RESTECH: Managing Respiratory Diseases with Cellular LTE

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that more than 300 million people worldwide have chronic respiratory conditions. These conditions include asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is the third leading cause of death worldwide, causing more than three million deaths each year.

The respiratory diagnostics field has advanced with the rapid adoption of oscillometry, a cutting-edge technology for measuring lung function. Oscillometry provides an objective assessment of chronic respiratory conditions. It accurately measures the degree of obstruction in central and peripheral airways.

Unlike traditional techniques such as spirometry, respiratory oscillometry offers a more patient-friendly approach. It evaluates pulmonary obstructions during a few natural, spontaneous breaths. This enhances patient comfort and simplifies the testing process for health care professionals. As a result, the experience is more efficient and stress-free for all involved.

Oscillometry has proven to be a convenient tool for remote patient monitoring (RPM) and management. A randomized controlled trial was conducted over 300 respiratory patients. It revealed that daily unsupervised oscillometry measurements in COPD patients can reduce exacerbation frequency by half in the most severe cases. These measurements were analyzed using proprietary algorithms developed and patented by RESTECH Srl.

This innovative approach improves patient outcomes and offers substantial cost savings for health care providers. It streamlines the management process and enhances overall patient care efficiency.

Handheld Oscillometry Devices Using IoT

RESTECH stands at the forefront of respiratory health innovation. The company offers cutting-edge solutions for measuring and monitoring lung function across all age groups. RESTECH leverages state-of-the-art technologies that enable doctors to deliver more precise diagnoses. In addition, these solutions empower patients to take control of their respiratory health through enhanced self-management.

Over a decade ago, RESTECH recognized the transformative potential of self-management for chronic respiratory conditions. The company pioneered a comprehensive suite of home monitoring devices and services. These innovations facilitate seamless, secure oscillometry data sharing with health care providers.

In 2012, RESTECH introduced the Resmon PRO DIARY, the world’s first certified home-use oscillometric device. This groundbreaking tool has since been used in numerous clinical studies, pilot trials and RPM initiatives.

The Resmon PRO DIARY integrates with RESOLVE, a sophisticated web application and medical software platform. This synergy allows the Resmon PRO DIARY to transmit patient data securely via cellular networks.

Through RESOLVE, health care professionals can:

• Access and review patient data
• Schedule appointments
• Proactively manage treatment adjustments
• Respond to deteriorating trends identified by RESTECH’s proprietary algorithms

This comprehensive system enhances patient outcomes and streamlines the management process, ensuring efficient, effective respiratory care.

In November 2023, RESTECH’s oscillometry-based medical application suite expanded with FIRST.HOME, the world’s first handheld oscillometry device. FIRST.HOME marks a significant advancement over the Resmon PRO DIARY. It offers improved portability, user-friendliness and affordability.

In addition to its oscillometry capabilities, FIRST.HOME has an integrated pulse oximeter to measure heart rate and peripheral oxygen saturation. FIRST.HOME empowers patients to monitor their respiratory health comprehensively at home, covering three crucial domains:

• Respiratory mechanics
• Symptomatology
• Blood oxygen saturation

FIRST.HOME provides a full spectrum of functional information. It allows health care professionals to make precise clinical decisions remotely, enhancing respiratory patient care and management.

Key Needs for RPM Device Technology

A reliable, high-performance cellular connection is crucial to ensure health care providers have continuous access to patient data. Cellular connectivity also offers greater deployment flexibility, allowing the FIRST.HOME to operate in homes without Wi-Fi or other internet gateways. This is valuable for delivering respiratory care in low- and middle-income countries. According to the WHO, over 90% of COPD-related deaths in people under 70 occur in these places.

Monitoring devices in patient homes must function seamlessly anywhere, including remote and rural areas. FIRST.HOME’s services are valuable in these locations. They ensure that patients receive the care they need no matter where they are.

The Telit Cinterion Advantage

RESTECH chose Telit Cinterion’s cellular LTE modules for its Resmon PRO DIARY and FIRST.HOME solutions to ensure reliable connectivity in multiple countries. The modules also feature a custom antenna created specifically for the FIRST.HOME product. Furthermore, these modules offer the ultracompact form factor and long battery life these solutions require.

Telit Cinterion’s cellular LTE modules comply with 3GPP Releases 10 and 14 and use Power Saving Mode (PSM) and extended Discontinuous Reception (eDRX). These modes enable devices to wake up periodically and deliver small amounts of data before returning to sleep mode.

These modules also have a maximum coupling loss (MCL) of up to +15 dB/+20 dB and support for Power Class 3 (output power up to 23 dBm) on LTE-M and NB-IoT. These features ensure reliable indoor connectivity.

Telit Cinterion also provides IoT SIM cards for RESTECH’s solutions, freeing the company from the time and expense of managing them. The SIM card service is part of  Telit Cinterion’s extensive connectivity solutions.

deviceWISE® CLOUD, powered by Telit Cinterion, is a cloud-based management tools suite. This connected machine solution enables RESTECH to deploy its devices and manage its connectivity quickly and affordably.

Telit Cinterion is a reliable and certified manufacturer of radio solutions for mobile equipment. It provided us with the flexibility to integrate modems into our application quickly and allowed us to meet our time-to-market expectations. Telit Cinterion’s SIM data plans complemented its hardware and were a plus for this project’s deployment.

— ALESSANDRO GOBBI, RESTECH CO-FOUNDER AND COO