Respiri expands wheezo into telehealth market with Phenix partnership
Respiri’s wheezo respiratory health monitoring technology will be integrated within Phenix Health’s telehealth platform.
Respiri (ASX: RSH) has expanded the market for its wheezo technology after announcing a partnership with Phenix Health.
The parties have inked a joint development agreement which will involve integrating Respiri’s wheezo eHealth software as a service asthma diagnostic and monitoring technology with Phenix’s telehealth platform.
Under the deal, Phenix will be responsible for offering wheezo to diagnosed asthmatics to assist with monitoring the condition and providing remote healthcare.
Respiri chief executive officer and managing director Marjan Mikel said the agreement underscores Respiri’s commitment to people with asthma and related respiratory disease during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“By increasing awareness and access through Phenix’s leading telehealth platform, innovative technology solutions such as wheezo will support more effective monitoring of a patient’s underlying condition to better empower patients and their treating physicians in the management of their condition during this critical period and beyond,” he added.
Wheezo technology
Respiri’s wheezo technology is designed to support management of respiratory health.
The technology employs machine learning to detect wheeze, which is a typical asthma symptom as well as chronic obstructive pulmonary and respiratory diseases by measuring airway limitation.
Wheezo provides personalised feedback and education based on a user’s personal health data, which is also correlated with environmental factors.
This data is then easily shared with health care professionals.
Phenix Health
Established about five years ago, Phenix was developed to provide remote healthcare to large sections of Australia’s population.
The company has refined its technology to provide remote and mobile patient monitoring and telehealth services that connects health care professionals to patients.
According to Phenix, its platform provides a collaborative tool for providers in clinics, aged care facilities, emergency services, hospitals, remote and mobile settings.
Phenix director and chief executive officer Gillian Alexis described the partnership with Respiri as “ground-breaking” that could improve the quality of life for the world’s 340 million asthma sufferers.
“We look forward to evolving new longitudinal models of care with Respiri that are focused on measurable outcomes by complementing traditional brick and mortar services,” Ms Alexis added.
Wheezo already in China
Today’s partnership with Phenix follows Respiri’s announcement last month it had received requests from three Chinese hospitals to trial wheezo on COVID-19 patients.
Under the supervision of Chongqing Municipal Health Commission, the three Chinese hospitals are trialling wheezo on patients admitted with heightened respiratory problems as a result of COVID-19.
Respiri noted the device had been delivered to the hospitals for “humanitarian reasons” and is not part of a formal trial.
“If the device can help with remote monitoring of affected asthma families at this time, the company is happy to assist in any way it can,” the company added.