Puerto Rican inventor aims for global reach with patented sleep aid
Emu Comfort pillows are designed to help with sleep apnea, chronic pain and other health conditions.
Facel Casta-Báez, president and inventor of Emu Comfort, has launched her patented orthopedic pillow set on Amazon, six years after its initial debut. Designed to improve sleep quality and alleviate pain, the product has gained recognition in the medical field.
In an interview with News is my Business, Casta-Báez said the idea started when she faced sleeping problems herself at age 22 when, after suffering an injury, she struggled to find a pillow that would ease her pain and allow her to rest.
“I was in so much pain that I couldn’t sleep and kept searching for the right position,” she said. “One night, I imagined the cervical pillows that I [later] brought to the market. The next day, I drew the pillow I had envisioned. Then I imagined a second pillow, followed by the pillowcases. Finally, in 2017, I submitted my patent applications to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office [USPTO].”
Once her patents were granted, she created prototypes, using measurements of “Puerto Rican heads,” she said.
“Once the first 10 prototypes arrived at my house, I started using one and realized it felt very different from any other solution I had tried at night,” Casta-Báez said. “Then I thought something was missing, which was that they needed to be evaluated by doctors. The doctors identified that the device was viable for [treating] six conditions: sleep apnea, chronic pain, tinnitus, temporomandibular joint dysfunction [TMJ], for patients recovering from surgery and to help prevent ulcers.”
After receiving medical validation, she manufactured 500 units in 2019.
“In less than six months, by the time the pandemic hit, I was out of stock,” she said.
Initially unsure of which industry the invention belonged to, she started by marketing the product simply as “Almohada.”
“When you invent a solution or product, you don’t really know which industry you belong to,” she said. “I thought I was in the novelty industry, but then users confirmed it was viable for conditions the doctors had identified.”
Veterans have been among its biggest users, and the product is now listed as a vendor item with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
“I then notified the various health departments about what was happening, and Medicare approved the pillow as a medical device,” she added. “The goal is for all health insurance plans to cover it, but currently, it is covered by Plan de Salud Menonita Vital and Mapfre through reimbursement.”
Casta-Báez launched the business with a $10,000 investment from her savings.
“I have reinvested the company’s revenue into inventory and compliance expenses,” she said, noting that while the pillows are currently manufactured in China, she hopes to open a second production facility in Puerto Rico.
“They have respected the patents, and the quality of the pillows is excellent,” she said.
Emu Comfort generates about $5,000 in monthly sales, primarily from customers in Puerto Rico, Texas, Florida, and New York. The pillows, which are priced at $120 with shipping included, are available on Amazon and the company’s website.
“The goal is to sell them globally,” she said.
