Prapela is transforming newborn care with a breakthrough, FDA-authorized therapy that improves infant health.
Our Story
Prapela’s innovative stimulation therapy is the result of extraordinary collaboration between public and private partners who share a commitment to improving newborn health.
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Our co-founder, Dr. David Paydarfar, is a pioneer in the field of stochastic vibrotactile stimulation (SVS) for infants. As early as 1995, he proposed that specific types of gentle stimulation could positively influence respiratory rhythms. Just two years later, he published foundational mathematical models and clinical observations showing that low-level stimulation improved breathing and reduced apnea in a preterm infant. Supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a private foundation, Dr. Paydarfar spent the next thirteen years refining this approach and developing an early vibrating mattress for clinical use.
During his time as Vice Chair of Neurology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and faculty member at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard, Dr. Paydarfar and colleagues advanced the technology further—enhancing its potential to support healthy breathing, heart rate, and oxygenation in newborns. From 2010 to 2017, this work was supported by the NIH and the Wyss Institute, a leading translational center known for turning breakthrough science into real-world solutions.
John Konsin, who had witnessed the opioid crisis’s devastating impact on friends and family, licensed the technology and founded Prapela, Inc. on July 14, 2017. John’s focus was to help the most vulnerable and overlooked victims of the opioid crisis - newborns suffering from withdrawal and their mothers in recovery.
Prapela quickly set to work developing a device that met hospital standards for safety, durability, and ease of use. The team created a compact handheld controller, a reusable and disinfectable mattress cover, and a new vibration engine that delivered precise, consistent stimulation. These improvements resulted in a more effective and affordable product—reducing costs by a factor of ten compared to early prototypes.
Backed by leading clinical research conducted by Elisabeth Bloch-Salisbury, PhD, and supported by the NIH, the Charles H. Hood Foundation, and the states of Ohio, Massachusetts, and Maine, the Prapela SVS hospital bassinet pad was granted FDA De Novo authorization on April 4, 2025. This made it the first and only device authorized to treat neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS).
Today, Prapela remains focused on applying SVS to improve infant health. We are preparing to launch the Prapela SVS hospital bassinet pad and are conducting clinical trials of a new incubator pad designed to reduce apnea and hypoxia while lowering the need for caffeine therapy in newborns. In parallel, we are developing partnerships with leading manufacturers of neonatal equipment to integrate our technology into bassinets, incubators, and radiant warmers.
Prapela is on a mission to help every newborn.​
Awards & Grants
More about Us
Located in Portland, Maine, our team is led by co-founders John Konsin and David Morrill. John has 40 years of experience in the life science and consumer markets and has launched over 100 world-class products. David has 33 years of experience in product design, electronics, software development, and manufacturing, and holds 10 patents. With the FDA authorization of our bassinet pad, we look forward to adding to our team and introducing more products using our unique stimulation therapy for newborns.
