Do nosebleeds
slow you down?
Our founder, Joe, suffered from Debilitating nosebleeds throughout his childhood and young adult life. A chance encounter with a Rabbi, paired with some innovative exploration drawing on his training as a firefighter and paramedic, led to the creation of an innovative and category-creating solution for people of all ages.
Introducing Epistache, a ground-breaking device that stops nosebleeds in seconds, and can prevent a nosebleed from even starting when used correctly. Epistache is an innovative device that will create life changing solutions to an everyday problem, empowering you to enjoy life without fear of embarrassment or damage to your nasal passages. Epistache is a holistic approach to stopping common anterior nosebleeds quickly, and can also prevent nosebleeds from occurring in sub-prime or dangerous situations.
Epistache is the first ever arterial occlusion device in an anterior epistaxis through intra-oral pressure. We start with a biodegradable hemp-based polymer and form it into the EPISTASHE with US based injection molders. This mustache-shaped device fits between the inside of the upper lip and the upper gum at the frenulum, creating a pressure point on the venous structure responsible for 98% of all nosebleeds. This pressure stops the bleed instantaneously, requiring placement for approximately 15 minutes to ensure proper clotting of the nose, and allows for a quick and easy cleanup.
The mechanics of how the device work are very simple, providing a fast-acting and effective solution
The device places pressure on the vascular network in the mouth which prevents blood flow to the nose for an anterior nosebleed (which accounts for 98% of all bleeds). That’s it. It’s a little known/utilized pressure point for occlusion, and it works quickly, stopping most nosebleeds in under 10 seconds. Nosebleeds created by a mild nose trauma (direct hit) may take up to 30 seconds to cease.
The device itself is made of a very firm (pencil-eraser density) injection-molded polymer or dissolvable food product (like a very firm gummy candy), with a slight curvature to more comfortably fit into the mouth. The polymer based product has mustache ‘whiskers’ and perforations to prevent obstructing the airway in the event of swallowing, and the dissolvable device is printed with small mustaches echoing the overall shape that are then ‘textured’ with granulated sugar. Both devices can be flavored/infused to help offset the unpleasant taste that accompanies a nosebleed, and both devices are nearly undetectable once placed.
The size of the product means that it can be in any first aid kit, car, backpack, purse, school nurse office, PFAS for the war fighter, uniform, first responder/medic bag, and much much more. The dual materials mean that as a person grows or sees oral structure changes they can access the Epistache with comfort and ease with the dissolvable version, and the polymer version can be utilized more than once, or in cases where a food grade product isn’t appropriate (temperature extremes, sanitation concerns, etc.)
The Device
The first ever arterial occlusion device that can treat an anterior epistaxis through oral pressure. It is a device that can be used by anyone, assuming that the individual is capable of opening and chewing gum without supervision.
Our Team
Joseph Shiller (Inventor and Co-founder of parent company JMK50) suffered from debilitating nose bleeds throughout his childhood and young adult life. A chance encounter with a Rabbi led to some critical thinking as an adult, and he created a device to prevent his own nose bleeds from occurring in adverse situations (such as in SCBA fighting a fire), as well as stopping them in seconds once they had begun. Joe’s experience as both a Paramedic and Firefighter have proven invaluable in understanding the anatomy of a nosebleed, as well as the most effective way to stop them. It is through this experience that he also began thinking forward about prevention and the best way to treat epistaxis in the least invasive application.
Melissa Howard (COO and Co-founder of parent company JMK50) also suffered from crippling nosebleeds as a young woman, resulting in a need for additional medical interventions that were both painful and scary for her and her family. After earning an MBA in Finance from the University of Houston, Melissa went on to identify market opportunities and successfully build food and beverage businesses, strengthen and grow verticals for a small mergers and acquisitions firm, and perform as an administrator for the top cancer institute in the United States. But it was her memory of a harrowing few years with nosebleeds that solidified her interest in helping to create the Epistache product, brand, and company into an approachable device that is now patented with the US Patent Office.
Like all great partnerships, Joe and Melissa met in a bar, and now are on track to disrupt an industry that is only treating the symptoms of a nosebleed, instead of addressing the systemic root of the problem. They are ready to bring Epistache to the world.
It really works!
I, Kate Steinberg DO, would like to formally endorse the Epistache product in both my medical and personal capacities.
I am an Emergency Medicine Physician, and am astounded at the simplicity of the product. If ER’s had this product globally, it would save both time and money in an environment that could certainly use more of both. I am shocked that we don’t teach this approach for stopping bleeding in medical schools, but would welcome the ability to use this in my line of work. The effective application of the device means peace of mind and ease of use for some of my older patients, which also means fewer visits to the ER.
As a mother, I am excited at the possibility of a portable and discreet method to quickly treat my daughter’s nosebleeds- and potentially avoid them altogether- in situations like snow skiing and other winter sports we enjoy.
This device is a revolution in nosebleed treatment, and it is so simple.
My name is Christian Swift, and I am a retired Lt. Colonel with the US Army, now overseeing the Warrior Recovery Center as Medical Director in Colorado Springs, CO, located at Fort Carson- The Mountain Post.
I was introduced to the Epistache in October of 2021, and can attest to the efficacy of design as well as the scientific pathophysiology with which the device operates. The light pressure applied to the arterial section is likely not a new idea, but this device makes it accessible in knowledge and application for the layman.
This is a device that I could envision in the IFAK of every soldier in the US Armed Forces. It is both preventative in keeping nosebleeds from occurring, which is helpful in several theaters of engagement as well as firefighting,SCBA, and other implementations that require a mask, as well as the fastest treatment for stopping an anterior nosebleed that I have witnessed, all while not occluding the airway.
I am proud to be a consulting contributor to the use and implementation of this device, and look forward to being able to use it as both a medical professional for the US Army and a civilian father in my day to day life.
Thank you,
Christian Swift NP, LTC (Ret.) U.S. Army Retired
