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Terms of Use

Vitalkultur · Effective: 30 May 2026 · Version 2.0 — portfolio-wide (all iOS apps + vitalkultur.com)

1. Scope

These Terms of Use govern the use of all software products and online services provided by:

Jan Rohwedder · Vitalkultur (sole proprietorship under German law)
Kapellenstraße 9, 76473 Iffezheim, Germany
Email: jan@vitalkultur.com

The Terms apply to:

  • Website vitalkultur.com including all sub-paths (/breathwork/, /carlon-equine/, /rrloggerpro/, etc.)
  • iOS app CARLON Breathwork (Apple Watch + iPhone) — including all training modes (Box Breathing, Tummo, Coherence, Iron-Mode, Cold-Exposure, Heat-Exposure, Custom Patterns)
  • iOS app + web viewer CARLON Equine — Heart Science
  • iOS app CARLON Research

None of these products is a regulated medical device within the meaning of EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR) 2017/745 or FDA jurisdiction. None of them diagnose, prevent, monitor, treat or alleviate any disease or injury. They are general wellness, research and observation tools.

2. Description of Services

2.1 CARLON Breathwork

iOS app · Apple Watch + iPhone

Wellness app for guided breathing exercises with haptic feedback, visual guidance and optional sound. Includes Box Breathing, Tummo, Coherence Training, Iron-Mode (experimental ANS strain cockpit), Cold-Exposure, Heat-Exposure and custom-pattern builder. Requires iOS 16.0+ and watchOS 9.0+.

2.2 CARLON Equine — Heart Science

iOS app + web viewer · equine HRV via Polar H10

Research and observation tool for capturing and analysing RR intervals and heart-rate variability (HRV) in horses, based on data from external sensors (e.g. Polar H10). Includes browser-based viewer at vitalkultur.com/carlon-equine/ for veterinarians. Not a medical device for human or veterinary use. All on-screen markers, cutoffs and indicators are screening hints based on peer-reviewed scientific literature, never diagnoses. Clinical decisions remain the responsibility of the licensed treating veterinarian.

2.3 CARLON Research

iOS app · RR-interval capture for research

Research and data-capture tool for local recording of RR intervals from Polar H10 (online stream + offline-recording) with JSON, CSV and Kubios-compatible export. Not a medical device. Data may only be used for scientific, sports or self-responsibility observation purposes.

3. Medical Disclaimer (all products)

None of our products replaces medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any scientific references provided within the apps or on the website are for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical recommendations.

3.1 CARLON Breathwork — consult a physician if you have or suspect:

  • Epilepsy or seizure disorders
  • Pregnancy
  • Cardiovascular disease (including arrhythmias or heart failure)
  • Uncontrolled high blood pressure (hypertension)
  • Recent stroke, heart attack, or TIA
  • Severe or uncontrolled asthma, COPD, or respiratory conditions
  • Panic disorder or severe anxiety disorders
  • Psychotic disorders or conditions involving dissociation
  • Glaucoma (elevated intraocular pressure)
  • Brain injuries or elevated intracranial pressure
  • Type 1 diabetes
  • Raynaud's syndrome or severe circulatory disorders
  • Severe sleep apnea
  • Use of CNS-affecting medications (benzodiazepines, opioids, anticonvulsants) — consult your prescribing physician

This list is not exhaustive. When in doubt, consult a qualified medical professional before beginning any breathing program.

3.2 CARLON Equine — clinical responsibility

CARLON Equine provides automated marker computation from validated peer-reviewed studies. The final diagnostic interpretation, differential consideration and therapeutic decision belongs exclusively to the licensed treating veterinarian. This product is not a medical device under MDR/FDA jurisdiction, neither for human nor veterinary medicine.

4. Safety Instructions — special rules for Iron-Mode, Cold-Exposure, Heat-Exposure

4.1 General breath-work safety (all Breathwork modes)

  • Never practice any breath retention technique (holding your breath for more than 10 seconds) while standing unsupported, in or near water, while driving, cycling, or operating any machinery or vehicle
  • Always practice seated or lying on a stable surface
  • Stop immediately if you experience discomfort, chest pain, or visual disturbances

Mild tingling in the hands or feet and slight lightheadedness are common responses to controlled breathing techniques. However, stop immediately if you experience: strong muscle cramping or spasms, numbness in face or limbs, chest tightness, heart palpitations, or loss of visual clarity. These may indicate excessive hyperventilation requiring medical attention.

4.2 Iron-Mode (experimental ANS strain cockpit)

Iron-Mode is an experimental training mode that displays sympathetic-activation and recovery-status indicators based on HRV trends. Indicators are not diagnoses. Do not rely on Iron-Mode to assess overtraining, fitness-for-competition or health status. Combine with established training-load methodology and qualified coaching/medical supervision.

4.3 Cold-Exposure (ice baths, cold plunges, cold showers)

Cold-Exposure modes are used at your own risk. Cold-shock response can trigger arrhythmia, vasovagal syncope, hypothermia and drowning. Mandatory rules:

  • Never alone in cold water — always have a sober buddy or trained supervisor present. Drowning from cold-shock syncope is the leading risk.
  • Never combine breath-retention or hyperventilation with cold-water immersion.
  • Stop and warm up immediately at: persistent shivering you cannot voluntarily stop, dizziness, chest pain, numbness lasting beyond exit, confusion or speech changes.
  • Start with short durations (30–60 sec), conservative temperatures (12–15 °C), and increase gradually only after multiple uneventful sessions.
  • Do not use Cold-Exposure if you have cardiovascular conditions, uncontrolled hypertension, Raynaud's syndrome, cold-urticaria, severe asthma, pregnancy, recent injury, or are under the influence of alcohol, sedatives or CNS-affecting medications.

4.4 Heat-Exposure (sauna, heat training)

Heat-Exposure modes are used at your own risk. Heat stress can trigger hyperthermia, heat-stroke, dehydration and cardiovascular collapse. Mandatory rules:

  • Hydrate before and after every session.
  • Stop and cool down immediately at: dizziness, headache, nausea, muscle cramps, confusion, cessation of sweating, palpitations.
  • Do not combine with alcohol, intense breath retention or hard physical exertion in the same session.
  • Never use Heat-Exposure alone if you are inexperienced — sauna fatality risk is dominated by syncope/falls in unsupervised settings.
  • Do not use Heat-Exposure if you have cardiovascular conditions, uncontrolled hypertension, are pregnant, recently underwent surgery, have skin conditions worsened by heat, severe psoriasis flares, or take medications that impair thermoregulation.

4.5 Recommended safety setup on Apple Watch

  • Enable Fall Detection: Settings → Emergency SOS → Fall Detection
  • Set up Medical ID: Health app → Medical ID
  • Inform a trusted person before practicing breath retention, Cold- or Heat-Exposure alone

Note: Settings paths may vary by watchOS version.

In case of loss of consciousness or severe distress during practice, call emergency services immediately (EU: 112, US: 911). Never practice alone if you are attempting breath retention techniques exceeding 30 seconds or any Cold-Water immersion.

5. Minimum Age

Our products are not intended for use by persons under the age of 16. By using any of the products, users confirm they meet this minimum age requirement.

6. In-App Purchases & Pricing

CARLON Breathwork: one-time purchase. All features included at time of purchase remain unlocked for the lifetime of the product on the user's device. Major future expansions may be offered as separate optional in-app purchases.

CARLON Equine and CARLON Research: pricing model is being finalised. During the beta phase, access is free upon invitation; final pricing structure will be announced before App Store release.

The Apple Standard EULA applies supplementarily.

7. Custom Presets — User Responsibility (CARLON Breathwork)

The Custom Preset Builder allows users to create individual breathing patterns. Users create and use Custom Presets at their own risk. The Provider cannot assess individual health conditions and makes no warranty regarding the suitability of user-created breathing exercises. Extreme configurations (e.g. breath retention exceeding 60 seconds, breathing rates above 30 breaths per minute) significantly increase syncope risk.

The App displays automatic safety notices when creating or starting Custom Presets that contain hyperventilation phases or breath retention exceeding 60 seconds. The user confirms this notice before starting.

8. CARLON Equine — Veterinary Use

The CARLON Equine iOS app and the web viewer at vitalkultur.com/carlon-equine/ are intended as research and observation tools for veterinarians, researchers and equine owners. They are not validated medical devices for animal health diagnostics. Exported PDF reports and JSON data sets must not be used as the sole basis for clinical decisions. Veterinary judgement, additional diagnostic tools (12-lead ECG, echocardiography, blood panels), and clinical context remain mandatory for any diagnosis or treatment plan.

9. Web Viewer — User Responsibility for Uploaded Files

The CARLON Equine web viewer runs exclusively client-side in your browser. No data is transmitted to Vitalkultur. The user is responsible for the lawful processing of any JSON files loaded into the viewer, including obtaining consent from horse owners where applicable for sharing data within their organisation.

10. Intellectual Property

All content of the apps and website — including design, code, text, sound profiles, scientific algorithms, and the "Vitalkultur", "CARLON", "CARLON Breathwork", "CARLON Equine" and "CARLON Research" brands — is protected by copyright and trademark law. Users may not reverse-engineer, decompile, modify, redistribute, or resell the products or their content.

11. Limitation of Liability

11.1 Liability for injury to life, body, or health (§ 309 Nr. 7a BGB)

The Provider's liability for damages resulting from injury to life, body, or health is unlimited and applies in cases of both simple and gross negligence. This liability cannot be excluded or limited.

11.2 Liability for other damages (§ 309 Nr. 7b BGB)

For all other damages (including property damage and financial loss), the Provider is liable only in cases of:

  • Intent or gross negligence, or
  • Breach of material contractual obligations (cardinal duties), in which case liability is limited to typically foreseeable damages at the time of contract formation.

11.3 User's duty of care

The Provider is not liable for damages caused by the user's failure to observe the safety instructions in Section 4 or the medical disclaimer in Section 3, except where the Provider acted with intent or gross negligence. This applies in particular to Iron-Mode, Cold-Exposure and Heat-Exposure where user supervision and self-assessment are essential.

11.4 Data loss

The Provider is not liable for the loss of locally stored data. Users are encouraged to use the JSON/CSV/Kubios export functions regularly and to back up exports to secure storage.

11.5 Clinical / veterinary decisions

The Provider is not liable for clinical or veterinary decisions made on the basis of data displayed by any product. All such decisions remain the responsibility of the licensed treating physician or veterinarian.

11.6 Mandatory statutory provisions

The above limitations do not affect liability under mandatory statutory provisions, including the German Product Liability Act (Produkthaftungsgesetz).

12. Right of Withdrawal (EU Consumers)

As a consumer in the EU, you have a 14-day right of withdrawal pursuant to the EU Consumer Rights Directive (2011/83/EU). Refunds are processed through Apple's App Store.

By beginning to use a product immediately after purchase, you acknowledge that your right of withdrawal may expire early in accordance with Art. 16(m) of the Directive. Apple's purchase dialog documents this consent.

The German-language Allgemeine Geschäftsbedingungen contain the full statutory withdrawal instructions and the official model withdrawal form. Below is its English translation, provided for convenience — the German version is authoritative.

Model withdrawal form

(If you wish to withdraw from the contract, please complete this form and return it. Using this form is not mandatory — an informal withdrawal by e-mail is sufficient.)

To
Jan Rohwedder · Vitalkultur
Kapellenstraße 9
76473 Iffezheim
Germany
E-mail: jan@vitalkultur.com

I/We (*) hereby give notice that I/We (*) withdraw from my/our (*) contract of sale of the following goods (*) / for the provision of the following service (*)

_______________________________________________

Ordered on (*) / received on (*): _____________________
Name of consumer(s): _____________________
Address of consumer(s): _____________________

Signature of consumer(s) (only if this form is notified on paper): _____________________

Date: _____________________

(*) Delete as appropriate.

13. Usage Restrictions

Users may not:

  • Reverse-engineer, decompile, or disassemble any product
  • Redistribute, sublicense, or resell any product or its content
  • Use any product for purposes that violate applicable law
  • Interfere with the products' security features or integrity
  • Upload data of third parties (e.g. other horse owners, other patients) into the web viewer without their explicit consent

14. Availability

The Provider does not guarantee uninterrupted availability of the apps or the website. Temporary unavailability may occur due to maintenance, updates, or circumstances beyond the Provider's control (e.g. iOS / watchOS major-version changes, GitHub Pages outages).

15. Changes to These Terms

The Provider reserves the right to amend these Terms. Users will be notified of material changes within the apps and on the website. Continued use after notification constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

16. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany. If you are a consumer within the EU, you also benefit from any mandatory provisions of the law of the country in which you reside. If you are a merchant, a legal entity under public law or a special fund under public law, the exclusive place of jurisdiction for all disputes arising from this contract is Rastatt, Germany. If you are a consumer, the statutory rules on jurisdiction apply — in particular, you may bring proceedings before the courts of your place of residence.

17. Dispute Resolution

The Provider is not obligated and not willing to participate in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration board (pursuant to § 36 VSBG).

18. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect. The invalid provision shall be replaced by a valid provision that most closely reflects the original commercial intent.

19. Contact

Jan Rohwedder · Vitalkultur (sole proprietorship)
Kapellenstraße 9, 76473 Iffezheim, Germany
jan@vitalkultur.com
vitalkultur.com

© 2024–2026 Vitalkultur · Jan Rohwedder

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