In 1994 Collin Anderson, developer of the Logical® Sleep Mask, was diagnosed with sleep apnoea.  He and wife Jill were relieved at the knowledge that there was a treatment for his disabling condition, but their anguish and frustration quickly returned when Collin first tried CPAP.

The mask Collin was given in 1994 was essentially an update of the standard oxygen mask of decades past; a triangular box on the end of a tube, secured to the head by various straps.  It was noisy, uncomfortable, it leaked, it fell off every time he rolled over and the exhaust either blew into his eyes or down Jill's back.  Being an innovator and engineer, Collin set about improving his masks before quickly realising that a paradigm shift was needed to solve all the problems inherent in the conventional design.

There are two key things that a mask should do.  Firstly, it needs to be effective in the delivery of CPAP therapy to the patient.  This means that it needs to be safe, while reliably transferring correctly pressurised air from the tube to the patient's airway.  Secondly, the mask needs to be comfortable so that the patient wants to continue treatment.  Having a mask which is effective but uncomfortable, which either hurts or irritates the patient (or their partner), will just make it less likely that the patient will continue with the treatment.

Solving the issue of comfort is therefore the key challenge in mask design.

There has been significant improvement in mask design over the years and most modern masks can be adjusted in a range of ways to improve the fit.   Despite this and despite the fact that the mask is obviously comfortable enough for the patient to give it a try, spending eight hours per night, every night, under an adjusted mass-produced mask is the real test.  Many users try a number of masks all with similar results (red marks, weeping red eyes, headaches, complaints, etc) before giving in and either living with the nightly discomfort or abandoning the treatment altogether.  According to some reports, up to 50% of new CPAP users cease treatment in the first six months.

Clearly, mass-producing one type of mask is cheaper and easier for the manufacturer.  Standard masks are designed to fit the middle or average facial profile, where most of the market is to be found.  These masks can work for some people, but they only work really well for those people who happen to have facial features which fit the mask.

So, why don't we turn this on its head? Rather than having the face fit the mask, why not make the mask specifically to fit the face?  If we could do this, then the mask really would fit the patient and be comfortable, it wouldn't leak and it would deliver the necessary treatment safely and effectively.

Collin set about developing a process for taking an impression of the face and then moulding a mask around these contours.  Along the way, he also dealt with issues such as noise, the directional airflow from exhaust ports and strap pressure.  After many prototypes he launched the Anderson® mask in December 1999.  Further development and refinements then gave rise to the Logical® Sleep Mask, which entered production in January 2006.

The Logical® Sleep Mask delivers both comfort for the user and effective CPAP therapy.  It solves the problems other masks have and is the solution, some may say salvation, for CPAP users who cannot find comfortable and effective treatment using the conventional approach.

Once the hard work of development was complete, the mask needed to be brought to market.  Small numbers of the Logical® Sleep Mask were made and sold by Collin and Jill Anderson from their home workshop in Kangaroo Valley, NSW between 2006 and 2008.  At this point, with semi-retirement and other projects beckoning, the Andersons started looking for alternative commercial opportunities for the Logical® Sleep Mask.

Acurest was formed in 2008 specifically to manufacture and market the Logical® Sleep Mask.  A manufacturing facility and consulting rooms were established in Brendale, a suburb in the north of Brisbane.  Acurest and the Logical® Sleep Mask were launched into the market in January 2009.