Apnea-Seal is the first accessory of its type on the Australian market - a custom-made nasal and nasal pillow adaptor designed to perfectly fit a sufferer’s nose like a “second skin”, allowing for a better, more comfortable fit to their existing Sleep Apnea mask.
Bespoke Medical Innovation’s Chief Executive Officer, Darren Churchill, said current masks on the market are essentially “one shape fits all” with small, medium or large sizes available, and about 170,000 thousand of these standard masks are sold in Australia each year.
It is estimated that up to 35-40 per cent of diagnosed sleep apnea sufferers struggle to comply or give up on their vitally important CPAP therapy - many within the first few months of use.
“One of the primary issues for non-compliance appears to be the mask itself, in particular a poor seal around the face resulting in sore cheeks, skin irritation, dry eyes, nasal sores and excessive noise due to the air-leakage,” Mr Churchill said.
“This causes frustration for the Sleep Apnea sufferer and their partner as well, which often leads to non-compliance or ineffective treatment.
“A person’s nose is as individual as their fingerprint, that’s why when it comes to treating Sleep Apnea, we believe in tailored solutions.”
Apnea-Seal uses state of the art 3D photogrammetry technology to capture an exact impression of the patient’s face, delivering a custom-fitted nasal interface which is then adapted to their existing mask.
This largely eliminates air-leaks, noise, skin soreness and irritation, as well as the negative impact these issues cause the sufferer’s partner.
Enabling Sleep Apnea sufferers to remain compliant with their prescribed CPAP therapy in turn assists them to live healthier and fuller lives, not burdened by the debilitating effects of poor sleep and its health-related consequences.
“Bespoke is excited that our all-Australian designed and manufactured Apnea-Seal device now offers real hope to Sleep Apnea sufferers who continue to struggle with their existing masks.
“As we are aware, if left untreated Sleep Apnea can cause significant health-related issues such as type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and stroke,” Mr Churchill said.
Mr Churchill said Bespoke has been conducting preliminary in-house trials with a cohort of patients from the Hills community since January 2015 as well as independent clinical trials that are being facilitated by recognised respiratory specialists and sleep centres.
Based at Bella-Vista, in the Norwest Business Park, Bespoke Medical Innovations was established in September 2014.
The company is wholly Australian owned and specialises in designing and commercialising customised medical innovations specifically for the individual – aimed at providing real solutions that enhance their quality of life.
