Covidien Ltd, Boulder, Colo, a supplier of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and other sleep therapy devices and accessories, now offers the Sandman Intro™ CPAP, featuring a fully-integrated heated humidifier. The product is available throughout the United States and Europe and will be phased into other global markets over the next year.

The Sandman Intro CPAP device is a device designed for a broad range of patients and provides continuous positive airway pressure and heated humidification.  “The goal in developing this product was to improve the nighttime breathing comfort of patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) – which we know to be an increasingly common and serious condition – and to accomplish this with a device that is as easy to use as it is unobtrusive,”  says Andy Ray, VP and general manager for Covidien’s sleep and oxygen division.

At a mere 2.65 pounds, the Sandman Intro CPAP is lightweight, compact and robust enough for OSA patients who need to take their therapy with them when they travel. Travel-friendly features include the ability to run on AC/DC or external battery power and an altitude compensation feature that automatically adjusts pressure up to 9,000 feet of elevation, and compensates for changes in barometric pressure to preserve a patient’s prescribed settings.

Humidification is a popular feature on many CPAP devices. It is used to warm and humidify the air delivered by sleep therapy devices to reduce upper airway dryness and improve patient comfort. However, no other device currently on the market offers integrated heated humidification in such a compact manner as the new Sandman Intro CPAP device, a press release from the company says.

In addition to a water chamber that is easy to clean and refill, and the water-resistant housing of the device, the Sandman Intro CPAP has a “HumidControl” feature. HumidControl works to ensure a consistent temperature difference between the water in the chamber and ambient air to minimize condensation in the tubing and to keep the humidification level constant throughout the night.