OSLO, Norway, May 31, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- ResMed , a leading developer, manufacturer, distributor, and marketer of sleep and respiratory medical equipment, today announced it was awarded the red dot award: product design 2010 for its S9 Series. In the category, ResMed competed against designers and companies from 57 countries with a total of 4,252 products. The S9 Series combines a sleek design with superior medical device functionality and more comfort.

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The most effective treatment for sleep apnoea is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy, along with its more advanced functionality Autoadjusting Positive Airway Pressure (APAP) therapy. ResMed's award winning CPAP/APAP device, the S9 Series, is expected to help more sleep apnoea patients adhere to the treatment and ultimately help them to experience a restful night's sleep without apnoeas. Traditionally, CPAP/APAP devices have had the look and feel of hospital equipment, but the cutting-edge design of the S9 Series has made this sleep apnoea device fit seamlessly into any modern home.

We are extremely pleased to have won the red dot design award with the S9 Series, another great example of ResMed's 20-year legacy of engineering top-quality performance into the sleep therapy system. This time we also made that quality visible from the outside with our break-through industrial design, said Michael Farrell, Senior Vice President, Global Sleep Strategic Business Unit, ResMed. Great design in medical devices should combine good looks, innovation and user-friendliness, as well as address an unmet medical need. We listened to our customers and patients in the development of the S9 Series: our design goal was to create the most comfortable sleep therapy system in the global marketplace that is at home in the bedroom environment. We are flattered to be recognized along-side companies with a legacy of engineering and design, such as BMW. Winning the red dot award is solid third-party validation that the S9 Series is a revolution in sleep apnoea therapy with its unique blend of technological progress and modern design.

Sleep apnoea is one of the most common, yet highly undiagnosed, sleep disorders. The condition causes the sufferer to stop breathing throughout the night. In addition to road and workplace accidents, the condition is responsible for contributing to extreme sleepiness, nodding off during the day, inability to perform optimally at work, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, episodes of stroke and transient ischemic attack, as well as depression. While many people perceive snoring as a common harmless problem, it can be a clear symptom of this serious condition.

We want to improve the health and quality of life for people who suffer from sleep apnoea, said Stein Jacobsen, ResMed's Chief Operating Officer - Europe. This means that sleep therapy has to become an integral part of the daily lives of those affected. ResMed wants to improve patient compliance; with its unique features such as ClimateControl and SlimLine tubing and whisper-quiet operation, the S9 Series offers physicians, providers and patients an excellent opportunity of achieving this.

The red dot award ceremony will take place in the Essen opera house, the Aalto-Theater, on July 5, 2010. In Essen, Germany, the 2010 European Capital of Culture, the product will then be presented in a four-week special exhibition at the red dot design museum on the premises of the world cultural heritage Zeche Zollverein colliery. Following the special exhibition, the S9 Series will be on display for at least one year in the red dot design museum. As an award winner, the CPAP/APAP device will also be presented in the red dot design museum in Singapore effective August 1, 2010.

About the red dot design award

Today, the red dot design award, the origins of which go back to 1955, is the largest and most renowned design competition worldwide. It consists of the individual disciplines red dot award: product design, red dot award: communication design, and red dot award: design concept. In 2009 the competition recorded about 12,000 entries from more than 60 nations. For further information, please visit http://www.red-dot.de/press

About the S9 Series

The S9 Series is designed to deliver unsurpassed comfort to the patient by automatically controlling the pressure, temperature and humidity of the air that the patient breathes. The temperature as well as the humidity is controlled through input from five different sensors, including sensors close to the mask, a feature unique to the S9 Series over any of its competition. Optimal humidification is then achieved automatically. A new enhanced Easy-Breathe motor also reduces the conducted noise offering the quietest mask and machine combination available on the market.

About ResMed

ResMed is a leading developer, manufacturer, and distributor of medical equipment for treating, diagnosing, and managing sleep-disordered breathing and other respiratory disorders. We are dedicated to developing innovative products to improve the lives of those who suffer from these conditions and to increasing awareness among patients and healthcare professionals of the potentially serious health consequences of untreated sleep-disordered breathing. For more information on ResMed and the S9 Series, please visit www.resmed.com and www.S9morecomfort.com.

SOURCE: ResMed Inc.

CONTACT: Constance Bienfait, Director, Investor Relations of ResMed,+1-858-836-5971, Constance.Bienfait@resmed.com; or interviews, photos,additional info, Schwartz Communications, +46-8-599-085-00,resmed@schwartz-pr.com, for ResMed Inc.