AMSTERDAM, June 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Philips Respironics, a business of Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX:PHIA), today introduced the Wisp Pediatric Nasal Mask, which supports non-invasive ventilation (NIV) and is the most recent addition to the Wisp family of masks. Designed specifically for children, the Wisp Pediatric Nasal Mask features a child-friendly giraffe fabric pattern, a modified cushion curvature and support tools to help provide a positive experience for young patients and their families. With the introduction of the Wisp Pediatric Nasal Mask, Philips' Wisp family of masks now serves infant to adult patients, providing continuity and consistency in the therapy experience.

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Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) therapy is used to treat breathing difficulties, often caused by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), or neuromuscular disorders such as muscular dystrophy. While adult mask options have evolved in the past several years to become smaller, lighter and less obtrusive, pediatric masks have, until now, remained largely the same--bulky and cumbersome.

"There have traditionally been few mask options for pediatric patients using NIV, making it difficult in some cases for young children to adopt therapy," said Teofilo Lee-Chiong, M.D., Chief Medical Liaison, Philips. "Philips designed this new mask with the child in mind--pairing the functionality and comfort of adult masks with child-friendly materials. With its giraffe print fabric and an animated character that helps to engage children, therapy might be less intimidating for the tiniest patients."

Designed specifically for kids
 The Wisp Pediatric Nasal Mask is designed to support one of the most vulnerable populations of patients, and has a variety of unique features to help patients and their parents adjust to therapy. Key features and resources of the Wisp Pediatric Nasal Mask include:


    --  Kid-Friendly Theme - The Wisp Pediatric Nasal Mask has a fun,
        child-friendly giraffe print and soft, fabric materials.
    --  Caregiver Resources - Caregivers have access to demonstration videos to
        help them use the mask, while children can enjoy a fantasy world
        featuring Philips' cartoon character Jacky Giraffe. Jacky, who interacts
        with his friends Sami the Seal and Tucker the Turtle, provides a playful
        theme that is designed to help a child ease into therapy.
    --  Leak Correction Dial - The innovative Leak Correction Dial on the mask
        enables caregivers to fix small leaks without disturbing a child's
        sleep.
    --  An Infant-Centric Design - Children tend to have low or no nose bridges
        as opposed to adults. With this in mind, the Wisp Pediatric Nasal Mask
        has three cushion sizes designed to fit infants weighing 22 pounds to
        age 7, with a shape created specifically to fit the curvature of an
        infant's face and nose.

As the latest addition to the Wisp family of masks, the Wisp Pediatric Nasal Mask may help to smooth transition across care settings--from the hospital to the home and as the child ages, providing continuity of care with the full line of masks. The Wisp mask line includes the Wisp Minimal Contact Nasal Mask, which was introduced in 2012 by Philips, as well as the Wisp Youth Mask that Philips introduced in 2014 to begin serving older children and teenagers.

The Wisp Pediatric Nasal Mask will be available in the U.S. and Europe in the second half of 2016, with launches in additional markets to follow. More information about the mask, the animated cartoon and demonstration videos can be accessed at http://www.philips.com/wisppediatric.

The new Wisp Pediatric Nasal Mask will be on display at the Philips' exhibit (booth number 101) during SLEEP 2016 taking place in Denver (June 11-15, 2016). Visit http://philips.to/1sdjDqI and follow @PhilipsLiveFrom and @PhilipsResp for #SLEEPDENVER updates throughout the event.

For further information, please contact:
 Alicia Cafardi
Philips
alicia.cafardi@philips.com
412-523-9616

About Philips Respironics
Philips Respironics is a global leader in the sleep and respiratory care markets, offering solutions in sleep apnea management, oxygen therapy, noninvasive ventilation and respiratory drug delivery. With more than 10 years of cloud-based data sharing experience and analytics for more than 7 million patient lives, Philips Respironics has a long history of leading new innovation in both devices and informatics solutions to help patients sleep and breathe better.

About Royal Philips
 Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. The company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips' health technology portfolio generated 2015 sales of EUR 16.8 billion and employs approximately 69,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

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SOURCE Royal Philips