African-American and African people are 3 times more likely to die from respiratory conditions than white people. The tools that doctors rely on when treating these conditions have been shown to have a racial bias. We believe that they have had a role in the survival inequity that we are seeing for black people.

Traditional peripheral pulse oximeters are affected by skin tone, the more melanin you have in your skin, the more risk there is of an overestimated reading. This disparity can suggest higher oxygen levels than they actually are in black skin. Just 6-8% can be the difference between a normal O2 reading and a low O2 reading, which can result in either being sent back home or going straight to intensive care with O2 support. It has resulted in suboptimal care and contributed to deaths in a population that already distrusts the healthcare systems.

Airquity is a campaign that highlights the need for a racially inclusive diagnostic tool within healthcare systems. Be leveraging the ear canal, where all skin looks the same, we are able to identify health signs without fear of biased feedback.

Ear Switch were exploring using sensors inside the ear canal. Various use cases were being investigated including using it to control a speech system, assisted learning and gaming because the early drum can visualise and even be moved by the person using the tiny muscle inside the ear.

Another use immediately grabbed our attention - measuring vitals signs. We began collaborating with them in the area of race inequality and helped steer the development, intention and clinical trials to enable a device that delivers Airquity for all people.

Ear Switch were exploring using sensors inside the ear canal. Various use cases were being investigated including using it to control a speech system, assisted learning and gaming because the ear drum can visualize and even move by the person using the tiny muscle inside the ear.

Another use immediately grabbed our attention - measuring vitals signs. We began collaborating with them in the area of race inequality and helped steer the development, intention and clinical trials to enable a device that delivers Airquity for all people

Airquity, empowered by EarSwitch, is a non-invasive biometric sensor that records medical-grade, real-world, and racially inclusive health metrics from the inner ear canal.

The product film and campaign demonstrate those features in an emotive and consumer-style way, helping to connect the audience with the impact that Airquity can deliver for patients.

Since launching Airquity, Earswitch has been accepted onto the Innovative Devices Access Pathway programme, a scheme that accelerates life-saving medical devices into the NHS (Uk’S Healthcare system).

IDAP aims to improve patient access to innovative medical devices by helping developers to navigate key regulatory and access requirements throughout the design and development stages. The programme is a partnership between the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Health Technology Wales (HTW), Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), National Health Service England (NHSE), National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Office of Life Sciences (OLS), and Scottish Health Technologies Group (SHTG).