The UK charity Keep Me Breathing (KMB) has revealed VENTO – the world’s smallest, wearable CO₂ monitor – a pioneering step towards greater independence and safety for people living with Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (CCHS) and related rare breathing disorders. Patients with CCHS have a severely blunted ventilatory response to rising CO₂, especially during sleep.

Born out of lived experience, VENTO represents a new era of patient-led innovation. Weighing less than 10% of traditional hospital devices and 20 times smaller, the lightweight monitor tracks CO₂ levels continuously and non-invasively, giving families the freedom to monitor CO₂ trends safely; at home, at school, or on the go.

“VENTO acts as a bridge between home and hospital to help give families peace of mind”, says James Oakley, Founder and CEO of Keep Me Breathing. “It is able to deliver real-time data that families can act on and clinicians can review remotely, across different time windows.”

VENTO is patent pending and has undergone hundreds of feasibility tests through KMB’s collaboration with clinicians, engineers, specialist performance centers and med-tech specialists across the UK and Europe. The device’s precision engineering and intuitive design have already attracted attention from respiratory experts, as well as researchers exploring its potential in sports performance and critical care.

“This technology sits at the intersection of respiratory medicine and precision engineering,” adds Andrew Pacey, KMB’s Research & Innovation Manager. “Our goal is to transform hospital-grade systems the size of a lunchbox into something that looks and feels like an everyday smartwatch.”

A Three-Phase Vision for Rare Breathing Disorders

VENTO marks Phase One of KMB’s three-stage roadmap to develop the world’s first adaptive Breathing Pacemaker – a system capable of automatically detecting, interpreting, and correcting under-breathing in real time.

• Phase One (Complete): VENTO – a validated, wearable CO₂ monitor providing continuous, real-world respiratory data.
• Phase Two (In Progress): A connected data and alert system linking patients, carers, and clinicians for live monitoring and early intervention.
• Phase Three (Planned): An implantable stimulation device designed to respond automatically to changes in CO₂, supporting breathing when the body cannot.

Keep Me Breathing is now seeking partners, collaborators, and philanthropic investors to accelerate Phase Two development and expand testing of VENTO across clinical and performance environments. Contactsarah@keepmebreathing.comfor more information.

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About Keep Me Breathing

Keep Me Breathing is a UK-based charity founded by families affected by Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (CCHS) – a rare disorder where the automatic control of breathing fails, especially during sleep. The charity unites clinicians, engineers, and researchers worldwide to create life-changing technology, improve understanding of CCHS, and build hope for every family facing rare breathing conditions.

Visitkeepmebreathing.com

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