• Power On: Insert a fully charged battery (or connect the AC adapter) and switch on the K5.
• Connect: Launch the OMNIA software on your PC and establish the connection (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or USB).
• Warm-Up Time (Mandatory): Leave the unit powered on before starting calibration. The required warm-up time depends strictly on the mode you intend to use:
• Mixing Chamber: Requires at least 30 minutes of warm-up.
• Breath-by-Breath (BxB): Requires at least 1 hour of warm-up to ensure optimal baseline stability of the micro-dynamic gas sensors.

• Breath-by-Breath (BxB):
  • How it works: Analyzes gas concentration and volume continuously for each individual breath.
  • When to use: Ramp or incremental $VO_2$ max tests, physiological kinetics, threshold determinations, and any protocol requiring high temporal resolution.
• Micro-Mixing Chamber (IntelliMET):
  • How it works: Expired gas passes through an internal physical micro-chamber that naturally buffers and averages breaths over short intervals.
  • When to use: High-intensity interval field tests, sports with turbulent body movements, irregular breathing patterns, or prolonged steady-state sessions where breath-to-breath noise needs to be filtered out.

Perform the calibration sequence before every testing session:

1. Turbine Flowmeter Calibration: Attach the 3-liter calibration syringe to the turbine. Execute repeated strokes across different flow rates (slow, moderate, fast) until OMNIA confirms the volume alignment.
2. Ambient Baseline: Samples the surrounding room air to set atmospheric reference values.
3. Gas Calibration: Connect the sample line to the reference gas cylinder. Open the valve, let the software read until the concentrations plateau, save the calibration, and immediately close the cylinder valve.

• Sizing & Harness: Select the proper silicone mask size. Fit the 5-point headgear by tightening the lower jaw straps first, then the top crown straps.
• Seal Check: Cover the turbine aperture with a clean hand or glove and ask the subject to exhale gently. Verify that no air leaks out around the nose bridge or cheeks.
• Line Connection: Snap the turbine into the mask. Connect the Nafion sample line, ensuring the port points slightly downward or to the side so condensation does not migrate into the line.

Proper sanitization protects subjects and prevents hardware damage:

• Sample Line:
  • Disconnect and store dry.
  • Never submerge or rinse the Nafion sample line in liquid. Fluid ingress ruins its permeation properties and can damage the internal gas analyzer.
• Turbine Flowmeter:
  • Decouple the turbine insert from the optical housing.
  • Soak the turbine insert in warm water mixed with an approved non-corrosive disinfectant or mild enzymatic cleaner.
  • Never use brushes, compressed air, or alcohol, as they will bend the delicate internal fins or ruin the jewel bearings.
  • Rinse thoroughly with clean water and let it air-dry completely.
• Silicone Mask & Harness:
  • Wash the mask in warm water with mild soap, then soak in an approved cold-sterilant bath.
  • Rinse thoroughly with running water to eliminate disinfectant residues that could irritate facial skin.
  • Hand-wash the head harness and hang to air-dry.
• K5 Unit Body:
  • Clean the outer casing and display using a soft microfiber cloth lightly dampened with an antibacterial wipe (do not spray cleaning agents directly onto the ports).

Click here to go to the: Manual

Click here to go to the video tutorial: Calibration