Inspire therapy for sleep apnea is an FDA-approved implantable treatment designed for patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who cannot tolerate or benefit from CPAP therapy
How Inspire Therapy Works
- The system consists of three implanted components:
- A programmable neurostimulator (implantable pulse generator) placed in a chest pocket near the collarbone.
- A pressure-sensing lead that detects the patient’s breathing effort.
- A stimulation lead attached to the hypoglossal nerve, which controls tongue movement
- When the patient turns the device on before sleep using a handheld remote, the system continuously monitors breathing.
- Upon detecting each breath, the device sends mild electrical pulses to the hypoglossal nerve.
- This stimulation causes the tongue and some airway muscles to move forward, preventing the tongue from collapsing backward and blocking the airway during sleep
- The stimulation is subtle and designed not to disturb sleep or cause discomfort.
- The device is turned off upon waking using the remote control
Implantation and Use
- The device is implanted via a minor outpatient surgical procedure under general anesthesia.
- Incisions are typically made under the chin, below the collarbone, and along the chest side.
- Activation occurs about four weeks post-surgery, followed by a sleep study to optimize settings
Benefits and Eligibility
- Inspire therapy has been shown to reduce sleep apnea events by approximately 79% in clinical studies
- It is suitable for adults over 22 with moderate to severe OSA who cannot tolerate CPAP and do not have complete concentric collapse of the soft palate
- Patients control the device with a remote, turning it on before sleep and off upon waking
In summary, Inspire therapy works by electrically stimulating the nerve that controls tongue position to keep the airway open during sleep, thus preventing airway obstruction and improving breathing in obstructive sleep apnea patients
