ALGONQUIN – The cumbersome machine that enabled Kathy Culhane to sleep, albeit fitfully, was wearing out its welcome.

"It really helped, but it was such an annoyance." said the Algonquin resident. "If you saw a picture I looked like Darth Vader."

Some people with sleep apnea, a serious sleep disorder, can be helped by nothing more than a Breathe Right strip. Others require a machine with a mask that creates positive airway pressure, or PAP. Also known as CPAP – the "C" stands for continuous – the machines can be noisy and difficult to use when traveling. But Culhane needed something. The 72-year-old had developed atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat, and would stop breathing for periods during the night. Her snoring also drove her husband into a separate bedroom.