NEW PEDIATRIC RESPIRATORY RATE SENSOR For Early Detection Of Pneumonia In Developing Countries
Pneumonia is the number one killer of children under five in the developing world -- in the five minutes it will take to read this press release, 15 children will have died.
So, Project HOPE and Virginia-based firm Guardit have come up with a pioneering device that could make dramatic strides in diagnosing a disease that claims more young victims than AIDS, Malaria and measles combined.
The INSPIRE pediatric device is an electronic aid that will help health workers make swift and accurate early diagnoses of pneumonia and save lives by making an accurate reading of a child’s breath count -- a key indicator of pneumonia.
A state of the art device is badly overdue -- currently the standard method for counting breath rate in developing countries relies on health workers visually counting breaths and using a one minute timer or using counting beads that often result in mistakes and then either not treating children who need antibiotics, or treating those who don’t need the medicines.
“Obtaining reliable respiratory rates is a key step in the successful identification and correct treatment of pneumonia,” said Judith Moore, Senior Advisor for Women and Children’s Health at Project HOPE. “Healthcare workers in the field will be able to better serve the population and correctly diagnosis pneumonia by having a new and more accurate device available.”
INSPIRE's low price -- about $15 - $20 -- makes it easily deployable to millions of health workers around the world. Currently undergoing rigorous testing, INSPIRE is producing accurate respiratory rates even when a child is in different positions.
Its rugged design and easy-to-use interface make it ideal for developing world environments. The device works when it is placed on the chest of a child, and uses a patent pending algorithm, developed by Guardit, to provide an accurate reading.
Mike Script, CEO of Guardit said, "INSPIRE will provide a significant diagnostic tool for respiratory rate monitoring for developing and developed countries.”
Guardit is making this technology available to NGO’s through Project HOPE, a Virginia-based global humanitarian assistance organization which specializes in providing medical care in the developing world and building sustainable health systems that allow nations to eventually solve their own health care challenges.
“Guardit is a great partner and this agreement exemplifies their dedication to creative problem solving,” said Cary Kimble, Associate Vice President for Development for Project HOPE. “This partnership underscores our commitment to bring the best solutions to the field for our healthcare workers to save the lives of children. “
Pneumonia is the number one killer of patients under five years old and in 2011, 1.3 million children tragically died from what is a preventable and treatable illness. Ninety-nine percent of child victims are in developing countries and the disease imposes a significant and painful economic burden from nations already suffering from widespread poverty and poor governance.
About Guardit Technologies LLC
Guardit is an innovative product development company specializing in Smart Object Sensors. For over 10 years, Guardit has done Research & Development with smart Object Sensor platform. With hundreds of patent claims, Guardit’s sensors were developed mainly for safety and security, but have broader applications in a multitude of industries. INSPIRE is the first product using the Sensor technology for healthcare. www.guardit.com Guardit Technologies 4031 University Suite 100 Fairfax, VA 22030
About Project HOPE
Founded in 1958, Project HOPE (Health Opportunities for People Everywhere) is dedicated to providing lasting solutions to health problems with the mission of helping people to help themselves. Identifiable to many by the SS HOPE, the world’s first peacetime hospital ship, Project HOPE now provides medical training and health education, as well as conducts humanitarian assistance programs in more than 35 countries. For more information, please visit
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