Method and apparatus for treating sleep apnea

Inventors

Kent, Steven Thomas • Harter, Laurence Wylie • Kent, Harold Byron • Puldon, Karena Yadira

Assignees

Restera Inc

Abstract

An oral appliance is disclosed that provides electrical stimulation to a patient's tongue in a manner that prevents collapse of the tongue and/or soft palate during sleep. More specifically, the appliance may induce a reversible current or currents in a lateral direction across the tongue in a manner that shortens the patient's Palatoglossus muscle, which in turn pulls the patient's soft palate downward towards a base of the tongue and/or decreases a volume of the tongue.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to a system for electrical stimulation of an oral cavity to treat obstructive sleep apnea. An appliance is configured to generate electrical stimulation by inducing a reversible current in a lateral direction across the tongue using first and second electrodes. The reversible lateral current is used to target the tongue and soft palate during sleep to reduce tongue and soft palate collapse into the pharynx.

The appliance includes a body with first and second lateral arms, each terminating in a posterior-most free end. A number of electrodes are provided, including first and second electrodes whose first portions are directly attached to the lingual side of the posterior-most free ends and whose second portions extend posteriorly beyond those posterior-most free ends. The first and second electrodes are adapted to face opposite lateral sides of the patient's tongue to apply the lateral-direction stimulation across the tongue.

The control circuit induces the reversible current in the lateral direction and is configured to adjust an amplitude of a stimulation waveform based at least in part on sensing signals indicative of a respiratory behavior of the patient. One or more electrodes are configured to generate sensing signals indicative of a respiratory behavior, and the control circuit adjusts the stimulation waveform amplitude according to those sensing signals to improve operation in response to respiratory behavior.

Claims Coverage

The independent claim describes a system with one or more electrodes for both stimulation and respiratory sensing, a control circuit that induces reversible lateral current across the tongue, and amplitude adjustment of a stimulation waveform based on sensing signals indicative of respiratory behavior. The independent claim includes multiple structural features for the appliance and electrode arrangement.

Overall, the independent claim covers a removable oral appliance that generates stimulation by inducing a reversible lateral current across the tongue using laterally facing electrodes, while also using one or more electrodes to generate sensing signals indicative of respiratory behavior and adjusting the stimulation waveform amplitude based on those sensing signals.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications

No documented applications found