First Radical Advancement Since CPAPs Invented Available Jan 21, 2011; Transcend Offers Practical Sleep Apnea Therapy for Truckers, Pilots and Others Who Travel for Work

Minneapolis, MN (Vocus/PRWEB) January 10, 2011

Truckers, pilots and others who travel for work and have sleep apnea face hurdles when traveling with traditional CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines: they’re bulky and difficult to pack, depend on a reliable power source, and require distilled water for humidification. Add it all up and it’s a hassle.

Designed to fit today’s active lifestyle, Transcend is the first practical, wearable sleep apnea therapy system on the market that offers patients an innovative replacement to their old-fashion, cumbersome CPAPs. Overcoming the burdens faced by truckers, pilots and others who travel for work and who have sleep apnea, Transcend will be available for sale direct to consumers on January 21, 2011.

According to Ralph Germscheid, President of Somnetics, LLC, the maker of Transcend, “We’ve developed a completely new kind of therapy system. Transcend is FDA-approved and weighs approximately one pound. Its compact design, unique patent-pending heat moisture exchange technology, and portable power options make it ideal for travel and provide users with convenience and mobility not available from existing CPAP machines.”

Patients who participated in testing Transcend agree. “This device is more comfortable than my current CPAP,” said one patient. “I like to sleep with the window open. If I did that with my existing CPAP, the mask would fill up with water; with Transcend that doesn’t happen.”
Another patient commented, “The HME is remarkable. There’s no dripping water. It’s really sweet.” And yet another patient said, “Transcend is quick and easy to use. There’s no set up and it was no problem to sleep with it on my head.”

How Transcend is Different
In the evolution of sleep apnea therapy, Transcend is distinctly different from today’s conventional CPAP. Based on feedback from sleep apnea patients, Transcend was designed to overcome frustrations and hassles experienced by CPAP users including the need for:

Small Size, Less Bulk - CPAPs generally consist of the machine, a humidifier, six-foot hose, power cord, and mask. Packing a CPAP is cumbersome, especially when space is a premium; when flying, a CPAP means another carry-on bag. Transcend uses a short hose, weighs less than one pound, and measures about the size of a 12-ounce package of coffee beans. It is small and compact enough to fit into a carry-on, rather than be a separate carry-on.

Unlimited Mobility - Transcend fits comfortably on the head, uses a short hose and delivers vibration-free therapy. These unique features allow easy movement while sleeping and prevent mask leakage, problems often associated with standard CPAP systems. When used with a battery pack, Transcend lets the user rise during the night—to use the restroom, get a drink of water, close a window—without removing the device.

Uncomplicated Humidification - Transcend uses a small, disposable hygienic heat moisture exchanger (HME) in place of a chamber humidifier found with traditional CPAPs. The HME captures moisture from the patient’s exhaled breath, which provides warm humidification to prevent nose irritation and congestion. Though HME technology is used every day in ventilators found in hospital critical care and surgical departments, Transcend is the first sleep apnea therapy system to fully accommodate this technology.

Power that doesn’t drain vehicle battery - Access to power is a necessity when using a sleep apnea therapy device. Battery packs generally do not have the ability to power a conventional CPAP and heated humidifier and DC mobile power options can drain a vehicle’s battery. Because Transcend uses HME technology instead of a chamber humidifier, a low amount of power is needed to provide a full night’s restorative sleep with humidification—even when using a battery pack.

Hassle-Free Maintenance – Transcend has few parts to clean. HME technology eliminates the cleaning and sanitation issues associated with conventional CPAP humidifiers and the HME is disposable. Transcend’s “dry mode” feature blows air through the system to dry it at the end of each use and LED lights alert the patient when it’s time to replace the inlet filter.

Effective Therapy - Transcend provides a wide range of therapy pressure. It regulates prescribed therapy pressure in the mask, resulting in comfortable and extremely tight pressure regulation, and a ramp feature allows users to acclimate to air pressure as they fall asleep. Transcend also automatically adjusts to altitudes up to 8,000 feet, making it easy to use at high altitudes.

Transcend Availability – Transcend and its accessories will be available for sale online beginning on January 21, 2011, by the following dealers: CPAP.com, CPAP Supply USA, CPAPXchange.com, and Direct Home Medical. Transcend comes with a two-year manufacturer’s warranty. Health insurance coverage is dependent on each individual patient’s plan; each patient must check with the medical equipment dealer to determine if his/her insurance can be used to purchase Transcend.

About Sleep Apnea
According to the American Sleep Apnea Association, nearly 20 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea and those with obstructive sleep apnea—a condition that causes a person to stop breathing during sleep when the soft tissue in the throat collapses—tend to have high blood pressure, heart problems, headaches, and memory problems. OSA can also be linked to job impairment and motor vehicle crashes. Both men and women can develop sleep apnea, but it is more common in men, particularly middle-age men who are also overweight. Approximately half of those suffering from sleep apnea also have a snoring problem.

Transcend is a Somnetics, LLC Product
Somnetics, LLC is a privately held Minnesota-based medical device company and is an emerging leader in customer-driven design, development, and production of respiratory medical devices. Somnetics’ mission is focused on integrating technology, customer input, and employee creativity to provide innovative, high quality products that improve the lives of people with respiratory disorders. It received FDA market clearance for the Transcend CPAP machine in July 2010. Transcend is protected by several issued and pending US and foreign patents.

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