A new surgical implant, tested by the University of Pennsylvania, is now available for sleep apnea patients who can’t use an airway pressure machine.
The new device amounts to a pacemaker for the tongue, according to Gizmag Emerging Technology.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, CPAP, is the primary way sleep apnea is treated. The machine forces air through the nasal passages to stop pauses in breathing.
In sleep apnea, muscles in the throat relax during sleep and block the airway, causing people to repeatedly stop breathing and then wake. Not only does this make a restful sleep is impossible, but sleep apnea can also put a strain on the cardiovascular system, leading to high blood pressure or, in the worst case, stroke.
The new implant made by Inspire sends an electrical pulse to a nerve in the tongue. An oreo-shaped battery is implanted in the chest. Two leads work with the battery. One lead near the lungs monitors breathing. The second goes to the chin to deliver the electrical pulse.
In a test of 20 patients, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that breathing disruptions were reduced by 84 percent and blood oxygen levels rose an average of 20 points.