When Glenn Foley’s trombone teacher needed a replacement for a breathing device he used to increase his students’ lung capacity, he knew where to turn for someone who could design and build an improved contraption.
As a music major who also studied mechanical engineering in a five-year dual-degree program at Notre Dame, Foley was able to design and 3D print a tube that forces trombone students to engage their diaphragm to increase air flow. The tube, similar to the Inspiron breathing device that respiratory patients might use in hospitals but which is no longer in production, can be adjusted to require more effort as the user improves.