A Novel Device for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

In this thesis, a novel device for the treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is developed and tested. This device uses intra-oral suction to stabilize tongue and/or soft palate in a position that does not obstruct the airway, thus reduce apnea episodes. The treatment device consists of a patien...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Gao, Qiyun
Other Authors: Roche, Ellen T.
Format: Thesis
Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2024
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/154155
_version_ 1811070475386748928
author Gao, Qiyun
author2 Roche, Ellen T.
author_facet Roche, Ellen T.
Gao, Qiyun
author_sort Gao, Qiyun
collection MIT
description In this thesis, a novel device for the treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is developed and tested. This device uses intra-oral suction to stabilize tongue and/or soft palate in a position that does not obstruct the airway, thus reduce apnea episodes. The treatment device consists of a patient-specific oral device and a non-patient-specific pump unit. Patients wear the oral device on their upper palate that directs suction towards tongue and/or soft palate. A length of tubing connects the oral device to the pump unit, which is placed bedside and is envisioned to be a wearable device in further iterations. Experimental results from a small-scale clinical trial verified that the device performs its intended function of stabilizing the tongue, and does not cause increase in Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI) in healthy volunteers. MRI Imaging on volunteers wearing the device proved the device does enlarge the airway by 60% - 80%. A finite element model of the tongue, soft palate and airway, with muscle fiber direction derived from Diffusion Tensor MRI, is implemented as a proof of concept that the device can treat OSA. The estimation of the level of vacuum required to stabilize the tongue by a finite element (FE) model is consistent with experimental results.
first_indexed 2024-09-23T08:36:37Z
format Thesis
id mit-1721.1/154155
institution Massachusetts Institute of Technology
last_indexed 2024-09-23T08:36:37Z
publishDate 2024
publisher Massachusetts Institute of Technology
record_format dspace
spelling mit-1721.1/1541552024-04-17T04:03:11Z A Novel Device for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Gao, Qiyun Roche, Ellen T. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering In this thesis, a novel device for the treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is developed and tested. This device uses intra-oral suction to stabilize tongue and/or soft palate in a position that does not obstruct the airway, thus reduce apnea episodes. The treatment device consists of a patient-specific oral device and a non-patient-specific pump unit. Patients wear the oral device on their upper palate that directs suction towards tongue and/or soft palate. A length of tubing connects the oral device to the pump unit, which is placed bedside and is envisioned to be a wearable device in further iterations. Experimental results from a small-scale clinical trial verified that the device performs its intended function of stabilizing the tongue, and does not cause increase in Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI) in healthy volunteers. MRI Imaging on volunteers wearing the device proved the device does enlarge the airway by 60% - 80%. A finite element model of the tongue, soft palate and airway, with muscle fiber direction derived from Diffusion Tensor MRI, is implemented as a proof of concept that the device can treat OSA. The estimation of the level of vacuum required to stabilize the tongue by a finite element (FE) model is consistent with experimental results. S.M. 2024-04-16T19:04:13Z 2024-04-16T19:04:13Z 2023-06 2023-07-19T18:45:11.960Z Thesis https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/154155 In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted Copyright retained by author(s) https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/ application/pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology
spellingShingle Gao, Qiyun
A Novel Device for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
title A Novel Device for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
title_full A Novel Device for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
title_fullStr A Novel Device for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
title_full_unstemmed A Novel Device for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
title_short A Novel Device for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
title_sort novel device for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea
url https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/154155
work_keys_str_mv AT gaoqiyun anoveldeviceforthetreatmentofobstructivesleepapnea
AT gaoqiyun noveldeviceforthetreatmentofobstructivesleepapnea