Muscle stimulating device and method for diagnosing and treating a breathing disorder

A muscle stimulator adapted to apply a magnetic field to at least one muscle group associated with an upper airway of a patient having a breathing disorder to induce tension in said muscle group to treat said breathing disorder, said muscle stimulator comprising:

• a plurality of loops of electrical wire;
• means for supplying electrical power to said plurality of loops of electrical wire to produce said magnetic field;
• means for monitoring a physiological characteristic of a patient;
• means, receiving signals output by said first sensing means, for controlling said electrical power provided to said plurality of loops based thereon;
• and
• means for maintaining said plurality of loops of electrical wire at a position relative to a patient so as to direct said magnetic field produced by said plurality of loops at said at least one muscle group to induce tension in said at least one muscle group to treat said breathing disorder.

A system for diagnosing the likelihood that a subject suffers from obstructive sleep apnea, comprising:

• a compliance measuring system adapted to measure a compliance level of said subject;
• a magnetic stimulator adapted to magnetically stimulate at least one muscle group associated with an upper airway of said subject;
• means for causing said compliance measuring system to measure a first compliance level of said subject in an absence of magnetic stimulation and to measure a second compliance level of said subject while said magnetic stimulation is being applied to said least one muscle group associated with said upper airway;
• and
• means for comparing said first compliance level to said second compliance level to determine a difference therebetween, whereby the smaller said difference between said first and said second compliance level, the more likely said subject is likely to suffer from obstructive sleep apnea.

A method of diagnosing the likelihood that a subject suffers from obstructive sleep apnea, comprising the steps of:

• measuring a compliance of said subject to obtain a first compliance level;
• applying a magnetic field to at least one muscle group associated with an upper airway of said subject;
• measuring said compliance of said subject while applying said magnetic field to at least one muscle group associated with an upper airway to obtain a second compliance level;
• and
• comparing said first compliance level to said second compliance level to determine a difference therebetween, whereby the smaller the difference between said first and said second compliance level, the more likely said subject is likely to suffer from obstructive sleep apnea.