---
title: Our story | ResMed - MM
description: In 1981 Professor Colin Sullivan and colleagues at the University of Sydney described and developed nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), the first successful non-invasive treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).
---

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# Our story

In 1981 Professor Colin Sullivan and colleagues at the University of Sydney described and developed nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), the first successful non-invasive treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).

After publishing the successful results in Lancet, Sullivan, who had patented the technology, sought a compatible partner to help commercialise this life-changing technology. In 1986 he approached Chris Lynch, Managing Director of the Baxter Centre for Medical Research and Vice President of R&D for Baxter Healthcare, who in turn reached out to his Baxter co-worker Dr. Peter Farrell.

In 1987 Farrell, on behalf of Baxter, invested in Sullivan’s technology to further evolve the CPAP prototype and undertake clinical trials on a group of patients with severe sleep apnoea. In 1989, after Baxter decided not to enter the sleep apnoea market for a variety of reasons, Farrell founded ResMed (short for “Respiratory Medicine”) to buy Sullivan’s sleep technology from Baxter and to commercialise his prototype CPAP device to allow scalable device production – in other words, to bring CPAP to the world at large.

Since then, ResMed has delivered on Farrell’s promise: making CPAP masks, CPAP devices and in-home life support ventilators more comfortable, quieter and easier to use. It has also become the world leader in remote and self-monitoring software, with more than three million patients worldwide remotely monitored by clinicians. The software is shown to increase patients’ therapy adherence rates and clinicians’ business efficiencies.

#### Recent notable products include:

1. 2017: [AirTouch F20](https://www.resmed.asia/en-mm/products/masks/airtouch-f20), a memory foam cushion full face mask for revolutionary comfort
2. 2017: [AirMini](https://www.resmed.asia/en-mm/products/devices/airmini), the world’s smallest CPAP device, weighing less than one pound, featuring waterless humidification and operated with a smartphone app
3. 2016: [AirFit 20](https://www.resmed.asia/en-mm/products/masks/airfit-f20) nasal and full face masks with InfinitySeal silicone cushions, found to fit 99% and 97% of wearers1-4, respectively
4. 2015: S+, the world’s first non-contact sleep tracker (the next-generation tracker is the SleepScore Max, released in November 2017 by SleepScore Labs, a joint venture between ResMed, Dr. Oz and Pegasus Capital)
5. 2014: [Air10 Series](https://www.resmed.asia/en-mm/products/devices/airsense-10) CPAP devices that are smaller, quieter and all cloud-connected
6. 2014: [AirSense 10 AutoSet for Her](https://www.resmed.asia/en-mm/products/devices/airsense-10), the world’s only CPAP designed to treat female-specific, mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnoea
7. 2014: [Astral](https://www.resmed.asia/en-mm/products/devices/astral), a lightweight, portable life support ventilator for in-home use. In 2016, it became the world's first ventilator with cloud-connected remote monitoring

Revenues for ResMed's first fiscal year in 1990 were less than $1 million, and there were only 9 employees. As of July 2017, ResMed is an S&P 500 company with a market cap exceeding $10 billion and yearly revenues above $2 billion. It employs over 8,000 people globally and operates in more than 140 countries.

Today, ResMed founder Peter Farrell is Chairman of ResMed’s Board of Directors. His son Michael "Mick" Farrell, a ResMed employee for more than 15 years, has been CEO since 2013.

### References

1

ResMed AirFit F20 internal Australian fitting study of existing CPAP patients conducted between March and April 2016.

1

ResMed AirFit F20 internal Australian fitting study of existing CPAP patients conducted between March and April 2016.

2

ResMed AirFit F20 internal USA fitting study of existing CPAP patients conducted in April 2016.

3

ResMed AirFit F20 internal EU and APAC fitting study of existing CPAP patients conducted in June 2016.

4

ResMed AirFit N20 internal international fitting study of new and existing CPAP patients, conducted in Nov. 2015.

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