Millions of people suffer with sleep apnea even though they have tried to follow their doctor's recommendations by obtaining and using a CPAP machine. However, studies show that around 50% of people do not tolerate using CPAP for various reasons.
The Inspire implant is a break-through technology that effectively treats sleep apnea without the need for CPAP. With patients satisfaction rates of 94%, this surgical implant has already helped thousands of people restore their ability to get a good night's sleep.
When we sleep, the muscles throughout the body go into relaxation mode. This includes the muscles that stabilize the position of the tongue and throat structures. In sleep apnea, this loss of muscle tone is what leads to closure of the upper airway and interrupted breathing. Inspire uses the body's own natural breathing rhythm to stimulate the muscles that keep the airway open.
The device has three components that are inserted under the skin during an outpatient same-day surgery:
1). The stimulator lead is a small wire that is placed via an incision just under the chin.
2). The sensor lead is a small wire that is placed via an incision on the chest wall just below the pectoralis muscle.
3). The power supply is a disc shaped device that is place via an incision just below the collar bone.
The device is ready to use about four weeks later. There is no painful throat surgery as with other surgical treatments. When you are ready to go to sleep you simply click the remote to turn on the device.
The stimulator lead gives micro-pulses of energy to a nerve called the hypoglossal nerve just under the chin. This nerve stimulation causes activation of the muscle fibers in a specific set of muscles that open the air passage in the throat. The sensor lead detects tiny changes in pressure that result from expansion of the chest cavity during breathing. The power supply coordinates the information received from the sensor lead to provide a timed energy pulse to the stimulator lead. The result is a perfectly timed and coordinated movement that opens the air passage in the throat during inspiration.