Concerned over the growing incidence of COPD in India that impacts 22 million people, Philips India put its innovation test to come out with an advanced Air Purifier Series 3000 and Philips Air Purifier Series 6000.
 
Of the 22 million COPD cases in India, 8 million are in advanced stages of this disorder, of which 1.2 million are from the metros. The key cause of this condition is that smoking, traffic pollution and drier climate change, said Philips officials.
 
The company’s novel Aera sense technology offers real time numerical PM 2.5 LED display. This was displayed at the  Philips Innovation Experience event in Bengaluru. In terms of accuracy and performance benchmark, it  delivers superior purification against the PM 2.5 and common allergens like pet dander and dust mite. The healthcare equipment major offers air purifiers both domestic, and larger area settings. While the Air Purifier Series 3000 is designed for domestic use, the Air Purifier Series 6000 is designed for hospitals and large living rooms or offices that have a higher concentration of pollutants. A comprehensive range of 8 air purifiers under Series 6,000 for domestic and larger spaces costs from INR 16,995 to IN67995. These cover areas from as small as 30 sq.m to as large as 169 sq.m.
 
COPD is not a reversible condition, but can be controlled to stall onset of frequent bouts of breathing problems with improved quality of indoor air. Between 2013-15, globally over a lakh new patients  were diagnosed to have COPD. Globally 4.3 patients’ succumb to this condition, of which 1.3 were from India. India is second after China to launch Aera sense technology which indicates the magnitude of the condition.
 
“The problem of polluted air is now a national challenge and needs immediate intervention, both individual and community levels. It is important that we take charge of the situation and of our health. We provide innovations that help consumers do just that by making the right choices for a healthy lifestyle. The market for air purification is growing steadily and we are at the helm of it, continually reinventing our portfolio to meet the evolving needs of our consumers,” said ADA Ratnam, president, Personal Health, Philips India.
 
“We entered the air purifiers category for the Indian market nearly two years back The new Aera sense technology, can detect PM2.5 and most common airborne allergens with high accuracy and effectively remove them while giving real time numerical feedback that gives the users confidence and relief that they can monitor their air indoors and see purification in action,” said Jayati Singh, business head, Air, Philips India.
 
According to M R Srinivas Prasad, CEO, Philips Innovation Campus, India is a big market and in the last four years, the company pushed its manufacturing ahead of the curve.