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Bleep, LLC Wins $1.7M NIH SBIR Grant Award for PAP Innovation
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.
Learn moreEDS Prevalent in Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Affects Patient Satisfaction
Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is prevalent among patients with obstructive sleep apnea, even those who adhere to positive airway pressure (PAP) treatments, according to study results recently presented at Psych Congress 2021, held from October 29 to November 1, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas. Although PAP adherence is associated with greater patient satisfaction, EDS negatively affects satisfaction scores, according to the researchers. Investigators of this study sought to evaluate the relationship between EDS, PAP adherence, and patient satisfaction among 2289 US adults with a self-reported obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis. Participants completed an online survey reporting sleepiness on the Epsworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), PAP usage, and patient satisfaction. PAP usage was categorized as nonuse, nonadherent (<4 hours a night or <5 days a week), intermediate (4-6 hours a night, ≥5 days a week), and highly adherent (≥6 hours a night, ≥5 days a week). The investigators used linear models to test the relationship between PAP use and ESS scores, and logistic regression models to understand the impact of PAP use and EDS on patient satisfaction. Overall, patients reported 72% satisfaction with HCPs and 65% satisfaction with care. Among the PAP nonuse group (n=700), 47% reported EDS; 52% reported EDS in the nonadherent group (n=153); 53% reported EDS in the intermediate group (n=225); and 36% reported EDS in the highly adherent group (n=1211). An additional hour of PAP use at night was associated with lower ESS scores (-0.28 points; 95% CI, -0.40 to -0.16; P <.001). Among PAP users, adherence was associated with 3 times higher satisfaction with HCPs (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.91; 95% CI, 2.03-4.17; P <.001) and 2 times higher satisfaction with care (aOR 2.37; 95% CI, 1.64-3.43; P <.001). However, EDS was associated with 50% lower satisfaction with HCPs (aOR 0.50; 95% CI, 0.39-0.64; P <.001) and 38% lower satisfaction with care (aOR 0.62; 95% CI, 0.48-0.80; P <.001). According to the investigators, in patients with obstructive sleep apnea, EDS is a prevalent condition that affects even highly adherent PAP users. Although EDS was associated with lower satisfaction scores overall, the researchers indicated an additional hour-a-night PAP adherence improved patient satisfaction. Reference Parthasarathy S, Hyman D, Doherty J, et al. A real-world study assessing the relationship between positive airway pressure treatment, excessive daytime sleepiness, and patient satisfaction in obstructive sleep apnea. Presented at: Psych Congress 2021; October 29-November 1, 2021; San Antonio, Texas. Poster 96.
Learn moreWomen Actually Snore More Than Men, According to Mintal Sleep Tracker Data
Wellness-focused tech brand Mintal released a sleep habits report that includes insights stemming from its artificial intelligence (AI)-driven Mintal Tracker app to highlight interesting facts about the sleep patterns of men and women in the United States, revealing several notable commonalities and differences. Key findings include: Contrary to the popular belief that men snore more than women, Mintal’s app revealed the opposite—out of all users who snore, 52.7% were women and 47.3% were men. 38% of Mintal Tracker users sleep talk, with the breakdown equating to 54.3% women and 45.7% men. When it comes to average time asleep, both men and women log almost seven hours of sleep each night on average, with women getting slightly more shut eye at 6 hours 53 minutes, and men receiving 6 hours 47 minutes. “While we know that quality sleep is essential, many people fail to make it a priority—so we want to change that,” says Frank Jiang, founder and CEO of Mintal, in a release. “Our apps help people take a scientific approach to healthier sleep, providing our users with the tools they need to feel fully rested.” The data in the report covers the sleep habits of Mintal Tracker’s iOS and Android users between August 2020 and July 2021 in the United States. The Mintal Tracker app enables users to gain a deeper understanding of their sleep patterns and habits, as well as leverages AI to alert users about their propensity to snore, sleep talk, and more. Photo 207550449 © Siriporn Kaenseeya | Dreamstime.com
Learn moreiPhone 13 Face ID failing with CPAP masks; worked with older phones
Apple made some changes to the iPhone 13 Face ID setup in terms of both hardware and software, and this seems to be causing problems for some disabled and seriously ill users. Specifically, Face ID registration is failing when some owners are wearing a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) mask – used by those with respiratory issues. This is despite the fact that Face ID coped fine with the same masks on older iPhones, all the way back to the iPhone X … Apple prides itself on its accessibility features, but a British man who wears a CPAP mask due to respiratory failure says that something appears to have gone wrong with either the company’s more compact TrueDepth camera system, or the iOS changes designed to guard against spoofing. Colin Hughes, an Apple user who has severe muscular dystrophy, has to wear the mask for much of the day. He said that Face ID used to work reliably for him with or without the mask, but that is not the case with the iPhone 13 Pro. I wear a CPAP nasal pillow ventilator mask, and since day one with the iPhone X, Face ID has never had an issue setting up and recognising me with my mask on. Always worked perfectly. The noise surrounding Covid masks passed me by as I simply didn’t have a problem with my mask and several iPhones from 2017 to present. Now, I find myself with a 4 year old iPhone X that will unlock my iPhone with my CPAP nasal pillow ventilator mask on, with no problem, and the latest and greatest iPhone 13 Pro that refuses to set up Face ID with my mask on. Apple has clearly been tinkering with Face ID in light of Covid masks but it’s come at great cost to accessibility for people like me. In trying to set up a new face on the iPhone 13 Pro it says “Face obscured try removing anything that maybe covering your face”. If I do that I will suffocate! I don’t have a plan B. Some, like those with sleep apnea, only need to wear a CPAP mask overnight – but others have to wear one either full time or for much of the day. Hughes says that he didn’t exactly feel comfortable sharing a photo of him wearing the mask in bed, but chose to do so because he feels strongly about the issue, and hopes it will prompt Apple to address the issue. The problem isn’t affecting all CPAP mask users, though others have noted that training it takes time. Mine works with my CPAP. Just took a couple of days to learn. — Jason McCray (@jmccray) September 28, 2021 Hughes has previously described how Apple technology helps those with severe disabilities, and how it doesn’t. Apple has worked with him on a number of issues, so hopefully there is a software tweak that can restore functionality here. We’ve reached out to the company for comment. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Learn more9 Ways to Maximize Your Night’s Rest
“Breaking into high-quality sleep isn’t always easy, sometimes it requires making changes in your life like reducing stress and replacing bad habits with empowering new habits that bring encouraging changes in life,” says Rob Carter III, PhD, MPH, in a release. Carter, a Colonel in the U.S. Army who has has academic appointments in emergency medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, together with his wife Kirti Salwe Carter, FAIS, have written The Morning Mind: Use Your Brain to Master Your Day and Supercharge Your Life. The Carters list eight ways to help maximize the chance of getting quality sleep. Block all sources of artificial light. Exposure to artificial light from television and smartphones can adversely affect our ability to fall asleep. Light exposure excites the nerve pathway between the eye and the brain that control hormones, body temperature, and other biological factors that play a role in falling asleep. Establish a consistent sleep-wake cycle. The human body will acquire an internal clock cycle to the new schedule and will ultimately react to internal cues to sleepiness at a given time. Dine at least 1 ½ -2 hours before bedtime. Eating foods particularly high in protein or carbohydrate too close to bedtime disrupts sleep, which leads to excessive stomach acid release. If you cannot avoid a nighttime snack, eat foods which help promote sleep. Cheese with crackers is an excellent snack that does not disrupt sleep. Try to limit your caffeine and alcohol throughout the day and avoid them close to bedtime. Caffeine is a stimulant that can make it challenging to get to sleep or stay asleep.” Imagine yourself achieving your goal of waking up well-rested. Creating the feeling of how you want your experience to be is a solid way to get your subconscious to take notice.” Manage your daytime stress. Chronic daytime stress causes restlessness by making it hard to fall asleep and to stay asleep. Daytime stress and sleepless nights are interconnected. Embrace a routine of getting into bed and waking up at the same times every day. An essential component of a healthy sleep routine during the week is to maintain the same routine over the weekend.” How can we manage our stress and regulate our sleep? Keep a positive attitude, accept things as there are, and avoid trying to control any aspect of life and work. Be assertive instead of aggressive, exercise regularly, and practice simple relaxation techniques. Use DREAMPORT by Bleep, LLC so you have NO LEAK and don’t wake up to readjust your mask.
Learn moreObstructive sleep apnea and Alzheimer’s disease-related cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers in mild cognitive impairment
Previous studies have demonstrated that sleep-breathing disorders, and especially obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), can be observed in patients with a higher risk of progression to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Recent evidence indicates that cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) AD-biomarkers are associated with OSA. In this study, we investigated these associations in a sample of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a condition that is considered the first clinical phase of AD, when patients showed biomarkers consistent with AD pathology. A total of 57 patients (mean age = 66.19; SD = 7.13) with MCI were included in the study. An overnight polysomnography recording was used to assess objective sleep parameters (i.e. apnea/hypopnea index [AHI], total sleep time, sleep efficiency, sleep latency, arousal index, awakening, stage 1, 2, and slow-wave sleep and rapid eye movement sleep, periodic limb movement index, O2 saturation during sleep, and percentage of time O2 saturation <90%). Phosphorylated-tau (P-tau), total-tau (T-tau), and amyloid-beta 42 (Aβ42) were measured in CSF. Unadjusted correlation analyses showed that a higher AHI (reflecting higher OSA severity) was related to higher P-tau and T-tau (both results remained significant after Bonferroni correction, p = 0.001). Importantly, these associations were observed even after adjusting for potential confounders (i.e. age, sex, body mass index, sleep medication, smoking, hypertension, and heart disease). Although more research is needed to establish a causal link, our findings provide evidence that OSA could be related to the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in neurodegeneration in MCI patients. Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; CSF biomarkers; MCI; OSA; beta-amyloid; tau. © Sleep Research Society 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Sleep Research Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail [email protected].
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