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How it works

Man fitting his nasal PAP mask before bed with the Kricket device on the nightstand

How It Works

PAP therapy designed for people who breathe.

KPAP isn’t a modification of what already exists. It’s PAP therapy designed around how you naturally breathe, not how much discomfort you can tolerate to receive treatment.

The Kairos

The right pressure at the right time.

In sleep apnea patients, the airway becomes most vulnerable at the end of their breath cycle—this is when therapeutic pressure is needed. Kairos Positive Air Pressure (KPAP) delivers the right pressure at the right time—or at the Kairos—to prevent airway collapse.

Man sleeping comfortably on his side wearing a PAP mask connected to the Kricket device

Synced to Your Breath

A world of difference in a single breath.

Here’s how KPAP works across a single breath.

  • Current State The Kairos
    Pressure 10.0 cmH₂O
    The Kairos
    Step 01 – The Kairos

    Late exhalation

    This is the critical moment. The airway is most vulnerable to collapse during late exhalation. KPAP ensures full therapeutic pressure is delivered here, setting the foundation of the entire algorithm.

  • Current State Inspiration
    Pressure 10 → 5 cmH₂O
    Inspiration
    Step 02 – Inspiration

    Two-step pressure reduction

    First drop: 2 cmH₂O drop at the start of inspiration.
    Second drop: 3 cmH₂O additional drop later in the inspiratory phase. Pressure remains at a lower level for a more natural inhale.

  • Current State The Floor
    Pressure 5.0 cmH₂O
    The Floor
    Step 03 – The Floor

    The 5 cmH₂O floor

    KPAP does not allow pressure to drop below 5 cmH₂O. For patients on lower settings, the drops scale accordingly. For example, a patient set at 8 cmH₂O experiences a 3 cmH₂O total drop while maintaining therapeutic airway support.

  • Current State The Transition
    Pressure 5.0 cmH₂O
    The Transition
    Step 04 – The Transition

    Inspiration to expiration

    KPAP maintains the reduced pressure as the breath transitions from inhale into exhale.

  • Current State Return
    Pressure 10.0 cmH₂O
    Return
    Step 05 – The Return

    Return to Kairos

    During late exhalation, pressure returns to its full therapeutic level, arriving at the moment the airway needs it most. The cycle completes, ready for the next breath.

PATIENT PREFERENCE

93%

93% of PAP-naïve participants preferred KPAP over CPAP across multiple pressure settings.2

REDUCED MASK LEAK

40%

KPAP use resulted in 40% reduction in unintentional mask leak compared to CPAP.^2

PAP Comparison

Not all PAP therapy is the same.

KPAP is the only approach that delivers therapeutic pressure only when the airway truly requires it to stay open.

Kricket KPAP

Dynamically optimizes pressure across the entire breathing cycle.

Drops pressure during inspiration, stays low into exhalation, and restores therapeutic pressure only at late exhalation (the Kairos) when the airway is most vulnerable. This is a fundamentally different approach to pressure delivery.

CPAP

Constant pressure delivered throughout the entire breath cycle with no variation.

Bi-Level

Two fixed pressure levels: one for inspiration (IPAP) and one for expiration (EPAP). Bi-Level delivers greater pressure at inspiration and lower pressure at expiration—the opposite of KPAP.

APAP/Auto CPAP

Adjusts the overall pressure level over time based on detected events but still delivers constant pressure within each breath.

Expiratory Pressure Relief (EPR)

Pressure drops slightly (1-3 cmH₂O) throughout expiration.