Situation: COPD is a progressive irreversible condition. It is the 3rd largest cause of death in China. Smoking, second hand smoke and pollution are the main contributors to this ever growing threat in China. 1 out of 3 smokers of the world live in China and about 100000 people die every year due to second hand smoke. China has alarming environmental pollution due to mass scale industrialization. Thus the burden of COPD is immense due to low disease awareness with inadequate lung function tests for diagnosis and treatment. Amongst an estimated 100 million sufferers, < 30% are not even aware of COPD.

Brief: Increase awareness for self-testing to prompt early detection

Objective: Develop a simple to use self-testing tool that fits in their daily lifestyle to ensure early detection.

Turning the mobile into a COPD self – testing tool.

This is the first ever COPD self-testing tool on WeChat – China’s most popular messaging platform. By collaborating with a Pulmonologist and a popular Chinese blowing-ink artist, we created a self-test tool that is interesting to use and share for spreading awareness. A < 70% result alerts the users to undergo a hospital check-up. Users can share their bespoke tree on social media to encourage more people for self-testing. By merging cutting edge science and art, we helped to connect a lost COPD generation and offer a breath of life for those who need it most.

The data collected would be used to encourage more sufferers to use this tool for testing as the sharing would encourage people to adop a simple way of knowing and then getting treated

This first ever COPD self-testing tool for WeChat – China’s most popular messaging platform was developed with the technology to determine the volume of breath blown into the microphone of a mobile. The recorded sound of breath produced a soundwave. Using the height of that soundwave, we worked out an algorithm (ratio between height in a sec & total height) to arrive at a figure represented by a tree. The size of the tree represents the user’s approximate lung volume.

Breath of Life – the first ever COPD self testing tool has been housed on WeChat – China’s most popular mobile platform was launched on 13th April 2019. WeChat has an 87% penetration amongst smart phone users. Launched on April 13th, 2019, already till the end of April, this tool has registered 10000 clicks.