News

ApneaSeal(TM) recently completed and launched a full rebrand and new website. Commissioning a top Sydney-based advertising and media agency, Sweeney Advertising, the creative department went to work on giving the whole brand a distinct fresh look. After “initial discovery” and “brand strategy” meetings with the teams, the premise of our brand was established: “Sleep is everything. It is the foundation of our well being and success in everyday life”. We understand sleep disturbance can have a massive impact on the lives of many, especially those on CPAP therapy. We believe that optimising someone’s sleep can improve their everyday performance. ApneaSeal’s circular logo with the tagline ‘made for you’ is representative of the perfect seal and our stamp of approval. Backed by scientific research and development our aim is to revitalise and enhance your restful sleep. If you are suffering from OSA and are treated by CPAP therapy contact us today. Let our Sleep Optimisation Scientists enhance your sleep performance.

ApneaSeal is excited to announce installation of the first Nose Studio® at Benchmark Sleep Services in Sydney. This is recognising the long-standing service and experience Benchmark have within the sleep apnea community and the first in a national rollout plan. The purpose of the Nose Studio is to proficiently capture images of a patients face that are used to custom make a CPAP mask that is perfectly optimized for your face. This will reduce leakage (through better mask seal) and improve comfort to the patient and improve the performance of your sleep. The process is quite simple and takes about a minute.  For more information please check our ‘ApneaSeal’ pages or contact us for more information. If you are suffering from OSA and are treated by CPAP therapy contact us today. Let our Sleep Optimisation Scientists enhance your sleep performance.

Obstructive sleep apnea is common and linked to many medical problems. One common problem you may not be aware of is sudden cardiac arrest. When you have obstructive sleep apnea, “not only are you likely to wake up with a headache and fall asleep during the day, but you’re also at risk of dying suddenly,” says cardiologist Bruce Wilkoff, MD. “For most patients, sudden death is not caused by a heart attack, but by abnormal heart rhythms.” Sleep apnea is diagnosed when you stop breathing for 10 seconds or longer — at least five times an hour — during sleep. Researchers suspect sleep apnea causes abnormal heart rhythms, which lead to sudden cardiac death, for a number of reasons, says sleep medicine expert Reena Mehra, MD, MS. “Sleep apnea may lower oxygen levels, activate the fight-or-flight response and change pressure in the chest when the upper airway closes, stressing the heart mechanically,” she explains. It may increase inflammation and cause unhealthy changes in blood vessels as well. Know the symptoms Symptoms include: Loud snoring Stopped breathing during sleep, observed Daytime sleepiness Fatigue Drowsy driving Waking up short of breath Waking up frequently to urinate without apparent cause Chest pain during sleep If you have any of these symptoms, it’s important to talk to your doctor. A visit to a sleep medicine specialist may be in order. What the research shows: “Early identification and treatment of sleep apnea are key,” says Dr. Mehra. “Several studies now link severe obstructive sleep apnea to higher mortality — even after accounting for risk factors such as obesity.” In a five-year study of nearly 11,000 people, those with obstructive sleep apnea had a higher risk of sudden cardiac death. At greatest risk were those aged 60 and older with moderate to severe apnea (20 episodes an hour). When their oxygen saturation levels dipped below 78 percent — preventing air from flowing into the lungs — their risk increased by 80 percent. “In addition, our group has shown that people with severe obstructive sleep apnea have a two-to-fourfold greater risk of abnormal heart rhythms than people without sleep apnea,” Dr. Mehra notes. Other researchers have found that patients with obstructive sleep apnea are more than 2.5 times as likely to experience sudden cardiac death between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m. as those without obstructive apnea. If you suspect sleep apnea: Think you may have sleep apnea? It’s important to have it checked. Sleep apnea can lead to other heart health problems and impaired performance on the job or at school. Your doctor may suggest a sleep evaluation. Not only will getting treated for sleep apnea reduce your risk of a dangerous cardiac event, says Dr. Wilkoff: “It will make you sleep better, and feel better, all around.” June 30, 2017 – by Heart and Vascular Team

I arrived at Bespoke Medical during April 2017 as the Director of Strategy and Innovation. Having immersed myself for 24 years in the sleep and respiratory medical device industry, and previously as ResMed’s Chief of Technology and chief engineer in CPAP mask interfaces for nearly all those years, I’ve always appreciated custom masks were a plausible concept, since the first ever CPAP masks were custom made as well. However early masks in 1981 were merely hand-crafted, and then literally glued together and then glued to the patient’s face at night. Effective, but hardly comfortable and certainly not a scalable solution. Mirroring a face by simply electronically scanning and then 3D printing a mask may sound revolutionary to some, however in the whole scheme of things is out of date schooling and does not necessarily provide a successful comfortable mask seal. Intelligent 3D conversion needs to take place and that’s where ApneaSeal’s experienced “sleep scientists” play the heaviest role. The solution also needs to be scalable and affordable. For example, one of the greatest innovations of ApneaSeal has been achieved by solving a significant design contradiction. How do you develop a structurally-stable mask cushion  to provide seal stability however make it touch the face lighter than some of the softest materials available such as silicone rubber? By understanding the unique dynamics that occur between a patient’s anatomy and an intelligently converted 3D facial form, the ApneaSeal mask can maintain an exceptionally light touch against the face all night long despite treatment pressure changes whilst the mask interface being significantly rigid. Virtually every patient comments how much more comfortable the mask is compared to initial expectations and their previous masks. Quite frankly, I was surprised myself when I had a test mask made for me. As someone who has existed for many years in the business chasing patient compliance and earning customer loyalty, I still get a positive buzz seeing patients achieve mask fit success after trying “everything”, including some of the traditional masks that I helped design years ago.

On 31 July 2016 ApneaSeal announced its generous support for the Homes For Heroes Program established by RSL LifeCare to provide accommodation and other support services for homeless veterans. ApneaSeal Chief Executive Officer Darren Churchill committed a percentage of revenue from the sale of the new ApneaSeal product through the company’s association with RSL LifeCare to this worthy program. Bespoke is also providing educational sleep apnea workshops at RSL clubs and retirement villages throughout Sydney. The Homes for Heroes program was established in March 2014 by RSL Life Care to provide accommodation and other support services for homeless veterans of contemporary conflicts – the only program of its type in Australia.

Late November, members of the ApneaSeal team ventured into the Cherrybrook Shopping Centre to validate a number of sleep market assumptions, whilst targeting appropriate demographics. The exercise was a great success, having met a large proportion of potentially undiagnosed sleep apnea sufferers and their partners, whilst also gaining market feedback on the new revolutionary custom CPAP mask, ApneaSeal. Furthermore, we were able to engage and assist patients struggling to achieve compliance with their CPAP mask; further validating patient education contributes to long-term compliance.

ApneaSeal held a complimentary presentation at the Castle Hill RSL on the 29th of June. Dr Benjamin Ng well renowned local Sleep Physician presented on the indications and treatment options for sleep disorders . A number of sleep apnea patients as well as those yet to be diagnosed attended the seminar. If you suspect you may be suffering from a sleep disorder or have obstructive sleep apnea and are looking for a better solution please contact us and we can advise you on the available treatment options.

Apnea Seal presented its latest Nose Studio at the Sleep DownUnder conference in Adelaide between the 20th and 21st of October. Sleep Down Under 2016 featured a comprehensive scientific programme with five international speakers and a multitude of Australian internationally renowned presenters. ApneaSeal offers an improved and innovative approach to help improve the treatment of people with obstructive sleep apnea using CPAP machines.