Inspyrd Products
The engineers were enthusiastic about my project, providing such great insight and improving the design of the unit. If I didn’t have their insight, this project wouldn’t have made it.
As a registered respiratory therapist, Stephen Lueckenhoff had seen the difficulties people face using in-home medical oxygen. To use the oxygen and still get around the house, a person can have up to 50 feet of tubing leading from the oxygen concentrator machine, creating serious tripping and tangling hazards.
Lueckenhoff set out to resolve the problems by starting Inspyrd Products Corporation and inventing the Tube-BGone.
Patients use Tube-B-Gone to retrieve and wind up to 50 feet of oxygen tubing into the device by pressing a
remote control, similar to a car key. The controller allows a short retrieval of two feet or a long one of eight feet.
Through the NMSBA Program, Lueckenhoff connected with Ernie García and Ken Pohl of Sandia National Laboratories to help improve his design and take it to market. The two electromechanical design engineers helped him convert the motor to a commonly found low-voltage motor, add a radio frequency controller, and switch to a metal enclosure, all of which improved product safety and reduced manufacturing costs.
The Tube-B-Gone has received positive responses from initial tests with in-home oxygen users. Lueckenhoff can now make device refinements, seek safety approvals, and conduct final testing before production.