Non-Invasive Oropharynx Appliance to Maintain Airway Patency

阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停（OSA）是一种严重的疾病， 人口在睡眠中，舌头会落入口咽部，阻塞呼吸道 患有这种病症的患者遭受呼吸暂停的许多情况（呼吸完全停止）。 呼吸）和呼吸不足（呼吸频率异常低的时期）。呼吸暂停- 呼吸不足指数（AHI）给出了每小时此类发作的次数，并指示 严重程度（AHI <5 is normal while AHI>30为严重）。AHI异常 与血氧饱和度显著降低相关，导致重度合并症 例如中风、高血压、糖尿病、癫痫和心律失常。成本 与阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停相关的疾病的社会范围之间的60至160亿美元 每年。目前的标准治疗是持续气道正压通气（CPAP） 器械的顺应性较低，约为50%。也有其他治疗方法 侵入性或非侵入性的方式，但都不是非常有效的。目前并 无创性解决方案可确保患者依从性和有效性。一个新 启动时，ANÉMed建议开发和测试一种新的非侵入性口咽 器械（OPA）能够提供功效和依从性。这台新设备 通过将舌头保持装置直接放置在 防止舌头阻塞呼吸道的口咽。新设计可以 防止阻塞而不引起呕吐反射，仍然允许吞咽。是 设计成比其它口腔器具更有效， 推进装置如果成功，外行星联盟将成为 针对超过2500万被诊断患有阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合症的美国人。

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a serious condition that affects about 4% of the population. During sleep, the tongue can fall into the oropharynx and occlude the airways Patients with this condition suffer many instances of apneas (complete cessation of breathing) and hypopneas (period of abnormally low respiratory rate). The apnea- hypopnea index (AHI) gives the number of such episodes per hour and indicates the severity of this condition (AHI<5 is normal while AHI>30 is severe). Abnormal AHIs are associated with significant decrease of oxygen saturation leading to severe co-morbidities such as stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, epilepsy and cardiac arrhythmia. The cost to the society of OSA-related illnesses ranges between 60 and 160 billion dollars annually. The current standard-of-care is the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device which has a low compliance of around (50%). There are also other therapeutic modalities either invasive or non-invasive but none are very effective. There is at present no non-invasive solution that can ensure both patient compliance and efficacy. A new start-up, ANÉMed proposes to develop and test a novel non-invasive oropharynx appliance (OPA) capable of providing both efficacy and compliance. This new appliance addresses the problem of OSA by placing a tongue retaining device directly into the oropharynx preventing the tongue from obstructing the airways. The new design can prevent obstruction without causing a gag reflex and still allowing swallowing. It is designed to be more effective that other oral appliances such as the mandibular advancement device. If successful, the OPA could become the first line of defense against OSA for over 25 million Americans with a diagnosis of OSA.