Bedfont Scientific Limited has registered its Smokerlyzer carbon monoxide monitoring devices in Colombia through a collaboration with medical technology distributor Medicah S.A.S.
On Sept 8, the British MedTech company announced the registration as part of an expansion of its existing relationship with Medicah. The companies aim to make carbon monoxide monitoring more widely available for smoking cessation services across Colombia.
Bedfont has developed breath analysis technology for nearly 50 years and has offered its Smokerlyzer range for more than 40 years. The devices measure carbon monoxide in a person’s exhaled breath and report the results in parts per million. Clinicians can use those readings to help determine whether someone has been smoking.
Additionally, repeated testing can show patients how their carbon monoxide levels change after they stop smoking. Bedfont says seeing those levels fall can provide motivation during a quit attempt.
Medicah supplies medical technology to hospitals, clinics and diagnostic providers while providing customers with product supply and after-sales support. The Colombian distributor already carries Bedfont’s NObreath device, which measures fractional exhaled nitric oxide.
In addition, healthcare professionals use fractional exhaled nitric oxide measurements to help assess inflammation in a patient’s airways. The new registration adds the Smokerlyzer range to Medicah’s respiratory diagnostics portfolio.
Bedfont CEO Jason Smith said the companies had already worked successfully to bring NObreath technology to healthcare professionals throughout the region. Furthermore, he said the Smokerlyzer registration expands that partnership while supporting their shared focus on patient care.
Read more: Breath Diagnostics advances pre-op pneumonia screening with FDA breakthrough designation
Read more: Arm CEO sees AI accelerating cancer diagnosis, research and treatment
Breath analysis is attracting interest elsewhere in the medtech sector
Carbon monoxide monitoring gives clinicians an immediate, objective measurement instead of relying only on a patient’s account of their smoking behaviour. Consequently, healthcare providers can use the results to support smoking cessation programs and treatment decisions.
Colombia has relatively low smoking rates compared with several other Latin American countries. However, smoking still creates demand for tools that can support people trying to quit.
The registration allows Medicah to distribute the Smokerlyzer devices more broadly within Colombia. Additionally, Bedfont expects the expanded availability to help healthcare providers deliver smoking cessation interventions.
Breath analysis is also attracting interest elsewhere in the medical technology sector.
Breath Diagnostics Inc. is developing its OneBreath platform to analyze volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath for clinical applications. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted the platform Breakthrough Device Designation in February for assessing postoperative pneumonia risk before elective cardiac surgery.
Meanwhile, Bedfont said the devices may also support respiratory health management. The partnership also broadens Medicah’s existing range of Bedfont respiratory products in the Colombian market.
