Rhinix is designed to be invisible and comfortable.
Researchers from Denmark have developed a device that can help “block” hay fever symptoms, without the need for allergy drugs.
Called Rhinix, the device can be described as similar to contact lenses, but for the nose. It is inserted into the nostrils to filter out allergens, preventing them from causing hay fever symptoms. The device “uses technologies called impaction and interception. It isn’t actually a sieve, which is one reason why it has such high breathability,” notes Peter Kenney of Aarhus University, a developer of the device.
In a small clinical trial published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the Danish researchers found that daily nasal symptoms were reduced in a “statistically significant and clinically relevant” manner.
The study involved 24 subjects with grass allergy. Half used the Rhinix device, while the other half used a placebo device that didn’t block particles. Subjects then rated their symptoms nine times a day. It was found that Rhinix reduced daily sneezing by 45 percent, maximum itching by 46 percent and maximum sneezing by 38 percent. (Here, “daily” refers to the sum of all nine daily symptom ratings, while “maximum” refers to the highest score of the nine.)
Overall, the nasal filters were well-tolerated and no adverse events occurred. The device, which comes in small, medium and large sizes, will be available in Europe in mid-May, while in the U.S., the FDA is currently reviewing the device.
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