Smart Inhaler System

IoT-Based Asthma Management Solution for Bangladesh

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Table of Contents

• Problem Statement
• Our Solution
• Features
• System Architecture
• Hardware Components
• Software Requirements
• Installation Guide
• Circuit Diagram
• Cost Analysis
• Usage
• API Documentation

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Problem Statement

Asthma affects 7% of Bangladesh's population (approximately 11.9 million people), with particularly high prevalence among children and urban populations due to:

• High air pollution levels
• Dust and particulate matter
• High humidity (60-90% year-round)
• Rapid urbanization

Current Challenges in Inhaler Usage:

Challenge	Impact
Incorrect Usage Technique	70% of patients use inhalers incorrectly, reducing medicine efficacy
Poor Adherence	50% of patients miss doses or take incorrect dosages
No Digital Tracking	No way to monitor usage patterns or medication history
Environmental Correlation Gap	Cannot correlate attacks with environmental triggers
Untracked Emergencies	Emergency usage often goes unreported

Existing Solutions & Limitations:

1. FindAir SmartHaler (€89/~$95)

   • Still in testing phase
   • Too expensive for Bangladesh market
   • Limited availability

2. Smart Inhaler Add-on ($40)

   • Not locally available
   • Requires smartphone connectivity
   • No environmental monitoring

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Our Solution

A locally-manufactured, affordable IoT smart inhaler system designed specifically for Bangladesh's healthcare ecosystem.

Key Differentiators:

• Affordable: Target price under $15 (BDT 1,800)
• Local Manufacturing: Can be produced in Bangladesh
• Environmental Monitoring: Real-time air quality tracking
• Offline Capability: Works without constant internet

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Features

Core Features

• Puff Detection & Counting: Accurate force-sensitive resistor (FSR) based detection
• Real-time Web Dashboard: Monitor usage from any device
• Environmental Monitoring: Temperature, humidity, air quality, and pressure tracking
• Smart Medication Reminders: Customizable alerts for medication schedules
• Usage Analytics: 7-day history with graphical visualization
• Find My Inhaler: Buzzer and vibration for locating misplaced device
• Offline Data Storage: EEPROM-based storage for offline usage
• Auto Time Sync: NTP-based time synchronization

Advanced Features

• Asthma Risk Assessment: Risk calculation using environmental factors
• WebSocket Real-time Updates: Live data streaming to connected devices
• Maximum Dosage Alerts: Warns when approaching daily limits
• Emergency Detection: Identifies unusual usage patterns

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System Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    Smart Inhaler Device                 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐  ┌─────────┐  │
│  │   FSR    │  │  BME280  │  │  MQ-135  │  │  OLED   │  │
│  │ (Puff)   │  │(Env Data)│  │(Air Qual)│  │(Display)│  │
│  └────┬─────┘  └────┬─────┘  └────┬─────┘  └────┬────┘  │
│       │             │             │              │      │
│  ┌────▼─────────────▼─────────────▼──────────────▼────┐ │
│  │              ESP8266 NodeMCU                       │ │
│  │   ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐     │ │
│  │   │ • Sensor Data Processing                 │     │ │
│  │   │ • Web Server (Port 80)                   │     │ │
│  │   │ • WebSocket Server (Port 81)             │     │ │
│  │   │ • EEPROM Storage Management              │     │ │
│  │   └──────────────────────────────────────────┘     │ │
│  └─────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────┘ │
│                        │                                │
└────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────┘
                         │
                    WiFi │ 802.11 b/g/n
                         │
           ┌─────────────▼──────────────┐
           │      Local Network         │
           │   ┌──────────────────┐     │
           │   │   Web Interface  │     │
           │   │  (Responsive UI) │     │
           │   └──────────────────┘     │
           └────────────────────────────┘

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Hardware Components

Required Components

Component	Model	Quantity	Purpose	Approx. Cost (BDT)
Microcontroller	ESP8266 NodeMCU	1	Main processor with WiFi	650
Force Sensor	FSR 402	1	Puff detection	645
Environmental Sensor	BME280	1	Temp, humidity, pressure	490
Air Quality Sensor	MQ-135	1	Air quality monitoring	174
Display	0.96" OLED I2C	1	Local display	290
RTC Module	DS3231	1	Time keeping	250
Buzzer	Active 5V	1	Audio alerts	50
Vibration Motor	3V Mini	1	Haptic feedback	100
Resistor	10kΩ	1	Pull-down for FSR	5
Wires & PCB	-	-	Connections	200
Enclosure	3D Printed	1	Device housing	200
Battery	Li-Po 3.7V 1000mAh	1	Power supply	250

Total Development Cost: ~BDT 3500 ($29.50)

Pin Connections

ESP8266 NodeMCU Pin Configuration:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
A0  ← FSR (with 10kΩ pull-down to GND)
D1  → I2C SCL (BME280, OLED, RTC)
D2  → I2C SDA (BME280, OLED, RTC)
D5  ← MQ-135 Digital Output
D6  → Buzzer Signal
D7  → Vibration Motor Signal
3V3 → Power for I2C devices
5V  → Power for MQ-135
GND → Common Ground

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Software Requirements

Development Environment

• Arduino IDE v1.8.19 or higher
• ESP8266 Board Package

Required Libraries

// Install via Arduino Library Manager:
ESP8266WiFi         // Built-in
ESP8266WebServer    // Built-in
WebSocketsServer    // v2.3.6 by Markus Sattler
Wire                // Built-in
Adafruit_Sensor     // v1.1.4
Adafruit_BME280     // v2.2.2
RTClib              // v2.0.3
Adafruit_GFX        // v1.11.3
Adafruit_SSD1306    // v2.5.7
ArduinoJson         // v6.19.4
NTPClient           // v3.2.1

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Installation Guide

1. Hardware Setup

1. Assemble components according to the circuit diagram
2. Ensure all I2C devices have unique addresses:
   • BME280: 0x76 or 0x77
   • OLED: 0x3C
   • RTC: 0x68

2. Software Setup

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/WinTer1165/Digital-Inhaler.git
cd digital-inhaler/smartinhaler

# Open in Arduino IDE
# File → Open → SmartInhaler.ino

3. Configuration

Edit config.h to set your WiFi credentials:

const char* WIFI_SSID = "Set_WiFi_Name";
const char* WIFI_PASSWORD = "Set_WiFi_Password";

4. Upload Code

1. Select Board: Tools → Board → NodeMCU 1.0 (ESP-12E Module)
2. Select Port: Tools → Port → COMx (or /dev/ttyUSBx on Linux)
3. Click Upload

5. Access Web Interface

1. Open Serial Monitor (115200 baud)
2. Note the IP address displayed
3. Open browser and navigate to: http://[IP_ADDRESS]

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Circuit Diagram

See the included circuit schematic for detailed wiring instructions. Key connections:

• All I2C devices share SCL (D1) and SDA (D2) lines
• FSR requires a 10kΩ pull-down resistor
• MQ-135 requires 5V power supply
• Use level shifters if needed for 5V/3.3V compatibility

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Cost Analysis

Development Cost (Prototype)

Category	Cost (BDT)	Cost (USD)
Components	3,600	$30.00
Assembly	400	$3.33
Total	4000	$33.33

Production Cost (Scale: 1000 units)

Category	Cost (BDT)	Cost (USD)
Components (bulk)	800	$6.66
PCB (mass production)	100	$0.83
Injection molding	100	$0.83
Assembly	50	$0.41
Total	1,050	$8.73

Comparison with Existing Solutions

Product	Price	Availability	Features
Our Solution	$8-15	Local	Full environmental monitoring
FindAir SmartHaler	$95	Import only	Limited features
Generic Add-on	$40	Not available	Basic tracking only

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Usage

Initial Setup

1. Power on the device
2. Connect to WiFi network (automatic)
3. Access web dashboard
4. Set medication reminders
5. Configure max puff limits

Daily Usage

• Normal Use: Simply use the inhaler as usual - puffs are automatically detected
• Check Stats: View daily/weekly usage on OLED display
• Web Dashboard: Access detailed analytics from any device
• Reminders: Device will buzz/vibrate at medication times

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API Documentation

WebSocket Events

Receive Events

// Sensor Data Update
{
  "type": "sensorData",
  "temperature": 25.5,
  "humidity": 65,
  "airQuality": 85,
  "pressure": 1013,
  "totalPuffs": 120,
  "dailyPuffs": 4
}

// Puff Detected
{
  "type": "puffDetected",
  "totalPuffs": 121,
  "timestamp": "14:23:45"
}

Send Commands

// Set Reminder
{
  "command": "setReminder",
  "index": 0,
  "hour": 8,
  "minute": 30,
  "label": "Morning dose"
}

// Reset Counter
{
  "command": "resetPuffs"
}

// Get Usage History
{
  "command": "getHistory"
}