continuous measurements.

The unique sensor also records vital signs – heart rate and body temperature. "In the chest strap, there are also sensors to measure activity level and position, so we know what the patient is doing during monitoring," adds Levi. "The device operates autonomously and requires no effort from the user; it can be worn anywhere at any time."

The collected data is securely transmitted via the cloud to a special smartphone application, with which the system connects wirelessly. There, artificial intelligence algorithms developed by Israeli specialists compare the obtained metrics with the patient's baseline data. After analysis, the application determines the user's current respiratory status. Green indicates that all metrics are normal, orange signals the beginning of deterioration, and red indicates a severe condition.

"This way, the patient will know when to start treatment or, if the situation is serious, to call a doctor," notes Carmit Levi. "Our goal is to monitor the health of people with respiratory diseases, identifying the first signs of deterioration, which will allow them to receive necessary medical assistance more quickly, avoid unnecessary hospitalizations, and the costs associated with complications."

The device will be available in small, medium, large, and very large sizes. Levi emphasizes the particular importance of its use in children: their condition typically deteriorates quite rapidly and improves just as quickly, but they generally cannot accurately express how they feel. Moreover, many diagnostic methods for assessing lung function, such as spirometry, cannot be used in children under five years old. "For such little ones, the Israeli device will be a lifesaver," notes the company's leader.

Unique Opportunity

Resmetrix Medical was founded two years ago by Carmit Levi and two direct authors of the revolutionary device – Dr. Ari Derow, a well-known inventor of several medical devices and head of the pediatric otolaryngology department at Ichilov Hospital (Sourasky) in Tel Aviv, and Tzvi Reznik, who holds a PhD in electrical engineering and is the author of several patented technologies. It was they who came up with the idea of tracking changes in chest circumference and accurately calculating tidal volume based on this data.

The startup has become a portfolio company of the Israeli business incubator MindUp, which supports projects in the digital health sector and collaborates with Medtronic, IBM, and Rambam Medical Center in Haifa. It aims to ensure adequate monitoring of COPD patients outside the hospital.

According to Levi, there are companies that produce portable devices in the form of watches and patches, but they typically only track breathing rate, whereas the Resmetrix device also monitors changes in tidal volume and is designed to determine respiratory status. She also noted that competitors' developments are mostly more expensive than the Resmetrix device.

The prototype of the chest strap with special sensors was tested on asthma patients in the pediatric department of Rambam Medical Center. Researchers measured participants' metrics in their baseline state, during a slight deterioration, and after treatment, to develop an effective algorithm based on this data.

Clinical studies have shown a high correlation between the measurements of chest circumference with the new device and tidal volume measured by spirometry. In September, the Israeli startup became a finalist in the RESI Boston Innovation Challenge program. This attracted the attention of investors and companies working in the medical technology field, marking the beginning of the next funding phase.

The Resmetrix team continues to refine its respiratory function monitoring system and is preparing for preliminary trials of the technology on COPD patients, which are expected to begin within a year. Participants will be monitored first in the hospital and then for another two months at home after discharge.

If the company receives approval for its device from the European and American food and drug administrations, it could enter the global market within a year and a half to two years.