As pulmonary function testing (PFT) is officially integrated into standard general health checkups this year, Daewoong Pharmaceutical is moving to expand the market for digital respiratory diagnostic tools.
Daewoong Pharmaceutical and medical tech firm TR announced on March 24 that they signed a supply agreement for "The Spirokit," a digital pulmonary function tester. Under the terms of the agreement, signed at Daewoong’s headquarters on the 19th, TR will handle development and manufacturing, while Daewoong Pharmaceutical will oversee nationwide distribution, sales, and marketing targeting clinics, hospitals, and health screening centers.
Responding to National Health Screening Revisions
The partnership is a strategic response to rising demand driven by recent updates to the National Health Screening Program. Starting this year, PFT has been formally added to general health checkup items for individuals aged 56 to 66. This revision provides a critical window for the early detection of major respiratory conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), during routine screenings.
The Spirokit is designed to support the diagnosis of COPD and asthma by automatically analyzing test data in accordance with the latest clinical guidelines. By providing key clinical indicators and selecting the most appropriate results, the device helps healthcare professionals reduce interpretation time and improves overall efficiency in clinical practice.
Real-Time Guidance and Portability
To improve patient adherence and test accuracy, The Spirokit features a tablet-based interface that provides real-time guidance on test sequences, breathing effort, and remaining time. It also includes an automated function that analyzes breathing patterns as they occur, immediately determining if a test is being performed correctly.
Maintenance is similarly streamlined; the calibration process is managed directly via the tablet, with results stored on a secure server. Healthcare professionals can follow on-screen instructions to operate the calibration syringe and confirm completion through an integrated results graph.
Measuring approximately 16 cm and weighing only 123 g, the device offers significant portability compared to traditional stationary equipment. This allow pulmonary function tests to be performed at a patient's bedside in inpatient wards or during off-site mobile screening visits, eliminating the need for patients to be transported to a dedicated testing room.
"The Spirokit is a solution that improves access to pulmonary function testing," said Lee Chang-jae, CEO of Daewoong Pharmaceutical. "It has the potential to expand the early diagnosis of respiratory diseases significantly, even within primary care settings."
