Breathment: AI-based breathing exercises for health

For people with respiratory diseases, breathing can be a challenge. Breathment, a start-up from Munich, wants to change that. With their app, they want to help COPD patients with rehabilitation and disease management.

In an interview with MEDICA-tradefair.com, founder Baturay Yalvaç explains how the idea came about and how the app can help with therapy.

Mr. Yalvaç, how did the idea for Breathment come about?

Baturay Yalvaç: The start-up Breathment was born out of an idea during a hackathon in 2020. My co-founders and I, all graduates of the Technical University of Munich, developed a software solution to digitally support patients with their breathing exercises during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our goal was to help people suffering from respiratory diseases and promote their recovery. The focus was still on COVID-19.

Breathing and physical exercises are an important part of rehabilitation and therapy for respiratory diseases. They help strengthen respiratory muscles, improve lung function, and optimize breathing. Regular exercise can reduce symptoms such as coughing, and shortness of breath.

How can Breathment help those affected?

Yalvaç: A common challenge in performing breathing and physical exercises is understanding and doing them correctly. Many sufferers are unsure how to perform the exercises and whether they are doing them correctly. This is where Breathment's technology comes in, using a mobile camera to capture people's breathing and body movements and provide feedback on how to perform the exercises correctly.

The technology behind the app doesn't require sophisticated sensors or special hardware. A conventional smartphone is all that is needed. Users sit sideways in front of the camera and the movements of the chest and abdomen are captured. This allows the app to measure various parameters such as the use of chest and abdominal breathing, breathing rate and posture. Depending on the exercise, users receive individual instructions and feedback if they make mistakes.

How can Breathment be used therapeutically?

Yalvaç: The app automatically records the exercises using AI and allows users to document their progress and share it with their therapists. Through visual feedback and instructions, patients are helped to perform the exercises correctly. At the same time, they receive personalized exercise plans from their practitioners via the app.

We spoke with many practitioners during the development process and initially developed the app with a focus on people with COPD. Here we have already seen positive results. COPD is a widespread chronic disease that affects six million people in Germany alone. Breathing and physical exercises play a crucial role in the preventive and rehabilitative therapy of COPD patients. Breathment aims to help these people and improve their quality of life.

Can interested patients already use the app?

Yalvaç: The app and platform are already available and have been classified as a certified medical device for COPD patients. Pilot users are welcome to test the app and provide their feedback. Treatment providers are also welcome to contact the company and explore opportunities for collaboration.

We are also pleased to present the app in the MEDICA START-UP PARK at MEDICA 2023. In Hall 12 / 12E53, visitors will have the opportunity to learn more about the functionality and benefits of our solution.

What's next? What are Breathment's next steps?

Yalvaç: Breathment is working on expanding its technology to other areas. We are currently exploring potential applications for those affected by Long-COVID and Post-COVID. This group of people often suffers from long-term respiratory problems and requires special exercises to support their recovery. Breathment is planning a study to test the effectiveness of its new exercises on Long-COVID and Post-COVID.

In addition, other areas of application will be developed in the future, such as rehabilitation before and after thoracic surgery and for asthma. This will require continued expansion of our exercise library and data points collected to allow for comprehensive and accurate analysis.

The long-term goal is to become the go-to digital company for respiratory disease prevention and rehabilitation in Germany.