SPACE-MADE VS. HOME-MADE
Space-made vs. Home-made
At the heart of MicroVent is the "filament spring" — a metal-free spring heat-formed from ABS resin. It originated from technology developed for space-food heating devices. It has been verified both in orbit, where NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson assembled and operated it, and on the ground, through a 10,000-hour continuous-operation endurance test livestreamed on YouTube.
🚀 Space-made & ground-verification units
Two original units produced through the NASA collaboration — one assembled in orbit, one used for the ground endurance test — remain in our possession as a historical verification record.
🏠 Home-made (the collected unit)
The unit that entered the Deutsches Museum's permanent collection is the "home-made" unit, built by Dr. Ishikita himself at his own workshop — from the exact same design data as the space-made units.
The philosophy that "the essence lies in the data itself" — the digital twin — has now been formally recognized by one of the world's foremost institutions.
An approved mass-produced model, and a 3D-printed model facing a "regulatory wall"
Dual-Track Strategy
Track 1: Mold-based Mass-Production Model
MicroVent® and SPUTA VACUUMER®, completed with support from the Japanese government, have obtained formal regulatory approval in Japan as Class III controlled medical devices (approval no. 30300BZX00176000, among others), and are in active use in emergency and intensive-care settings.
Track 2: Second-Generation 3D-Printed Model
The unit itself is complete, but it faces a regulatory void: no precedent exists, and no review framework has yet been established in Japan for assessing an electricity-free, active medical device produced by 3D printing.
Next Gen: i-gel®-integrated Model
Following successful clinical validation of direct integration with the globally standard supraglottic airway device "i-gel®," we are advancing development of a further miniaturized, lighter model (1/3 the weight, 1/2 the size) to meet frontline needs.
* The second-generation 3D-printed model and the model currently in next-generation development are intended for research, technology demonstration and exhibition purposes only. They have not received regulatory approval as medical devices and may not be used clinically or sold.
ART MEETS SCIENCE
Art × Science
"A technology that could save lives exists right in front of us, yet a regulatory wall keeps it from reaching the frontline" — to bring wider attention to this social issue, we co-created the sound installation 'Tobo-ku Omohoyu' with contemporary artist Mai Miki. Rather than a medical alarm, the piece is built around the concept of the breath of life ringing a music-box chime — a hymn to life itself.
The work received the Grand Prix — the top award, by unanimous jury decision — at the KYOTO STEAM 2022 International Art Competition, held at the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art.
To keep speaking to the world until the day formal regulatory approval is granted, we are pursuing not just temporary exhibitions but a place in permanent collections. Following the Deutsches Museum's permanent collection, a meeting with the Singapore Art Museum is planned for November 2026.
A Triple Crown, Recognized by the World
AsMA R&D Innovation Award
Winner of the R&D Innovation Award from the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA); a paper has also been accepted by the British Journal of Anaesthesia (BJA).
OSMS-BC Inventor of the Year
Named Inventor of the Year by Open Source Medical Supplies (OSMS-BC), the international open-source medical community — recognition for an open-innovation stance in the face of a regulatory void.
KYOTO STEAM Grand Prix
Awarded the Grand Prix, by unanimous jury decision, at the KYOTO STEAM 2022 International Art Competition (Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art).
Regulatory Notice
MicroVent® and SPUTA VACUUMER® (the mold-based mass-production models) have obtained regulatory approval in Japan as Class III controlled medical devices (approval no. 30300BZX00176000, among others). Use them strictly according to the package insert and instructions for use, and only under the judgment of a qualified healthcare professional.
The second-generation 3D-printed model and the model currently in next-generation development are intended for research, technology demonstration and art-exhibition purposes. They have not received regulatory approval as medical devices, may not be used clinically or sold, and nothing on this page constitutes a claim of their medical efficacy.
Collaboration & Licensing Inquiries
We do not distribute STL data directly. Certified medical institutions, research institutions and collaboration partners are welcome to discuss access through an individual licensing agreement.
* Inquiries regarding the unapproved second-generation 3D-printed model are accepted for research and technology-demonstration purposes only.
Discuss Licensing / CollaborationContact
For inquiries regarding clinical research collaboration, joint research or exhibitions, please reach out via the address below.
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