Q&A: Phone app uses AI technology to personalize allergy forecasts

Key takeaways:

• SONU is currently available on the app store for anyone to download.
• The allergy prediction app can be paired with the SONU band.
• It aims to give patients personalized forecasts based on their anatomy.

SoundHealth announced the unveiling of SONUCast, which predicts allergy responses based on the shape and size of a person’s nasal cavity and sinuses.

Earlier this year, SoundHealth released the SONU band and the SONU app which is an over-the-counter FDA approved wearable medical device that treats moderate to severe nasal congestion with sound waves.

Healio spoke with Paramesh Gopi, MS, PhD, founder and CEO of SoundHealth, about the new app, how it works and how it will help those suffering with allergies.

Healio: What is SONUCast, and how does it work?

Gopi: The SoundHealth SONU app uses patented AI algorithms to scan users’ faces and produce a real-time, personalized forecast of their allergy symptoms based on location.

SONUCast uses air quality data along with nasal anatomy and the physics of particle aerodynamics to warn the user of an impending allergy attack.

Healio: What sets it apart from other allergy forecast technology?

Gopi: It’s the first ever allergy forecast to use a person’s facial and nasal anatomy to predict their allergic response to airborne particles. This allows an individual to assess their allergic response in any location at any time with a great degree of accuracy, and it lets them take control of their upper airway allergies. The nose is the most critical part of a person’s breathing apparatus and a significator of airway health. Untreated rhinitis invariably causes asthma and lung problems.

SONUCast is also unique in that it is paired with the world’s first FDA-approved wearable to treat symptoms of allergic rhinitis, including nasal congestion, rhinorrhea (runny nose) and nasal itching, which occur when airborne particles are deposited in the nasal cavity. So, a SONUCast user not only gets a precise prediction, but also a steroid equivalent intervention with no side effects.

Healio: How has AI influenced its development?

Gopi: SoundHealth’s proprietary AI/machine learning algorithms can estimate internal sinonasal dimensions to within 5% of a CT scan, enabling real-time computational modeling and the ability to predict an individual’s nasal allergies. SONUCast’s AI has been trained on symptom and pollen data from thousands of human subjects and hundreds of CT scans, making it the first-ever AI enabled personalized allergy management tool.
Healio: Could you provide some details about how you validated the AI’s performance?

Gopi: We have validated the SONUCast AI’s performance using real-time multifactorial air quality data across the country with individual facial and sinonasal scans for thousands of subjects nationwide across multiple seasons.

Healio: Where can folks find SONUCast? Who is it available for?

Gopi: SONUCast is free and is now available to the general public via the SONU app on the Apple App Store here.

Healio: What should doctors know about SONUCast?

Gopi: SoundHealth’s SONUCast represents a significant step forward for patients, as it empowers them to predict and manage their nasal allergies more effectively. It can transform patient care by setting a new standard for predicting and treating nasal congestion due to allergies.

Healio: How does SONUCast impact the landscape of allergy treatment?

Gopi: Current allergy forecasts simply tell you air quality. They do not tell you how the air quality will affect you personally. Personalization matters because most people want to know what particles they are allergic to and how to avoid them. In-clinic allergy tests are costly and time-consuming and don’t take into account the patient’s airway geometry, which is arguably the most important factor in allergic response. SONUCast is a game changer, as it uses an individual’s nasal airway geometry to tell them what sort of pollen particles to avoid.

Healio: What else is SoundHealth working on right now?

Gopi: A human biomarker for nasal airway health and the use of acoustic resonance therapy to improve sleep.

References:

• Luong AU, et al. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol . 2023;doi:10.1002/alr.23284.
• SoundHealth unveils SONUCast, the first-ever real-time personalized allergy forecast based on facial anatomy and air quality. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240917705391/en/SoundHealth-Unveils-SONUCast-the-First-Ever-Real-Time-Personalized-Allergy-Forecast-Based-on-Facial-Anatomy-and-Air-Quality. Published Sept. 17, 2024. Accessed Sept. 23, 2024.

For more information:

Contact PRForSoundHealth@bospar.com.