AIRS: Inspired by Personal Experience, Driven by Innovation in Respiratory Care

Founder Valerie Obenchain Is Working to Help Oxygen Users, Families, and Caregivers “Breathe Easy”

NEWAYGO, MICHIGAN — For Valerie Obenchain, founder and CEO of Advanced Interactive Response Systems (AIRS), improving respiratory care is more than a business mission. It is personal.

As a registered respiratory therapist (RRT) with decades of experience in respiratory care and healthcare management, Valerie has seen firsthand the challenges faced by patients who depend on supplemental oxygen. Her professional experience, combined with watching her grandmother live with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), inspired her to pursue solutions that could make oxygen therapy safer and give patients and their families greater peace of mind.

Her grandmother relied on supplemental oxygen, yet, like many oxygen users, she often had to check her oxygen supply to make sure it was working properly. Valerie recognized that this uncertainty was not unique to her grandmother. Patients, family members, caregivers, and oxygen suppliers all faced challenges knowing whether oxygen was flowing as intended and whether potential problems needed attention. That realization became the driving force behind AIRS.

Turning a Healthcare Challenge into Innovation

Founded and headquartered in rural Newaygo, Michigan, AIRS develops medical technologies designed to improve oxygen therapy and respiratory care. The company's mission is to address practical problems experienced by patients and healthcare professionals by developing solutions that support safer oxygen use and better access to respiratory monitoring.

Valerie's background as a respiratory therapist gives her a unique perspective on the needs of patients and the healthcare professionals who care for them. Rather than viewing oxygen therapy solely as equipment delivery, she recognizes the importance of understanding oxygen flow, monitoring patient status, and helping patients feel confident managing their therapy at home. This patient-centered approach guides AIRS's work across its respiratory care product portfolio.

The Oxygen Flow Monitor: Bringing Monitoring into the Home

One of AIRS's key innovations is the Oxygen Flow Monitor (OFM), a remote-monitoring technology designed to provide information about oxygen delivery and patient status.

The OFM combines real-time oxygen-flow measurement with pulse oximetry and remote-monitoring capabilities. The technology is being developed to help respiratory therapists and other authorized care team members better understand whether oxygen is flowing as expected and assess relevant patient measurements, including oxygen saturation and pulse rate.

By making this information available remotely, the OFM aims to help identify potential equipment or therapy concerns and support more informed respiratory care decisions. It is also intended to help educate patients about their oxygen status, giving them and their caregivers greater insight into their therapy.

Remote monitoring may be particularly valuable for people living in rural communities, where distance, transportation challenges, and limited access to specialized healthcare services can make frequent in-person visits difficult. For Valerie, the goal is not simply to develop another medical device. It is to help bridge the gap between oxygen equipment in the home and the respiratory care professionals who support patients.

Advancing Through Collaboration and Research

AIRS has continued to advance its technology through collaborations with research organizations, healthcare institutions, and industry partners. The company received grant support through the Center for Advancing Point of Care Technologies (CAPCaT) and successfully completed the grant milestones. This work supported the advancement and evaluation of the Oxygen Flow Monitor and collaboration with Henry Ford Health on a pilot study.

AIRS has also worked with other healthcare and research partners to explore emerging sensor technologies that may provide additional physiological information. These collaborations help inform future development and demonstrate the importance of bringing together engineering, clinical expertise, and patient-centered design.

The company is also advancing its regulatory strategy, with an anticipated FDA Class II 510(k) pathway for the Oxygen Flow Monitor. AIRS continues to work toward the verification, validation, and regulatory readiness needed to support future commercialization.

In addition to its monitoring technology, AIRS has brought its Moisture Exchange Tubing (MET), an FDA-listed Class I product, to market. The product is designed to humidify supplemental oxygen without traditional water bottles or routine water maintenance, addressing another practical challenge in oxygen therapy. Together, these efforts reflect AIRS's commitment to developing useful, real-world solutions for people who depend on respiratory equipment.

Building a Company with Purpose

As the founder of a medical technology company in rural Michigan, Valerie has navigated the many challenges of turning an idea into a product, including intellectual property protection, regulatory planning, product development, funding, and commercialization. She credits innovation, persistence, problem-solving, and strong mentors with helping AIRS move forward. She also recognizes the value of collaboration with respiratory care professionals, researchers, investors, and organizations that support medical technology development.

For Valerie, mentorship and service are equally important. She believes in sharing knowledge through mentoring, CPR instruction, STEM education, and community involvement. Her commitment to respiratory care extends beyond developing products; it includes helping others learn, supporting the next generation, and strengthening the professional community.

A Mission to Help People “Breathe Easy”

At the heart of AIRS is a simple idea: people who rely on oxygen should have greater confidence in their therapy, and the people who care for them should have better tools to support them. Valerie's experience as a respiratory therapist and her family's experience with COPD continue to shape the company's direction. AIRS is working toward a future in which remote monitoring and connected respiratory technologies can help patients better understand their oxygen status, support caregivers, and extend the reach of respiratory care professionals.

For Valerie and the AIRS team, innovation is most meaningful when it solves a problem that matters to real people. That is the purpose behind AIRS—and the inspiration behind its mission to help oxygen users, families, caregivers, and suppliers “Breathe Easy.”