Madison, WI, March 29, 2021 – Bleep, LLC. has been awarded a $1.7 million SBIR grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to optimize positive airway pressure (PAP) mask design for use in home and acute care/hospital settings.
Bleep, LLC hopes to add value in patient comfort and compliance with PAP therapy and may help reduce healthcare costs related to lack of PAP compliance. Over 54 million adults in the U.S. have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Almost half of this population are undiagnosed, costing ~$150b USD annually with a CAGR of 5-12%.
30-50% of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) users are not compliant due to headgear/mask complaints. Untreated and non-compliant OSA treatment has been linked to type 2 diabetes, hypertension, decreased immunization effectiveness, poor mental health, and nocturnal stroke, among other issues. Bleep’s PAP primary mask design focuses on having no headgear or straps and resolving leaks that arouse the end user, thus driving higher improved sleep consolidation. The awarded grant helps Bleep take a step forward in addressing pain points with a significantly reduced footprint.
“Bleep has the only clinically proven no leak PAP on the market, and the only fully made in USA PAP mask. Eclipse, our generation two product will not only continue to address patient comfort and compliance, but will also focus on rapid on-off interface, creating a sleek, no leak interface for both home and acute care use. The sleek design is expected to aid in reduction of claustrophobia, a common CPAP mask concern, reduction in forced air pressure, improvement in AHI, and improvement in uninterrupted sleep goals. These improvements combined with greater fit should improve patient comfort and compliance, leading to improved health and decreased health costs,” states Bleep founder and Executive Chair, Stuart Heatherington.
With this NIH grant, Bleep, LLC will optimize its Eclipse PAP technology and produce validation data necessary for successful market commercialization.
About Bleep Sleep (bleepsleep.com)
Bleep Sleep Solutions, based in Chapel Hill, NC is a sleep solution company focused on improving sleep and sleep related health outcomes. The DreamPort® is a one-size-fits-all, single SKU CPAP solution with zero headgear. It has been clinically proven not to leak, eliminates mask lines and facial irritation. It is compatible with all CPAP machines and covered by all major insurance plans. DreamPort is FDA cleared, and manufactured entirely in the United States. DreamPort provides respiratory support for patients who need continuous positive air pressure solution, such as sleep apnea
