InnoMed Addresses Special Needs of Asians Suffering from Apnea with Customized Sleeping Aids
January 08,
2008 09:30 AM Eastern Time
COCONUT CREEK, Fla.--(BUSINESS
WIRE)--The combination of a growing population of
Asian-Americans and the effect of a Western diet on its eating
habits has created a “sleeping giant,” or an increasing likelihood
of the development of obstructive sleep apnea among this ethnic
group.
In response, InnoMed Technologies
Inc. of Coconut Creek, which competes with companies such as Resmed
(NYSE:RMD) and Respironics (NASDAQ:RESP), is stepping to the
forefront with medical innovations designed specifically to assist
Asian sufferers of apnea. InnoMed’s Nasal-Aire® II Petite is a sleep
interface that can accommodate the smaller nasal passages
characteristic of traditional Asian features. Since no facial
features are the same, the interface delivers air directly to the
nose via a nasal cannula that comes in various sizes. The Nasal-Aire®
Technology also comes with ergonomically designed Micro™ Headgear,
featuring a patented elbow feature that reduces facial pressure
points for added comfort.
Lightweight, soft, comfortable and
quiet, the Nasal-Aire® II Petite is easy to fit, virtually
leak-free, does not uncomfortably chill the nose and is easy to
assemble and clean. The Nasal-Aire line of CPAP interface devices
look and wear like an oxygen cannula. Experts predict this device to
change the modality of CPAP delivery for treatment of sleep
disorders and respiratory disorders and insufficiencies.
The research and marketing teams of
InnoMed felt that Asian-Americans represented a significant segment
of the U.S. population that could be served by their product line.
"We have found very few choices for
fitting CPAP masks for the patient with especially smaller noses.
The Innomed Nasal-Aire Petite provides us with a great option for
the sometimes smaller facially featured patients," Reggie Binns, CEO
and Founder, New Millennium Sleep Diagnostics, Laguna Hills, CA.
According to the Archives of
Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, certain genetic and environmental
risk factors have been identified in the development of
sleep-disordered breathing (SDB); skull base length has been noted
to be an ethnic risk factor in Far East Asians. The archives also
noted that Far East Asian populations, along with African-Americans,
have been shown to have significantly higher risk for SBD than
Caucasians when age, sex and body mass index are considered.(1)
Further research on apnea and how it
differs among other ethnic groups is scarce. Most studies have
targeted obese, white males; however, several preliminary studies
suggest that people of Asian descent suffer from apnea in similar
ratios to Westerners without being obese or overweight.
The more common form of apnea is
obstructive sleep apnea, where the throat muscles relax and collapse
during sleep causing blockage in the airways. This may occur in both
adults and children. People who experience this are roused from
sleep to reopen their airway, often making a snorting, choking or
gasping sound. Because this pattern occurs repeatedly, up to
hundreds of times each hour all night long, it causes disruptions
that impair a person’s ability to reach deep, restful phases of
sleep, thus making him or her sleepy and tired during waking hours.
For children, sleep apnea may impair learning, concentration and
memory, not to mention physical growth.
For snoring, an initial symptom of
apnea or SDB, simpler procedures, such as clearing the nasal passage
by straightening the septum (septoplasty), reducing the size of the
turbinates (radiofrequency turbinoplasty) or removing obstructions (endoscopic
surgery for nasal polyps), are available. If the palate is the main
source of snoring, then the latest wave in minimally invasive
management is also offered.
For frank sleep apnea, positive
airway pressure treatment is advised. This treatment involves a
device that blows air into the patient’s airway through a mask to
eliminate episodes of shallow breathing and obstruction. InnoMed’s
Nasal-Aire® II Petite and the other InnoMed air interfaces can
assist with the treatment and alleviation of apnea problems.
To learn more, visit
www.innomedinc.com. InnoMed Technologies, Inc. is a
forward-thinking medical technologies company poised to bring new
and more effective medical products and devices to the public
through its medical development and engineering team, as well as
through acquisitions of other medical related companies. The company
owns full utility patents and has patents pending.
InnoMed Technologies is a wholly
owned subsidiary of Mergenet Solutions, Inc. To learn more about
Mergenet Solutions and other companies in the Mergenet family,
please visit
www.mergenetsolutions.com.
(1) Archives of Pediatric and
Adolescent Medicine, Vol. 159, No. 8, August 2005
Contacts
For InnoMed Technologies Inc., Coconut Creek
EMI Group Inc.
Elena Sher, 561-756-5551
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