Method and apparatus for treating sleep apnea
AssigneeInvicta Medical, Inc.
InventorsSteven Thomas Kent, Laurence Wylie Harter, Harold Byron Kent, Karena Yadira Puldon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims22
A device configured to treat apnea in a patient via electrical stimulation, the device comprising:
- an appliance configured to fit at least partially within the patient's oral cavity;
- a number of electromyogram (EMG) sensors coupled to the appliance and configured to detect electrical activity of muscles associated with the patient's tongue;
- and
- a number of electrodes coupled to the appliance and configured to induce a reversible current flowing in a lateral direction across a portion of the patient's tongue in response to the electrical activity detected by the EMG sensors, wherein the induced current is configured to provide the electrical stimulation.
A method for treating apnea in a patient, the method comprising:
- detecting, using a number of electromyogram (EMG) sensors, electrical activity of muscles associated with the patient's tongue;
- and
- inducing, using a number of electrodes, a reversible current flowing in a lateral direction across a portion of the patient's tongue in response to the detected electrical activity, wherein the induced current is configured to provide electrical stimulation to at least a portion of the patient's upper airway.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.