Screening devices and methods for obstructive sleep apnea therapy
First Claim
1. A method of assessing a patient'"'"'s suitability for a nerve stimulation therapy, comprising:
- observing the patient'"'"'s airway with an imaging device;
protruding the patient'"'"'s tongue without nerve stimulation while observing a response of the patient'"'"'s airway; and
scoring the response, wherein the scored response is indicative of the patient'"'"'s suitability for the nerve stimulation therapy.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Devices and methods for treating obstructive sleep apnea by first performing an assessment of the patient that involves observing the patient'"'"'s upper airway during a tongue protrusion maneuver. The assessment may, for example, be done using endoscopy to observe the upper airway while the patient is awake in the supine position. An adequate response of the upper airway during the tongue protrusion maneuver is indicative of likely therapeutic success with hypoglossal nerve stimulation, and may be used for making clinical decisions. The principles of the present invention may be applied to other therapeutic interventions for OSA involving the upper airway.
389 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of assessing a patient'"'"'s suitability for a nerve stimulation therapy, comprising:
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observing the patient'"'"'s airway with an imaging device; protruding the patient'"'"'s tongue without nerve stimulation while observing a response of the patient'"'"'s airway; and scoring the response, wherein the scored response is indicative of the patient'"'"'s suitability for the nerve stimulation therapy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 21, 22, 23)
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16. A method of assessing a patient'"'"'s suitability for a nerve stimulation therapy, the method comprising:
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observing a response of the patient'"'"'s soft palate to volitional protrusion of the patient'"'"'s tongue, wherein the volitional tongue protrusion is performed in the absence of electrical stimulation; and scoring the response, wherein the scored response corresponds to the patient'"'"'s response to an electrical stimulation of a hypoglossal nerve. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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24. A method of assessing a patient'"'"'s suitability for an implantation of a fully-implanted nerve stimulation device, comprising:
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observing a collapse of the patient'"'"'s airway at the level of the soft palate; observing a response of the patient'"'"'s airway at the collapse while moving the patient'"'"'s tongue during the collapse; and scoring the response, wherein the scored response is indicative of the patient'"'"'s suitability for the implantation of the nerve stimulation device. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification