METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING SLEEP APNEA
Intraoral appliances are disclosed that provide electrical stimulation to tissue in a patient's oral cavity in a manner that reduces apnea events during sleep. A representative appliance can induce a current or currents through tissue and/or anatomical structures in a manner that maintains upper airway tone and/or patency.
1 - 37 . (canceled)
38 . A removeable intraoral appliance, comprising:
an attachment body releasably attachable to a patient's oral cavity; and
an inflatable element carried by the attachment body, the inflatable element being coupled to a sensor to sense a physiologic characteristic of the patient.
39 . The intraoral appliance of claim 38 , wherein the inflatable element includes a bladder, and wherein the intraoral appliance further comprises:
an inflation line coupled to the bladder and to an inflation medium source to apply an inflation medium to the bladder; and
wherein the sensor is operably coupled to the bladder to sense a change in a pressure of the inflation medium at the bladder.
40 . The intraoral appliance of claim 39 , wherein the bladder is a first bladder, the inflation line is a first inflation line, and the sensor is at least one sensor, and wherein the intraoral appliance further comprises:
a second bladder;
a second inflation line coupled to the second bladder and to the inflation medium source; and wherein:
the at least one sensor is configured to detect a difference in pressure between the first bladder and the second bladder.
41 . The intraoral appliance of claim 40 wherein the at least one sensor includes a first sensor coupled to the first inflation line and a second sensor coupled to the second inflation line.
42 . The intraoral appliance of claim 39 wherein the bladder is positioned to undergo a change in internal pressure in response to a change in the patient's respiration characteristics.
43 . The intraoral appliance of claim 39 wherein the bladder is positioned to undergo a change in internal pressure in response to a change in the patient's body position.
44 . The intraoral appliance of claim 39 wherein the bladder is positioned to undergo a change in internal pressure in response to a change in the patient's tongue position.
45 . The intraoral appliance of claim 38 wherein the sensor includes an electrode carried by the inflatable member.
46 . The intraoral appliance of claim 38 , further comprising a power supply carried by the attachment member and positioned to provide power to stimulation electrodes.
47 . A method for sensing physiologic characteristics of a patient via a removable, intraoral appliance, comprising:
inflating at least one inflatable element carried by the intraoral appliance; and
receiving, via a sensor coupled to the at least one inflatable element, a signal corresponding to a change in a physiologic characteristic of the patient.
48 . The method of claim 47 , wherein the change in a physiologic characteristic includes a change in pressure exerted on the at least one inflatable element by the patient.
49 . The method of claim 48 wherein the change in pressure corresponds to a change in the patient's body position.
50 . The method of claim 48 wherein the change in pressure corresponds to a change in the patient's tongue position.
51 . The method of claim 48 wherein the change in pressure corresponds to a change in the patient's respiration.
52 . The method of claim 47 wherein the inflatable element carries an electrode, and wherein the physiologic change is a change in an electrical characteristic of the patient.