Client Need & Project Overview
As the demand for consumer-friendly, portable healthcare solutions has grown, especially in the sleep therapy market, miniaturized and travel-ready devices have become increasingly important. Sleep apnea affects more than 30 million Americans each year, and for many, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is a critical part of treatment. Somnetics, a manufacturer of CPAP systems, envisioned a revolutionary product: the smallest and lightest CPAP machine ever made. They wanted something patients could travel with easily, without compromising performance.
Somnetics engaged NOVO Engineering to bring this vision to life. The goal was to engineer a sleek, compact device that retained the full functionality of a traditional CPAP unit while being significantly smaller, quieter, and optimized for travel.
Key Engineering Challenges & Solutions
| Challenge | NOVO’s Solution |
|---|---|
| Maintaining flow and pressure in a compact form | Re-architected the electromechanical layout to fit a spherical enclosure while maintaining airflow and pressure requirements. |
| Minimizing acoustic noise | Engineered a redesigned air path to reduce sound pressure levels without sacrificing airflow, which is essential for user comfort during sleep. |
| Reducing product footprint | Reoriented internal components and reduced the size of the enclosure to ensure portability. |
| Ensuring compatibility with standard accessories | Created a custom punch mechanism to reduce leaf tissue adherence during sample ejection |
Technical Innovations & System Design
Mechanical & Electrical Design:
NOVO redesigned the internal architecture to meet the constraints of a compact, spherical industrial form. The reduced footprint preserved mechanical performance while improving portability. Key components were carefully arranged to ensure structural integrity, manufacturability, and ease of assembly. The enclosure design supported efficient plastic injection molding and delivered both form and function.
Process & Usability Engineering:
Noise reduction was a top priority. NOVO used fluid dynamics modeling to create an internal air path that minimized sound output while preserving the necessary airflow. This effort aligned with the broader trend of quiet, user-friendly medical design—especially for travel or shared sleeping environments.
Electronics & Component Integration:
The electronics architecture was redesigned to accommodate the new compact housing, including component substitutions and a condensed board layout. This ensured that all required functionality could be preserved within a significantly smaller footprint and that the device could be built using components that remained available and reliable.
Results & Impact
The final product, the Transcend Micro, became the smallest and lightest travel CPAP device on the market. It met all performance criteria—including flow rate, pressure delivery, and acoustic noise—within a package roughly the size of a baseball. Despite its compact size, the device preserved the full feature set expected of a premium CPAP system. The design effort resulted in multiple patent applications with NOVO engineers listed as inventors.
Why NOVO Engineering?
Travel-ready and miniaturized consumer medical devices are now commonplace, but NOVO was addressing this need well ahead of market trends. This project anticipated the growing demand for lifestyle-integrated healthcare solutions that combine portability, performance, and ease of use.
By integrating expertise in mechanical design, electronics, acoustics, and usability, NOVO helped Somnetics deliver a first-of-its-kind device. The success of the Transcend Micro illustrates NOVO’s ability to solve complex engineering problems and create products that continue to align with evolving market expectations.
Let’s Talk About Your Project
If you’re developing a next-generation medical device and facing challenges with miniaturization, performance, or usability, NOVO Engineering can help. Contact us to start a conversation about your goals.
