NoMoRa

Story Behind the Invention

For millions of people who rely on supplemental oxygen, a nasal cannula is a constant companion. It keeps them breathing comfortably but for many, it also keeps them in pain. The plastic and material used in standard cannulas can cause rashes, sores, and raw, irritated skin right under the nose. For Theresa Carr of Colorado Springs, Colorado, this was not a minor inconvenience. It was a daily reality she refused to accept.

Theresa is allergic to the material used in standard cannulas. She asked her care providers for a cover something to put between the tubing and her skin and was told nothing like that existed. So she started experimenting on her own.

She tried creams and ointments. They didn’t help. She tried a band-aid uncomfortable and impractical. She tried a piece of cloth, but it wouldn’t stay in place. Then she found a small piece of adhesive cloth material she wasn’t allergic to, shaped it into a simple cover, and slid it onto the cannula. Within two weeks, the rash was gone. Her nose healed completely. She has been making them herself ever since fashioning them as she needs them, because nothing on the market does what her simple invention does.

The NoMoRa short for No More Rash is a soft, hypoallergenic cover that slides directly onto the nasal cannula tubing. A slit along the bottom allows it to slip over the line easily, and the gentle material sits between the plastic and the skin, blocking the irritation before it starts. No adhesives. No creams. No workarounds. Just relief.

With a design patent application on file, Theresa is ready to bring the NoMoRa to the oxygen therapy patients and caregivers who need it. She built it for herself and she knows she is far from the only one.