Design Continuum

• Featured Work
• 01. Avedro
• 02. Cervélo
• 03. Insulet
• 04. Magic Beans
• 05. Newton Peripherals
• 06. OLPC
• 07. Procter & Gamble
• 08. Respironics
• 09. Rockefeller Foundation
• 10. Sprint Studio Store
• 11. Sunbeam
• 12. Targus
• Concept Work
• Health & Medical
• Consumer Goods
• Consumer Electronics
• Housewares
• Recreation
• Retail & Hospitality
• Commercial & Industrial
• Technologies
• Telecommunications
• Transportation
• Sustainable Design
• Social Innovation
• Organizational Innovation
• Client List

The REMstar Auto M Series is a flow-based, “smart,” Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device for use in the home or hospital for the treatment of sleep apnea. (In sleep apnea, the patient's airway becomes restricted as their muscles relax naturally during sleep, which causes arousal from sleep. The CPAP machine stops this phenomenon by delivering a stream of compressed air via a face mask and hose, splinting the airway (keeping it open under air pressure) so that unobstructed breathing becomes possible, reducing and/or preventing apneas and hypopneas.) The REMstar features a Proactive Algorithm that looks for and adjusts to the patient’s need based on optimal and critical pressure levels. When combined with Encore Pro Software, the user or the physician can track events like snoring, elevated leak levels and apnea/hypopnea.

At the beginning of the project, the design team conducted extensive research examining the competitive landscape of existing CPAP devices as well as the experiences of dozens of sleep apnea sufferers with their personal CPAP machines.  The primary design problem was to assist Respironics in creating a more comfortable, life-style enhancing product that helped patients suffering from sleep apnea effectively and efficiently manage their condition.

Before the development of the new REMStar,  CPAP devices had a very industrial, clunky, and unfriendly design aesthetic.  They sat in user’s bedrooms looking more like a piece of intimidating medical equipment than a soothing sleep aid, affecting both the user and often the user’s spouse, and adding to the stigma that apnea sufferers experience. To change this trend, the design team re-examined basic CPAP architecture and translated the soft, calming, and peaceful feeling of a good night’s rest into the design language of the unit while still maintaining the perception of a dependable medical device.  Ultimately,  there were several substantial changes that were made to the REMstar that represent a big improvement over previous generations of CPAP machine:

• Ease of use issues that were addressed included filling and cleanability of the humidifier, making the interface areas simple and intuitive, and optimizing the in/out hose routing.

• Sleek lines and a minimalist user interface define the Remstar as more like a high-end piece of consumer electronics than a medical device. 

• A hidden, removable humidifier is controlled by an easy to turn dial. This is the largest control on the interface because it is the most likely to be adjusted.

• The user interface is straight forward and intuitive allowing for easy use at night.  The designers gave each of the primary control buttons a unique texture and recess to aid in identifying by touch alone. 

• A backlit LCD and buttons used for setup and advanced reporting are hidden under sliding panel to further amplify the smooth and calming design aesthetic.