Project description
Non-invasive device for obstructive sleep apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder characterised by episodes of reduced or absent breathing during sleep. The treatment for moderate to severe OSA is positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy, which involves wearing a mask delivering pressurised air to keep the airway open. However, many patients find this therapy noisy and uncomfortable. The ERC-funded FitSleep project aims to develop a non-invasive electrical stimulation device that matches the effectiveness of the best available OSA treatment. This technology targets the patient’s tongue muscles to open airways, offering a surgery-free and cost-effective alternative.
Objective
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a highly prevalent disorder characterized by episodes of decreased or absent inspiratory airflow during sleep. OSA is the worlds second-most common sleep disorder, plaguing over 1 billion patients worldwide with relentless, disruptive periods of restricted airflow during sleep. This can have dramatic effects, ranging from excessive daytime sleepiness to other comorbidities such as stroke, hypertension or depression. The effects of this disorder are pervasive and far-reaching, as diminished sleep quality eventually reduces general quality of life. Positive airway pressure (PAP) delivered through a tight-fitting mask is currently the most advanced technique for preventing airway collapse or airway narrowing during sleep, and is considered the primary treatment option for patients with moderate to severe OSA. However, despite improvements in quieter pumps and more comfortable masks, this approach has several disadvantages and patients very often struggle to comply with the therapy. We have recently shown that a non-invasive form of HNS can be effective in treating OSA patients by using temporal interference (TI) , a new non-invasive electrical stimulation technology which has been successfully advanced also for other clinical applications by the PI. Our device revolutionizes sleep apnea treatment with the efficacy of upper airway stimulation, without requiring surgery. Our proprietary new technology generates comfortable electrical fields which activate the tongue muscle and open airways. Its effectiveness is comparable to the best in market, while remaining non-invasive and financially accessible. FitSleep is an essential part of our exploitation strategy, which will ensure we advance the technology from TRL4 (currently) to TRL5. This will give us an ideal position for a subsequent EIC Transition application.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicinepsychiatrysleep disorders
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicinesurgery
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicineneurologystroke
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Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept GrantsHost institution
601 77 Brno
Czechia