PARI VORTEX
Element redesigned the PARI VORTEX holding chamber and its baby and child masks, bringing them under one design language while improving fit and seal. VORTEX is used with metered-dose inhalers, so medication reaches the lungs rather than the mouth and throat. Two years in development, now on shelf worldwide, with mask leakage as low as 1.3%.
What we were asked.
Bring PARI's VORTEX holding chamber and its baby and child masks into a modern, unified design language, without losing what makes them work at scale.
What we answered.
A shared language needed a shared logic. We built the chamber and both masks around airflow: how the aerosol moves, and how a baby or child breathes it in. Same DNA across the system, with each mask still distinct enough to tell apart at a glance.
Two masks, one system. An antistatic chamber that stops medication sticking to its walls. A cyclonic dual-valve airflow path. Extra soft masks with a rim shaped to the face, sealing with minimal contact pressure. A one-handed operation aid refined for grip and engineered to stay cost-effective at scale. Colour built into the mould, not applied after: yellow for baby, orange for child. A fading dot pattern, drawn from the aerosol's own dispersion, as the shared visual signature.
Developed & commisioned by Anne Schloesser, prototyping iteratively alongside PARI's engineering team. Every version was tested for seal, fit and comfort, with particular care for how the mask feels for a child and for the caregiver holding it.
Mask leakage as low as 1.3%, for more consistent delivery. Softer contact reduces stress during use, especially for young children. The one-handed operation aid lets a parent hold their child and trigger the inhaler at the same time, and supports users with reduced dexterity. Both masks are now in daily use worldwide.
One design language, two masks, and at least 84% less leakage than the leading masks tested. Both in daily use worldwide.
Element didn't just design a mask. They took the time to understand what we actually needed, then pushed back where it mattered. Straightforward to work with, and the kind of team you trust with the details.
