Prapela

10/27/2025

I am absolutely honored to give a scientific and clinical presentation on stochastic vibrotactile stimulation (SVS) at the NEOsphere conference 2025 of the California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative (CPQCC). Across the nation, perinatal quality collaboratives work to improve the quality of care for mothers and babies. Thank you, , for embracing new technologies and clinical findings that can improve infant health. ,

10/16/2025

John Konsin, CEO & Co-founder of Prapela will be sitting down with John Parker, Vice President, Board of Trustees of the CHARLES H HOOD FOUNDATION, to share the Prapela story on October 23, 2025, during the inaugural MIT-Hood Pediatric Innovation event.

This event brings together leaders in pediatric care, emerging technologies, AI/ML, and health innovation to shape the future of children’s health.

Please join us!

October 23,2025 - Museum of Science, Boston The Hood Pediatric Innovation Hub, established in December 2024 with a generous gift from the Charles H. Hood Foundation, combines MIT’s excellence in engineering, science, education, and innovation with the Foundation’s longstanding research network d...

09/29/2025

From the Squid to the NICU: How NIH-funded science led to a breakthrough for newborns.

In the 1950s, researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health studied the giant squid axon, one of the largest nerve fibers in nature. Their work helped unlock how neurons communicate and inspired decades of innovation in neurobiology and medical devices.

Decades later, NIH again played a pivotal role. At Woods Hole, Dr. David Paydarfar, supported by NIH funding, conducted research on the squid axon that became instrumental in developing Prapela ’s stochastic vibrotactile stimulation (SVS) technology. His work laid the foundation for a therapeutic mattress designed to help opioid-exposed newborns, as well as preterm infants struggling with apnea and low blood oxygen levels.

Today, this journey has come full circle. The Praapela SVS hospital bassinet pad has FDA De Novo authorization, becoming the first and only FDA-authorized treatment for opioid-exposed newborns.

From basic science in the ocean to compassionate care in the NICU, this story underscores the extraordinary impact of NIH-funded research and the vision of clinicians like Dr. Paydarfar. What begins at the lab bench can truly change lives at the hospital bedside.



Image Credit: UnderstandingAnimalResearch.org

08/06/2025

We can't think of a better way to announce our latest milestone!

07/22/2025

I'm delighted to share some of the lessons learned over 45 years of leading and supporting MedTech innovations to market. Thanks to the team Simbex for sponsoring this event. If you are an innovator, early-stage founder, or curious about the MedTech industry, please join us on July 29th!

Most startups wait too long to think about regulatory and reimbursement strategy, and it costs them years of time (and dollars). On July 29, we’re hosting a live webinar to help early-stage medtech teams build smart, aligned FDA and payment strategies from the start. You’ll hear from seasoned op...

07/21/2025

Sharing the first part of our interview with Holly Scott on opioid exposed newborns and standard treatments. Thanks to the Mullings Group for this opportunity! We are honored to be the only FDA-authorized treatment to treat opioid exposed newborns suffering for neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome/ NOWS.

Babies born to addicted mothers are at high risk of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome ( ) due to withdrawal from opioids they were exposed to in the womb. These babies experience excessive and inconsolable crying, tremors, seizures, feeding and sucking challenges, dehydration, poor sleep, swea...

07/14/2025

Eight years ago today, Prapela was created to further develop and commercialize the first therapeutic mattress for neonates and infants. On April 4, 2025, the FDA granted our SVS hospital bassinet pad a De Novo classification, creating a new category of medical devices.

Hundreds of people and organizations have helped me along the way. Today I'd like to especially recognize: the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard, The National Institute on Drug Abuse - NIDA, Ohio Department of Development /Third Frontier, the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, the Maine Technology Institute, Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission, Johnson & Johnson, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration/Pedatric Device Consortium program and the Foundation for their amazing support.

I'd also like to recognize my amazing partner, Barbara-Ann, our great sons, and my co-founders: David Morrill, Jim Niemi, and David Paydarfar, MD.

This year, we look forward to working with several incredible companies from around the World to help every baby suffering from poor breathing, low oxygenation, and hyper irritability. Thank you!

07/07/2025

This Wednesday, Prapela will be part of the Midwest Pediatric Device Consortium Showcase Event.

We owe a great deal to Ohio's pediatric community, as well as the State of Ohio. On August 27, 2019, the $1 million award we received from TechOhio/Ohio Third Frontier - Opioid Technology Challenge was instrumental in our success in developing and eventually being awarded FDA authorization as the first and only medical device to treat opioid-exposed newborns.

I look forward to sharing our story with the over 100 clinicians attending the event. For more information, go to -https://lnkd.in/eZv9snjD

Thank you, Ohio!

06/24/2025

Creating a peaceful environment for newborns is a well-recognized priority at Prapela. Check out our latest blog post on how we measure sound from the Prapela hospital bassinet pad to ensure a tranquil experience for our little ones. Learn more at https://wix.to/cuvN42D

At Prapela, we recognize the importance of a quiet environment for newborns, especially those who need a little extra care. That’s why we engineered the Prapela pad to be whisper-quiet. But we didn’t just design it—we tested it.We measured the sound of our therapeutic pad for neonates and infa...

06/16/2025

Last week we shared our innovation to members of Congress on Capitol Hill. It was an honor - as the only pediatric focused company and the only organization from Maine.

06/11/2025

We're on Capitol Hill today. Sharing our first and only FDA-authorized treatment for opioid-exposed newborns with Congress. NIH funding helped make our breakthrough a reality.

Prapela, Inc. joins America's leading MedTech corporations at AdvaMed’s prestigious Capitol Hill event.

05/30/2025

The cost of opioid use disorder is staggering - almost $1 trillion per year, including lost productivity. That's more than 2X the cost of heart disease and stroke. Thanks to Avalere Health for their analysis, which includes the cost of opioid exposed newborns diagnosed with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). Prapela offers the first and only FDA-authorized treatment for opioid exposed newborns - the most vulnerable and overlooked victims of the opioid epidemic.

Download the white paper. In 2022, over six million people in the United States reported having an opioid use disorder (OUD). Past research has not yielded comprehensive estimates of the full societal burden of OUD or the impact of OUD treatments in limiting associated costs. To evaluate the costs o...