Producing a Low-cost Medical Device for Diagnosing and Monitoring Lung Disease.

PulmonIR is developing a handheld medical device that uses infrared (IR) spectroscopy to non-invasively diagnose and monitor lung disease. The company' first target is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A key target is to manufacture a low-cost device suitable for use in public healthcare systems. There are currently 1.2m COPD sufferers in the UK, 15.6m in the US and 87m in China. Based on clinical studies, PulmonIR's key advantage is the ability to predict COPD exacerbations well before symptoms appear. The hospitalisation costs associated with exacerbations were £1bn in the UK (2012) and $50bn in the US (2010).