Colin Sullivan AO FAA is an Australian physician, professor,[1] and inventor known for his invention of the nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine for the treatment of sleep apnea.
He helped make CPAP machines and masks by hand in a workshop at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital for the treatment of patients at the world's first sleep apnea clinic at the university.
[2] Sullivan’s development of the nasal CPAP was a product of his long-term interest in the upper respiratory airway and its role in SIDS.
[3] Prior to the invention of the nasal CPAP machine sleep apnea was often treated with radical measures such as tracheotomy.
[6] In 2009 Prof. Sullivan was awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia Award for "service to medicine as an innovator in the field of sleep disorders and the development of equipment and treatment practices".