A wearable air purifier designed by Respiray to help allergy sufferers

Story source: Dezeen website, including all images

As technology continues to advance in providing comfort and assistance to humanity, the era of AI technology is indeed truly influencing the way we live and also what the future has in stock for us.  Globally, the human species is facing a lot of challenges ranging from health issues to economic instability. In this regard, the design and tech sectors have a lot to do in helping humanity to manage these and all other various kinds of situations.

Talking about situations and solutions, a health tech company known as Respiray has launched a wearable air purifier which it designed to fend off allergens by creating a “bubble of clean air” around the face of the users. The Respiray Wear A+ device product was designed to be worn around the neck like a collar that filters out irritants such as pet dander, dust, pollen and mould, and instead blows clean air towards the wearer. The inventive health tech company said that the device has been tested in several clinical trials and shown to reduce allergy symptoms such as sneezing, nasal congestion and watery eyes. 

The inventive Estonian company created the device to offer a drug-free way of managing symptoms in indoor environments such as the home or office, while also keeping the nose and mouth free so that users can eat, drink and stay comfortable for longer.

According to Karl Gustav Annus the CEO of Resdpiray, as quoted by Dezeen, “Having personally experienced the challenges of airborne allergies, I understand the significant impact this condition can have on one’s quality of life.” “With over 400 million people worldwide affected by allergies, it’s clear that many existing remedies such as antihistamine medications are often insufficient and can have side effects such as drowsiness.”

With the aim to filter out allergens like pet dander, the tech company designed and created the exclusive device to stand as a follow-up to the wearable air purifier, which the company also developed to provide protection from airborne viruses during the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result of feedback from customers stressing that the product was too heavy and bulky, the company designed the Wear A+ to be three times smaller and lighter, weighing in at 250 grams.

Annamaria Rennel who’s the in-house products designer of Respiray designed the hardware focusing on aesthetics and ergonomics, with the optimization of airflow and speed to create an allergen-free zone around the user’s face.

According to Annus, as quoted by Dezeen, “Throughout the design process, we asked ourselves a key question: if we don’t want to place something right in front of the user’s face, how can we maximize its effectiveness from a distance.” “This question guided every aspect of our design, from the placement of the outlet holes in relation to the mouth and nose to their shape and arrangement, which ensured that the user’s bubble of clean air was maintained even when they turned their head.”

By blowing purified air towards the face as the device works, the Wear A+’s was designed with the following features; an adjustable magnetic strap and an indicator light that lets the user know when to replace the HEPA filter, usually after about 200 hours.

Annus said, the aesthetic device was designed for indoor use only as outdoors its fans will be overpowered by the wind, “unless you are enjoying a cup of hot chocolate on your terrace on a completely breezeless day.”

The company says the device was found to be effective in clinical tests by the European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation and laboratory tests at SGS Michigan. After the company have tested it on its own with more than 200 participants and found that the Wear A+ helped 90 per cent of people to overcome or reduce their airborne allergic reactions.

Sourced and edited by MJ Buildace Magazine