SPEAX

Ataia Medical is enhancing patient care with SPEAX; a medical device improving communication for those utilizing BiPAP machines as an essential part of their medical care. BiPAP machines are used as a form of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) therapy which facilitates breathing through a tube connecting to both the machine and a mask worn over the mouth and nose. The machine pushes air into the lungs to improve the level of oxygen in the blood and can be used both at home and in hospital settings to treat conditions that make it difficult to breathe. SPEAX is a 510(k) exempt, class II medical device currently acquired through a prescription. 

Tyler Register, Chief Executive Officer at Ataia Medical, started work on this project at Georgia Institute of Technology as a collaboration with Emory’s Critical Care physician group. A doctor there realized that although his patients could physically speak, he was facing major difficulties in understanding them due to the set up of the BiPAP machine. 

“His patients could physically talk, they had their faculties about them, but because they were wearing these masks, it was preventing him from understanding what it was that they were saying. This led to not only a clinician issue, but to an inability to collect patient history, and difficulty in identifying and diagnosing patients,” said Register. 

Register found that because of this inability to communicate, patients often take the masks off.  “This leads to 40% of individuals failing treatment and needing to be intubated. We realized that this is due largely to a need to communicate with their care providers.” 

In attempting to maintain life-saving treatment while also allowing for better communication, SPEAX was born. SPEAX improves communication through a disposable patch that can adhere to the outside of a BiPAP mask. Once adhered, it can pick up the vibration of the patient’s voice, send it to a reusable communicator that filters out other noise, and amplify the patient’s voice. 

Currently, Ataia Medical is exploring ways to make SPEAX available to those suffering from ALS, who are often on BiPAP machines 20-24 hours a day during later stages of the disease. 

“Communication in the care setting is absolutely key to getting good outcomes. Our driving motivation with this device is to enhance both patient and clinician experience by improving patient-provider communication.”