Respiratory Research
Respiratory Research, Inc. designs and manufactures the RTube family of disposable Exhaled Breath Condensate collection devices used by academic researchers and pharmaceutical sponsors for non-invasive airway biomarker sampling in respiratory and clinical trial research.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Respiratory Research does
Respiratory Research, Inc. is a privately held medical device company founded in 2000 and headquartered in Austin, Texas that designs, manufactures, and sells the RTube family of Exhaled Breath Condensate (EBC) collection devices used for non-invasive sampling of airway biomarkers. Its portfolio comprises three core disposable collectors — RTube for general ambulatory breath condensate, RTubeVOC for end-tidal volatile organic compound capture, and RTubeVENT for in-line use on mechanically ventilated ICU patients — plus reusable accessories (cooling sleeves, benchtop plungers, inline filters) sold in 25- or 100-collection starter kits or bulk boxes at $1,695–$6,650 per kit. All products are manufactured in an ISO 13485-certified, ISO 8 cleanroom facility using a proprietary multi-step cleaning process intended to eliminate chemical and organic contamination; the device is registered with the FDA as Class I for Research Use Only and is excluded from the EU IVD Directive. RTube has been used in 400+ peer-reviewed studies and over 230,000 collections worldwide with zero adverse events over 25+ years.
The company is sales-led, accepting direct online and institutional purchase orders in the US while relying on Fisher Scientific as a major US distributor and eight country-specific authorized resellers (COSMED for EU, BMedical for Australia/NZ, Fukuda-Sangyo for Japan, Labex for India, Biofrontier for Singapore, J&J Med for Taiwan, Brainhealth for China, and Kim and Friends for South Korea). Customers are primarily academic medical researchers studying asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, lung cancer, and infectious disease, alongside pharmaceutical sponsors running early-phase respiratory drug trials, with secondary use in occupational/industrial hygiene and ICU research. The firm operates with 1–10 employees as a founder-owned, self-funded business without disclosed external investors, M&A activity, or IPO plans.
Respiratory Research firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Respiratory Research
- Legal name
- Respiratory Research, Inc.
- Website
- https://respiratoryresearch.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Respiratory Research, Inc. designs and manufactures the RTube family of disposable Exhaled Breath Condensate collection devices used by academic researchers and pharmaceutical sponsors for non-invasive airway biomarker sampling in respiratory and clinical trial research.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Respiratory Research industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Medical Device Manufacturing (Breath Biomarker Collection)
- NAICS
- Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)
- SIC
- Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) & Respiratory Diagnostics (HLAKANAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Noninvasive Ventilation Interfaces & Consumables (Masks, Tubing, Humidifiers, Filters) (HLAHAGAG)
Keywords
Where Respiratory Research is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Respiratory Research business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- EBC Collection Device Sales: Sale of RTube, RTubeVOC, and RTubeVENT collection devices and accessories including cooling sleeves, plungers, and filters. Products sold as starter kits (25-collection) or bulk boxes. Revenue is one-time transaction-based for hardware.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | RTube 25 Collection Starter Kit - $2,515 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | RTube 100 Collection Starter Kit - $6,650 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Box of 25 RTube Collectors Only - $1,695 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Box of 100 RTube Collectors Only - $5,830 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | RTube Accessories |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | RTubeVOC 25 Collection Starter Kit - $2,930 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | RTubeVENT 25 Collection Starter Kit - $3,945 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Respiratory Research product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Respiratory Research designs and manufactures the RTube family of single-use Exhaled Breath Condensate (EBC) collection devices for non-invasive breath biomarker sampling. Products are sold as starter kits and consumables for academic research, pharmaceutical clinical trials, and occupational health monitoring.
Product overview
Respiratory Research offers the RTube™ family of Exhaled Breath Condensate (EBC) collection devices — a portfolio of three distinct products designed for different clinical and research applications. The core RTube™ is a disposable hand-held EBC collector for general ambulatory use; RTubeVOC™ captures end tidal air for volatile organic compound analysis; and RTubeVENT™ is designed specifically for intubated patients on mechanical ventilation. All products are manufactured in an ISO 13485 certified cleanroom facility in Austin, Texas, USA, and have been used in over 230,000 collections across 400+ peer-reviewed studies spanning 25+ years. Starter kits bundle collectors with reusable accessories (cooling sleeves, plungers) to enable immediate pilot study deployment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- RTube™ Disposable hand-held Exhaled Breath Condensate (EBC) collector for non-invasive breath biomarker collection. Features ISO 8 cleanroom manufacturing, ISO 13485 certified facility, sealed single-use disposable design, and a proprietary contamination-free cleaning process. Used for ambulatory research populations.
- RTubeVOC™ Disposable single-breath End Tidal Air Collector designed to selectively capture the last 65 ml of alveolar exhalate for Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) analysis.
- RTubeVENT™ Disposable Exhaled Breath Condensate collector designed for in-line use in the ventilator expiratory limb on mechanically ventilated patients in ICU settings. Features bi-directional free-flowing design with 22mm tapered connections.
- Cooling Sleeve with Cover Reusable aluminum cooling sleeve with insulating cover for efficient condensate collection. Item #3001, priced at $395.
- Benchtop Plunger Reusable aluminum plunger for collecting EBC samples from the RTube into pooled specimens. Item #3002, priced at $425.
- Inline Filters Single-use disposable hydrophobic 0.3 micron anti-bacterial mesh filter in polyethylene housing for inline filtration. Box of 25, Item #2504, priced at $335.
- Universal Needle Interface with Guard Reusable interface component for RTubeVOC. Item #3004, priced at $455.
- Handheld Plunger Handheld version of the plunger for RTubeVOC. Item #3003, priced at $340.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 230,000 breath collections performed worldwide with zero adverse events attributed to device use
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Respiratory Research
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Respiratory Research technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Respiratory Research partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Fisher Scientific (Thermo Fisher Scientific)coreMajor US scientific distributor offering RTube products through their online catalog (fisherscientific.com). Simplifies procurement for US institutional customers with established vendor relationships.
- COSMEDcoreAuthorized distributor for Italy and EU region, handling local sales, customs, and distribution logistics.
- BMedical Pty LTDcoreAuthorized distributor for Australia and New Zealand, providing local sales and distribution support.
- Labex CorporationcoreAuthorized distributor for India, handling local sales and distribution.
- Biofrontier Technology Pte LtdcoreAuthorized distributor for Singapore, providing local sales and distribution support.
- Fukuda-SangyocoreAuthorized distributor for Japan, handling local sales and distribution.
- Kim and Friends, Inc.coreAuthorized distributor for South Korea, providing local sales and distribution support.
- J & J Med Ltd.coreAuthorized distributor for Taiwan, handling local sales and distribution.
- Brainhealth Medical Technology Co., Ltd.coreAuthorized distributor for China, providing local sales and distribution support (bestbrainhealth.cn).
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Respiratory Research competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bedfont Scientific: UK-based maker of breath analysis devices including NObreath (FeNO), Smokerlyzer (CO), and GastroCH4ECK. Directly comparable as a niche player commercializing handheld breath analyzers for clinical and research respiratory applications.
- Hans Rudolph: US manufacturer of respiratory valves, breathing circuits, and pneumotachographs widely used in pulmonary research labs. Comparable as a long-standing niche supplier of respiratory measurement and sampling hardware for research customers.
- Eco Medics AG: Swiss manufacturer of exhaled breath analysis systems including CLD 88 analyzers for exhaled nitric oxide and online EBC collection modules. Directly comparable as a specialty developer of breath sampling and measurement instruments used in respiratory research.
- Spirosure (formerly Spirometrix): Developer of Fenom Pro, a point-of-care exhaled nitric oxide measurement system for asthma management. Comparable as a specialty exhaled-breath diagnostic device targeting the same respiratory research and clinical customer base.
Broad incumbents
- COSMED: Italian-based manufacturer of pulmonary function testing, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, and metabolic measurement equipment. Comparable as a broader respiratory diagnostics incumbent; also serves as Respiratory Research's authorized EU/Italy distributor.
- Aerocrine (now part of Circassia): Originally commercialized the NIOX FeNO device that became the clinical standard for exhaled nitric oxide measurement. Comparable as a breath-based respiratory diagnostic incumbent whose products compete for similar asthma/COPD research budgets.
- ndd Medical Technologies: Swiss manufacturer of ultrasonic spirometry and PFT equipment including EasyOne products. Comparable as a pulmonary function testing incumbent serving clinical research and occupational health programs that overlap with EBC research sites.
- Philips Respironics: Major respiratory device incumbent offering ventilators, sleep therapy, and respiratory monitoring. Comparable as a broader respiratory care player whose ventilator platforms interface with critical-care research workflows relevant to RTubeVENT.
Emerging players
- Medisoft Group: Belgian developer of cardiopulmonary diagnostic equipment including PFT and FeNO devices. Comparable as a European specialty respiratory diagnostics vendor serving overlapping research and clinical customers.
- Owlstone Medical: Cambridge-based developer of breath biopsy for disease detection using FAIMS technology. Comparable as a breathomics-focused company targeting respiratory and oncology biomarker discovery, with overlapping clinical research customer base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Respiratory Research social profiles
Digital presenceRespiratory Research compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Respiratory Research financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Respiratory Research leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Respiratory Research funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Respiratory Research M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Respiratory Research
What does Respiratory Research do?
Respiratory Research designs and manufactures the RTube family of single-use Exhaled Breath Condensate (EBC) collection devices for non-invasive breath biomarker sampling. Products are sold as starter kits and consumables for academic research, pharmaceutical clinical trials, and occupational health monitoring.
Is Respiratory Research a public or private company?
Respiratory Research is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Respiratory Research founded?
Respiratory Research was founded in 2000. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Respiratory Research based?
Respiratory Research is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Respiratory Research make money?
One revenue line is on record: EBC Collection Device Sales.
Who are Respiratory Research's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bedfont Scientific, Hans Rudolph, Eco Medics AG and Spirosure (formerly Spirometrix). Broad incumbents are COSMED, Aerocrine (now part of Circassia), ndd Medical Technologies and Philips Respironics. Emerging players are Medisoft Group and Owlstone Medical.
Does Respiratory Research have an API?
No public API is recorded for Respiratory Research.
What industry is Respiratory Research in?
Respiratory Research's product category is Medical Device Manufacturing (Breath Biomarker Collection). Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAKANAC, Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) & Respiratory Diagnostics, with a secondary code of HLAHAGAG, Noninvasive Ventilation Interfaces & Consumables (Masks, Tubing, Humidifiers, Filters). Its NAICS code is 334516 and its SIC code is 3841.