New range of inhalers is designed for the style-conscious

A Californian designer has dreamt up a range of very stylish inhalers in a bid to make asthma sufferers less self-conscious of using them.

Standard medical inhalers aren’t exactly designed for style – they have a very straightforward function to help asthma sufferers breathe, with zero thought towards aesthetics. But a lot of people – school children in particular – are very self-conscious of using them in public as they look so sterile and, well, “medical”. To try and help reduce the stigma of them, a community design competition was launched called #breathebetterwithcs by Creative Session.

And Tim Zarki, from San Francisco, California, came up with the Hue Inhaler concept, which allows for a multitude of color combinations that are made using 3D printing. The results are far more stylish than a standard inhaler, the kind of product fashion-conscious kids would be proud to pull out their bag or pocket rather than feeling embarrassed.

With an estimated 300 million people suffering from asthma and over 250,000 deaths a year because of the condition, we badly need more and more ideas and initiatives to combat the disease. The wearable HET gives users warning of an impending attack, and the Fervent Carpet is a coiled heated rug that kills of mites that are known to trigger attacks. What else can we do to help combat this affliction?