
Kiwi reinvents asthma inhaler with child-friendly design
Massey University graduate crowned James Dyson Award National Winner
25 August 2021

This year’s national James Dyson Award winner, Hae Hae, addresses the chronic health issue of asthma and its effect on children. Hae Hae, designed by Massey University graduate Maisie Panoho, is an inhaler designed to make it easier and more effective for children to take their medicine. Learning of common problems with conventional devices from family and friends who suffer asthma, Maisie focused on repairing the broken relationship between the inhaler and spacer, while introducing a display for useful information and a reward system.
Asthma is a chronic condition that is incredibly prevalent worldwide, with an estimated 262 million people affected globally.1 In New Zealand, one in seven children report taking asthma medication,2 while 47% of hospitalisations from asthma are children, with more than 586,000 school days missed every year.3 One in 10 hospital stays are due to asthma and respiratory conditions. It is the third leading cause of death in New Zealand.4
Maisie says: “Throughout my life, I have seen my family and friends struggle from asthma. In my research, I found that smaller hands find the inhaler awkward to hold and children can have more difficulty trying to trigger the device. Hae Hae is different to anything else currently on the market as there is nothing that caters specifically for children. This product has been designed to be easy to use and understand, and ideally provide better outcomes for children with asthma. It’s a privilege to be awarded this year’s James Dyson Award national winner. It is a great acknowledgement of all the time, passion and hard work I’ve committed to solving this problem.”