On World COPD Day, India's first pneumotach-based portable wireless spirometer to diagnose Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) and asthma was launched by pharmaceutical major Cipla.

According to Cipla, 'Spirofy' is a wireless device with good battery backup, making it suitable for use in outdoor camps, remote areas with power shortages. The advanced device ensures high result accuracy and individual patient safety using bacterial viral filters. The company developed the device after five years of in-house research.

The device generates reports in real-time, which can be printed using a portable wireless thermal printer instantly, or a pdf version can be shared on the phone.

Speaking on the launch, Umang Vohra, MD and CEO, Cipla Limited said, "Cipla has been steadfastly focused on addressing the world's growing respiratory disease burden, and with this launch, we see ourselves steadily advancing to combat chronic respiratory ailments like COPD. The Spirofy launch aims to help doctors across the country to improve lives of patients through accurate and affordable diagnosis."

Cipla will undertake the training of physicians in the interpretation of spirometry results.

"Spirometry is the gold standard for COPD diagnosis, however owing to the bulky size, complex functionality, need for regular maintenance are some reasons that impacted the widespread acceptance of conventional spirometers by medical practitioners. This resulted in underdiagnosis or misdiagnosis of COPD cases in India. Currently, COPD remains the second most common cause of death in India after heart diseases, where India alone bears 32 per cent of the global COPD burden," reads the company statement.

(With inputs from IANS)