Acetone Analyser
Demonstrating investment potential of academic technology
Respiratone
Client: Respiratone, a University spinout, had developed a novel way to detect metabolic imbalance in diabetic patients by analysing trace levels of acetone in exhaled breath. Early prototypes showed clinical promise, but they needed a device concept which translates their research into a credible pathway toward mobile, real-world diagnostics. They approached us to help shape the technology into a user-centred product vision that clinicians, investors and partners could confidently evaluate.
Approach: We began by mapping clinical workflows and engaging with healthcare professionals to understand how breath-based screening could integrate into existing diabetic care. From this, we defined a device architecture that balanced usability, portability and technical feasibility, exploring multiple routes for sampling, sensing and data handling.
Challenges: Transforming an emerging sensing technology into a practical diagnostic tool required careful consideration of form, ergonomics and airflow behaviour. Ensuring reliable breath capture while maintaining an intuitive user experience demanded iterative feasibility testing and close collaboration with the research team. The device also needed a design language that conveyed confidence without appearing intimidating.
Deliverables: Focused on communicating viability, our team delivered a coherent set of design concept and full-scale fabricated prototype supported by high-fidelity CAD and visualisation assets, illustrating a clear route towards clinical use and future technical integration.
Impact: The work provided the spinout with a compelling, investment-ready representation of their technology’s potential, supporting further funding discussions and helping position breath analysis as a promising avenue for non-invasive metabolic monitoring.
“Pd-m understands research and understands how academics come up with good ideas. They can then take those ideas and show that there is a pathway to commercialisation. It is great to be guided along that path by professionals that know what they are talking about. And the fact that they can make something look attractive must mean that they are good designers first and foremost.”