Q. & A.   BIOTRAINER MONITOR

1. Describe the BioTrainer product.

This pager-size monitor tracks and records a full range of exercise activity from daily lifestyle to aerobic workouts and it's the perfect companion for walkers and joggers. The extra large LCD display not only provides an elapsed timer function for timing workouts, but also gives a continuous account of your daily calories burned plus a day-by-day report of your week's activity.

If you own a personal computer, the optional download kit (cable and Windows software) allows you to simply connect the BioTrainer to your PC and download 7 full days of calories burned data. With our easy to use display and analysis software, you can display and print brilliant color graphics of your weekly, daily and hourly exercise accomplishments. Your calories burned data can also be saved, retrieved and exported to spread sheets.

One of the many innovative features of the BioTrainer is the use of audible biofeedback. Scientifically proven, biofeedback can dramatically energize aerobic performance. Simply select the feedback mode and hear your calories melt away. A beep is sounded as each calorie is burned. The rhythm of the beeps will help inspire you to reach new levels of exercise achievement.

The BioTrainer unit comes complete with a single AA battery, belt clip, instructions, is 3.25" x 0.8" x 2.5", weights 3.2 oz. and can be used alone or with the optional PC download kit (disk & custom smart cable). Unit is shipped in mailing carton 5" x 5" x 3" weighing 8.6 oz.

The unit uses a custom made LCD display and accelerometer sensor attached to a printed circuit board with a microcomputer and supporting electronic components. The ABS case is custom made from an injection molded process. A single AA alkaline battery powers the unit and is replaceable by removing the battery cover on the rear of the unit. The LCD will flash when the battery becomes low. The download cable has a miniature plug on one end that plugs into the BioTrainer. The other end of the cable connects to the rear COM port of a PC computer.

2. What are the most unique features of the product?

There are two very unique features of the unit: 1) a very accurate calibrated count and display of calories burned, and 2) download capability to a home computer.

3. Explain what makes our product different from other products.

In the past, monitoring walking gait or pace with pedometer type devices was the only portable method available for estimating exercise and calorie burn. But major problems concerning accuracy, calibration, convenience, ease of use and their inability to measure natural body motion, aerobic movements or normal life-style activity have essentially prevented these gadgets from being effective or useful recorders for energy expenditure or computing calorie burn.
The BioTrainer personal lifestyle exercise monitor, quite different from the simple step pedometer. This unit, originally developed for medical applications, is a sophisticated monitoring instrument that measures and records the physical movements of your body and computes calories burned based on body weight. It uses advanced motion sensing technology developed through research supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). And, the sensor contained in the BioTrainer is of the same type of accelerometer used by NASA to measure astronaut's body activity during space flight.

The BioTrainer is a unique device that is completely new to the health and fitness market. No other portable product is available that is so easy to use, motivational with feedback, accurately records calories burned and saves 7 days of data in memory.

4. List key features why someone would want or need this product.

This first of a kind product is designed to track a full range of exercise activities. Its internal microcomputer and accelerometer sensor accurately measure body motion and converts these movements into calories burned. The unit requires no programming or setup - simply enter your body weight and go. It can be used as a stand-alone monitor and with a personal computer. No other portable exercise product on the market downloads to a PC. It produces brilliant color graphs of weekly, daily and hourly exercise activity. Also, the easy to read data charts can be printed, saved and exported to spreadsheets. No special computer interface is required.

Features of product (list in order of importance)
a) Clips to the belt and accurately displays calories burned in tenths of a calorie.
b) Downloads to PC with smart download cable - no expensive interface required.
c) Easy to use software compatible with any Windows based PC.
d) Extensive program features for saving, printing, exporting and displaying data.
e) Contains memory to save 7 fully days of calorie burn data.
f) Has 7 day recall of data on the LCD screen.
g) Requires no programming - simply enter body weight and go.
h) Biofeedback mode sounds a motivational beep for each calorie burned.
i) Contains elapsed timer to time workouts.
j) LCD display mode change or panel buttons will not affect data stored in memory.
k) No on-off switch - one AA battery (included) lasts 6 months.
l) Unit shipped in sleep mode to conserve battery life - press any button to activate.
m) Rugged - specially designed belt clip holds securely to waist band or belt.
n) Can be used with exercise equipment such as treadmills.
o) Each unit individually factory calibrated.
p) Each unit (with optional disk and cable) packaged in shipping box with instructions.

5) Is there a certain type of person who would be interested in our product?

Almost anyone that is interested in exercising, weight loss and improving their health and fitness through daily lifestyle activity or through structured exercise programs. Numerous studies have indicated that our overweight population continues to expand, while only a small percentage of us engage in regular exercise. With this growing problem of sedentary life-styles and the need for increased exercise, the BioTrainer may well serve to help reverse this trend by promoting regular exercise and providing accurate feedback information that to date, has not been available with pedometers or other exercise monitors. Evidence to support the accuracy of the BioTrainer comes from four years' worth of clinical trials. This unique consumer product is not only convenient and easy to use, but has also demonstrated to be highly motivational and to encourage improved exercise habits, better fitness and good health.

This take-along personal exercise monitor should be of great interest and benefit to you most all of your catalog customers. It should have great market appeal for the average consumer or sedentary couch potatoes who wants to increase their daily exercise through increased lifestyle activity; the aerobic participant who wants to keep track of exercise workouts; walkers and joggers, persons trying to improve weight-loss efforts with increased exercise; those that need a motivational boost; and its a great tool for personal trainers to keep track of their clients daily and weekly performance.

6) How will it help users?

Regular exercise, particularly life-style exercise, has been clearly and consistently shown to be a significant, positive factor in long-term weight control. In the past, the major difficulty with exercising as a means for weight control has been its lack of appeal and the difficulty in precisely monitoring the amount of exercise. Both of these difficulties are easily overcome with the BioTrainer which is extremely accurate and designed to motivate while making natural life-style exercising fun and exciting. It can also be used for other exercising activities such as aerobic workouts and it's the perfect companion for calorie-conscious walkers and joggers.

Although adherence to regular exercise is clearly a problem for most, it can be improved by simple monitoring and recording of your total daily exercise using the BioTrainer. In addition to its greater immediate and long term benefits, exercise also has physiological and psychological advantages leading to better health and fitness. In addition to lowering body fat, blood cholesterol and blood pressure, other beneficial results of exercise include mood improvement, better sleep and an increase in basic metabolic rate that promotes weight loss.

7) How is the product used?

Just enter your weight, clip the BioTrainer to your belt and you'll be ready to go. No programming is required. The feature-packed BioTrainer will precisely measure all your body movements and record the total calories you have burned. Not only does this monitor motivate with biofeedback, but it enables you to set goals, optimize workouts and enhance exercise performance. And, it's a great accessory to use with treadmills and other exercise equipment. You can use the monitor as stand alone unit to check your day-to-day progress on the LCD or with our download cable, chart your achievements on your home PC.

The BioTrainer will truly become your personal companion. It takes the guesswork out of exercising with its large calorie burn display. Whether you're working out, fitness walking, shopping at the mall, having an active day or just lying around, you'll always know exactly how many calories you have burned.

Besides individual use, the BioTrainer is ideally suited for group activities. It lets each member set personal goals while competing with others and comparing weekly results. One medical school study provided BioTrainers to a group of subjects for increasing their lifestyle exercise. This group was compared to a non monitor group that exercised at a gym 3 times per week. After 16 weeks, the BioTrainer group was just as effective in loosing weight and increasing exercise as the non BioTrainer group that exercised 3 times a week. But more importantly, after 68 weeks, the BioTrainer subjects continued to maintain weight loss while the other group regained weight.

The monitor can be used with or without a computer. It uses an accelerometer sensor to accurately detect whole body movement from the slightest motion to vigorous activity. It samples these movements at a rate of 40 times each second and converts the expended energy into calories burned based on body weight. The calories burned are then updated on the LCD screen and saved in memory every 10 minutes. Pressing the "select" button steps the unit through 4 modes of operation but does not altered the data stored in memory. Data can be recalled to the LCD screen on demand and also downloaded to a PC through the smart cable in the download kit. The kit also contains a Windows software disk with the display and analysis program.

8) Is there a trend, situation, news event or scientific discovery related to this product?:

IM Systems designs and develops ambulatory monitoring products for the medical field. The BioTrainer personal exercise monitor was developed for the consumer market as a spinoff product from more advanced activity monitors used by professionals for medical research and clinical applications. This new concept in exercise monitoring was developed through a grant supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The BioTrainer is the result of a large research and development program and has been clinically tested in exercise and weight loss studies at Both IM Systems and prestigious medical institutions.