custo Tube-in-Tube technology

For the second collaboration with custo med, I visualized the internal mechanics of blood pressure
and pneumatic air flow within an inflatable cuff and its connected tube-in-tube system.

My role involved translating invisible physical properties into clear,
high-fidelity 3D visuals while maintaining a sleek, medical-grade aesthetic.
The primary objective was to illustrate complex pneumatic dynamics with clinical accuracy without
sacrificing premium visual appeal. I balanced technical precision with authentic product presentation.

The final visuals provide an accurate explanation of the device's
inner workings for digital showcases and technical demonstrations.

Project Breakdown: Unique Challenges

Visualizing two separate systems simultaneously required careful balancing. I strictly followed medical grade standards to ensure the final output aligned seamlessly with custo med’s corporate aesthetic and the visual language of our previous collaborations.

A major technical hurdle was illustrating the data reading process inside the cuff without cluttering an
already complex composition. I resolved this by designing a clean, stylized "reversed sonar" effect.
This minimalist visual effectively directs the viewer's eye to the exact area where data and volume are actively streaming.

Below is a breakdown of two core concepts I tackled during production, featuring
my technical approach alongside extensive behind the scenes footage.

01 // Simulation Zone

How do you visualize pneumatic pressure inside a tube-in-tube system?

The Challenge
While pneumatic pressure is invisible in reality, it is central to understanding the device's mechanics. The dual system relies on two distinct functions: the inner tube transmits blood pressure data, while the outer tube manages pneumatic pressure buildup and release. The objective was to communicate this internal process intuitively, without relying on technical diagrams that might distract from the product

The Approach
My R&D focused on developing a highly art directable smoke simulation that could be rapidly iterated to meet the client's vision. While Houdini is my usual pipeline choice, I integrated EmberGen for this project. This proved to be the ideal workflow, allowing for realtime adjustments and art direction without the bottleneck of recaching the simulation after every tweak.

The Solution
The final setup combines a VDB volume with controlled, wispy shading. This allowed the pneumatic airflow to remain clearly visible and dynamic while seamlessly blending into the clean, medical-grade aesthetic of the overall project.

02 // Geometry Node Madness

Building a Geometry node smoke doppelgänger for more animation flexibility

The Challenge
Visualizing invisible pneumatic pressure requires both high visual fidelity and exact timing. The main technical hurdle was making the pressure follow the precise curve of the tubing without diffusing into a uniform, unstructured fog. a task made harder because EmberGen lacked native tools to art direct smoke along a spline path.

The Approach
I resolved this by developing a procedural setup in Geometry Nodes to act as a "smoke doppelgänger." Building the effect out of geometry rather than a traditional volume gave me total artistic control, allowing for instant iterations that locked seamlessly into specific animation cues.

The Solution
The breakthrough came when I took a cross-section slice of the original smoke simulation, vectorized it in Adobe Illustrator, and used it as a custom curve profile within Geometry Nodes. Combined with controlled shading, this yielded a lightweight, highly flexible asset that convincingly mimics organic fluid motion along the curve. Delivering exact structural accuracy while matching the project's aesthetic.