New App Uses Facial Anatomy, Air Quality to Generate Personalized Allergy Forecast

Artificial intellligence is revolutionizing many areas of medicine, so it’s no surprise the technology would be employed to provide relief for those suffering from allergies.

SoundHealth Inc. has unveiled an app that can produce a personalized allergy forecast based on a person’s facial anatomy and his or her surrounding environment.
 
The SoundHealth SONU app uses patented AI algorithms to scan a user’s face and produce a real-time, personalized forecast of his or her allergy symptoms based on the person’s 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. SONUCast is paired with the world’s first U.S. Food and Drug Administration (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.

“SONUCast empowers patients to get ahead of their allergies,” SoundHealth Founder/CEO Dr. Paramesh Gopi said. “Existing apps use an imprecise, one-size-fits-all approach. Our AI and deep clinical science personalize predictions based on an individual’s facial structure—and are poised to transform patient care by empowering patients to take control of their allergies. With the SONU band and SONUCast, SoundHealth enables patients to potentially avoid allergy attacks with therapy that is FDA-approved and as effective as nasal steroids for the treatment of rhinitis.”
 
SoundHealth’s proprietary AI/ML algorithms can estimate internal sinonasal dimensions to within 5% of a computed tomography-scan, and enables real-time computational modeling and the ability to predict an individual’s nasal allergies. Once a user scans their face, they can simply select a location anywhere in the world, and SONUCast instantly provides them with a personalized allergy forecast.
 
SONUCast’s AI has been trained on data from thousands of human subjects and hundreds of CT scans, making it the first-ever AI to be used for allergy forecasting as well as for acoustic resonance therapy (ART), according to the company. AI powers the FDA-approved SONU band to deliver a non-pharmaceutical ART treatment with no known side effects for rhinitis that is on par or better than nasal corticosteroids.
 
“Understanding the intricate relationship between facial and nasal anatomy is crucial to appreciate how allergy and congestion symptoms can both manifest,” stated Jayakar Nayak, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of Otolaryngology at Stanford Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. “The unique structures within the nose and sinuses, from the turbinates to the septum, not only determine airflow but also influence how allergens are filtered and how congestion is experienced. Our nasal anatomy is the silent architect of respiratory health in many individuals, and can dictate how we respond to environmental triggers. SoundHealth’s SONUCast represents a major step forward for patients as it can empower them to more effectively predict and therefore manage their nasal allergies. The data and clinical science behind SONUCast are quite groundbreaking, and may set a new standard for both prediction and treatment of nasal congestion due to allergies.”
 
SoundHealth is a medical technology company that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence and medical science to improve respiratory health. The SoundHealth team consists of experienced medical professionals, data scientists and engineers. SoundHealth investors include Moai Capital, J4 Ventures, TeleSoft Partners, Tau Ventures, TechU Ventures, and Rhythm Venture Capital.