POWERbreathe EX1
POWERbreathe EX1
EXPIRATORY MUSCLE TRAINING DEVICE
PRODUCT DESIGN . MECHANICAL ENGINEERING . PROTOTYPING . DESIGN FOR MANUFACTURE
VERSATILE DESIGN BRIDGING ATHLETICS AND MEDICINE
| Client | POWERbreathe |
| Sector | Consumer / Medical |
POWERbreathe are a market leader in inspiratory muscle training devices. Their products use resistance training to strengthen the muscles we use for breathing in. But what about breathing…out? To expand their existing range of products, including the flagship electronic K-Series previously designed by Smallfry, POWERbreathe asked us to help them develop their new EX1 expiratory muscle training product range.
The EX1 is a hand-held, drug-free, expiratory muscle training (EMT) device, developed to improve your expiratory muscles’ strength, function and endurance.
USER CENTRED PRODUCT DESIGN
We got busy, diving below the surface with our well-established consumer insight process to understand the full journey. Once we knew what POWERbreathe’s target customers truly wanted, we developed a design that’s ergonomic, easy to clean and maintain, and intuitive to use with its quick adjustable resistance, all done through a turn of the base.
A Calculated Approach
The POWERbreathe EX1 uses the ‘pressure threshold’ method of breathing training. By twisting the base of the product, you can progressively adjust the difficulty level as your expiratory muscles become stronger. Smallfry created several technology schemes and followed this up with extensive development to fine tune all four products. To ensure the mechanism could reliably adjust to provide the correct breathing resistance, particular care and attention went into the specification of the springs and airway dimensions. Test results showed that the calculated resistance was a perfect match to the real user experience across all four product SKUs.
BUILT TO PERFORM
During use the product needs to maintain an airtight seal to perform, but it also needs to be easily dismantled for cleaning. Through the integration of carefully considered seals with a ultrasonic welded construction and locking features our team of engineers and designers were able to deliver on both. The modular construction allows for the simple replacement of parts if anything gets worn or damaged.
DESIGN FOR MANUFACTURE
From concept through to production, Smallfry have over 50 years of experience in bringing new technology and ideas to life. We work with manufacturers and suppliers to deliver innovative solutions that demand to be bought, whatever the industry. If you have an idea and you want to understand whether it could be commercially viable, no matter how big or small your market, we’re here to help. Don’t hesitate to get in touch.
