This Super-Thin Inhaler Is the Size of a Credit Card

For some people with asthma, an inhaler is something they can't leave the house without. Now, instead of tucking the device into their purse or pocket, this new model allows them to slip it into their wallet like a credit card.

Bloom

Still in the prototype stage, the Bloom inhaler is roughly the size of a credit card and only five times as thick. To use it, people with asthma would be able to take the metal canister that comes with their conventional inhaler and preload the device with up to six doses of medication. A tab flips up from the center to act as the trigger, and the medication is released via an "open mouth technique," which Bloom says is "similar to using a breath spray" and claims is just as effective as a regular inhaler at reaching deep into the patient's lungs.

Bloom

The product hasn't hit the market yet; the makers say it'll be submitted for FDA testing this summer and that they expect approval by November. You can reserve a Bloom inhaler online; preorders are coming soon. It will retail for $40.

[h/t Gizmodo]