Nyxoah, a Belgian-Israeli firm, has developed an implantable device that may offer a brand new treatment option for managing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and snoring that can muffle passing trains. Positive airway pressure (PAP) is probably the most common way of treating OSA, but it requires wearing a face mask connected by a hose to an air pump. All kinds of ingenuity has been invested into making these masks more comfortable and less intrusive, but the hose remains and it can feel unnatural to breathe through these devices.
Nyxoah’s solution is a tiny implant, surgically inserted in about 15 minutes at the back of the tongue, that electrically stimulates the tongue to move it out of the airway during breathing cycles. The neurostimulator is energized using an stick-on battery patch that is placed on the chin over the implant site, and the two work in unison through the night stimulating the nerves as needed to prevent OSA and snoring.
The company just received notice that the U.S. Patent Office has issued 11 patents for the company’s technology and initial clinical studies are already under way.
Product page: Nyxoah system…
Press release: U.S. Patent Office to Issue 11 Patents for Nyxoah’s Sleep Apnea Innovative Implant Technology…