April 23, 2007
The Mirage Quattro™ and Mirage Liberty™ full-face masks for use with positive airway pressure (PAP) treatment will offer a “wide range of options” for sleep disordered breathing patients and home medical equipment dealers, an April 18 press release from ResMed Corp, Poway, Calif, said. The masks are the latest additions to ResMed’s Mirage™ line of patient interfaces.
The Mirage Quattro is an improvement on ResMed’s fourth generation full-face mask while the Mirage Liberty is a novel mask option. According to ResMed, the Quattro offers a range of new features designed to make it more comfortable and easier to use. These include a new MicroFit dial that turns to adjust the forehead support and remains there during sleep, allowing the user to find the most comfortable position while the mask is being worn. When patients can easily personalize their mask fit this way, they are more likely to comply with treatment and less likely to call their equipment dealer with mask-fit issues.
The Mirage also has a dual-wall cushion with “spring air technology” that is designed to provide a comfortable, effective seal for patients with jaw drop and redirect pressure away from sensitive facial areas. Additionally, the mask’s improved vent design reduces noise by more than 50% according to Industry Standards Organization (ISO) measuring methods. For equipment providers, the Quattro offers a new mask size (extra small), as well as fewer mask parts and 33% fewer product codes to simplify inventory management.
The Liberty, meanwhile, is made to combine the minimalist design of a nasal pillows interface with the function of a full-face mask, so that full-face mask users now can more easily read, wear glasses, or watch television in bed. New features include dual-wall nasal pillows with trampoline action that adapt to diverse facial contours, and the Mirage dual-wall mouth cushion to enhance comfort while maintaining an effective seal. In addition, the Liberty is equipped with supportive headgear for added stability and security. Professional benefits include three pillow sizes to eliminate the need for fitting templates and reduced inventory with only two product codes.
With masks, fit is always a concern and ResMed’s anthropometric database shows that the Quattro will fit more than 95% of users, while the Liberty will fit more than 90% of users.
“The launch of the Quattro and Liberty continues ResMed’s legacy of innovation and quality,” said Michael Farrell, vice president of marketing for ResMed. “Patients and providers will benefit from the increased fit range, ease of use, and improved comfort of these new masks. The Quattro provides an effective solution to jaw drop, and the Liberty provides an excellent alternative to conventional full face masks.”
The release did not discuss how the introduction of the new masks may impact ResMed’s earnings forecast, which may be discussed when the company releases its third quarter fiscal year 2007 earnings results on Monday, April 23. ResMed—which sells medical equipment for the screening, treatment, and management of sleep disordered breathing and other respiratory disorders in the United States and more than 70 other countries—said it will issue an earnings press release after 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time that day and will host a conference call to review its quarterly results, market trends, and future outlook at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time. The call will be webcast on ResMed’s Web site at www.resmed.com, and an online archive of the broadcast will be available approximately 30 minutes after the live call and will continue to be available for 2 weeks.
