This New Medical Device is the World’s First Daytime Therapy Targeting the Root Cause of Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Snoring
Video provided by Signifier Medical Technologies
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a potentially serious sleep disorder that affects nearly 1 billion people globally. OSA can lead to symptoms such as snoring, daytime sleepiness, headaches, as well as co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension, and strokes. A first of its kind device by Signifier Medical Technologies claims to treat the root cause of OSA.
OSA occurs when the muscles in the throat relax during sleep causing the airway to collapse and obstruct normal breathing. The most noticeable sign of this is snoring. This abnormal breathing can lower the concentration of oxygen in the blood leading to a build up of carbon dioxide. The affected person’s brain will detect these build-ups and awaken them from their sleep to reopen the airway. Often these interruptions to their sleep may be so brief that the person does not remember them afterward.
The traditional treatment for sufferers of OSA is the use of a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure device or CPAP. These devices must be worn over the face by the person through the whole night during sleep. Many who use CPAPs find them to be invasive leading many to stop using them over time. Many people have been waiting for a easy fix for theirs or a loved ones sleep apnea and Signifier Medical’s new eXciteOSA device may be just what they were waiting for.
Signifier Medical Technologies is a medical device company focused in the development of non-invasive solutions for patients with sleep disorders and breathing conditions. Their proprietary therapy, eXciteOSA, is the first of its kind daytime genioglossal (tongue) muscle-neurostimulation technology approved in the US for mild obstructive sleep apnea and snoring, and is supported by clinical data from prestigious and well-recognized universities and academic institutions, that provides a safe and effective treatment for its patients.
Unlike the CPAP devices used while patients sleep, eXciteOSA is used while the patient is awake. According to the company, it works by stimulating the tongue muscles, strengthening them so they no longer collapse the airway during sleep. This targets the root cause of OSA rather than treating its symptoms. The device is used for 20 minutes per day for a period of six weeks and then twice per week, the therapy is clinically proven to improve the quality of sleep by significantly reducing obstructive sleep apnea and snoring.
The device was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), giving millions of sufferers in the U.S. access to this innovative therapy, and today Signifier Medical announced that the it has received the prestigious GOOD DESIGN® Award in the Medical category.
“We are honored to accept this recognition for eXciteOSA, which provides people who suffer from sleep disordered breathing a new treatment option – the first major innovation for the treatment of sleep apnea since the invention of the continuous positive airway pressure machine nearly 40 years ago,” said Akhil Tripathi, CEO and co-founder of Signifier Medical Technologies. “As a daytime treatment, the device was specifically designed to be compact and mobile. Paired with the eXciteOSA smartphone or tablet application, the device allows patients to use it freely while tracking progress and results wherever they go. This award further demonstrates the value of eXciteOSA as a proven, transformative treatment for patients with a design optimized for ease of use and high functionality.”
The GOOD DESIGN award is presented by The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. Each year since 1950, The Chicago Athenaeum presents the award to the most innovative and cutting-edge industrial, product, and graphic designs produced around the world. With 30 distinguished award categories across various industries, the GOOD DESIGN Award was founded to create an awareness of contemporary design and to honor both products and industry leaders in design and manufacturing that have chartered new directions for innovation and pushed the envelope for competitive products in the world marketplace.
Signifier Medical Technologies has developed a digital OSA therapy interface for patients and clinicians, which includes an app for use alongside the eXciteOSA device. The app is designed to give personalized care and motivate patients to achieve high therapy adherence. A “light touch design” with no fitting required, the eXciteOSA system includes digital connectivity between patient, bed partner and provider to enable virtual setup, remote monitoring, and an overall exceptional patient experience.
For more information on eXciteOSA visit www.eXciteOSA.com.
By Ian Schnepf, Digital Media Specialist at HealthTech HotSpot
