Obstructive sleep apnea treatment devices, systems and methods
First Claim
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1. A method of maintaining patency of an upper airway of a patient to treat obstructive sleep apnea, the method comprising:
- sensing a biological parameter indicative of respiration, wherein the biological parameter includes impedance;
analyzing the biological parameter to identify onsets of expiration;
calculating a respiratory period from the onsets of expiration;
predicting an onset of a future expiratory phase; and
beginning stimulation of a nerve a fraction of the calculated respiratory period before the onset of the future expiratory phase, and continuing stimulation of the nerve during an entire inspiratory phase, wherein the method is performed without identifying an onset of the inspiratory phase.
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Abstract
In one embodiment, a method for maintaining patency of an upper airway of a patient to treat obstructive sleep apnea may include delivering an electrical stimulation to a portion of a superior laryngeal nerve via a nerve cuff when the nerve cuff is adjacent an external surface of the superior laryngeal nerve, the nerve cuff having a plurality of electrodes, wherein the nerve cuff is configured to be connected to an electrical stimulator via a stimulation lead.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of maintaining patency of an upper airway of a patient to treat obstructive sleep apnea, the method comprising:
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sensing a biological parameter indicative of respiration, wherein the biological parameter includes impedance; analyzing the biological parameter to identify onsets of expiration; calculating a respiratory period from the onsets of expiration; predicting an onset of a future expiratory phase; and beginning stimulation of a nerve a fraction of the calculated respiratory period before the onset of the future expiratory phase, and continuing stimulation of the nerve during an entire inspiratory phase, wherein the method is performed without identifying an onset of the inspiratory phase. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 23, 24)
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17. A method of treating obstructive sleep apnea by innervating a mechanoreceptor within a patient'"'"'s upper airway via stimulating a superior laryngeal nerve including both afferent and efferent fibers, the method comprising:
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chronically implanting a nerve cuff adjacent a portion of a superior laryngeal nerve;
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sensing a biological parameter indicative of respiration, wherein the biological parameter includes impedance; analyzing the sensed biological parameter to identify onsets of expiration; calculating a respiratory period from the onsets of expiration; predicting the onset of a future expiratory phase; and beginning stimulation of the superior laryngeal nerve a fraction of the calculated respiratory period before the onset of the future expiratory phase, and continuing stimulation of the superior laryngeal nerve during an entire inspiratory phase, wherein the method is performed without identifying an onset of the inspiratory phase. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 25)
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21. A method of treating obstructive sleep apnea, the method comprising:
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chronically implanting a nerve cuff adjacent a portion of a superior laryngeal nerve; sensing a biological parameter indicative of respiration, wherein the biological parameter includes impedance; analyzing the biological parameter to identify onsets of expiration; calculating a respiratory period from the onsets of expiration; predicting an onset of a future expiratory phase; and beginning stimulation of the superior laryngeal nerve a fraction of the calculated respiratory period before the onset of the future expiratory phase, and continuing stimulation of the superior laryngeal nerve during an entire inspiratory phase, wherein the method is performed without identifying an onset of the inspiratory phase.
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22. A method of treating obstructive sleep apnea, the method comprising:
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sensing a biological parameter indicative of respiration, wherein the biological parameter includes impedance; analyzing the biological parameter to identify onsets of expiration; calculating a respiratory period from the onsets of expiration; predicting an onset of a future expiratory phase; and beginning stimulation of a nerve a fraction of the calculated respiratory period before the onset of the future expiratory phase, and continuing stimulation of the nerve during an entire inspiratory phase, wherein the method is performed without identifying an onset of the inspiratory phase.
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Specification