Domestic drug major Cipla Limited has come out with 'CipAir', a mobile application designed to enable a timely and convenient first line of screening for asthma in India.

When performed in quiet surroundings as directed by the tool, in less than a minute, through three guided exhalations into the handset, the tool produces a personalised result that indicates the presence, absence or likely future onset of asthma, and guides people to the appropriate action basis the findings. This first-of-its-kind technology is available on Android (to be subsequently rolled out on iOS devices), and is a free tool accessible through the Breathefree mobile application, Cipla’s existing patient support ecosystem for respiratory care, says a press release.

Its proprietary algorithm and software transform one’s mobile phone into an asthma screening device using detailed acoustic signature analysis coupled with artificial neural network science. Users are further equipped with access to vital knowledge resources pertaining to lung health and qualified experts via Cipla’s extensive Breathefree platform.

''CipAir's AI-led technology is yet another step forward in making personalised healthcare accessible and user-friendly, thereby empowering them to live fuller lives.” says Umang Vohra, Managing Director & Global CEO of Cipla.

The product is clinically validated through a multi-centric pan-India study. It aims to empower people by helping them understand their likelihood of an asthma diagnosis thereby allowing them to seek timely intervention and management in case of such indications.

According to the Global Burden of Disease report, the total burden of asthma in India is estimated to be 34.3 million. India has three times higher mortality, and more than two times higher disability-adjusted life years compared to the global proportion of asthma burden.