Sleep Apnea Patient Invents Highly Effective And Inexpensive Medical Device

Sept. 21, 2011 - PRLog -- Harry Cutler, a sleep apnea patient, was under-employed and had no insurance when his obstructive sleep apnea became acute. “I was falling asleep at the wheel in the middle of the day” said Cutler. “I would wake up when my car bounced off of the opposite curb. After the fourth of fifth time, I decided that I needed to do something before I hurt myself, or someone else.”

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the soft palate at the back of the oral cavity relaxes during sleep, drapes down, closes against the rear of the tongue and causes a blockage of the airway. The patient often kicks and struggles for a breath and the wakes up gasping for air, only to fall back to sleep again and have the cycle continue. The draping of the soft palate into the airway also causes snoring as it vibrates when air rushes past it. It is estimated that 12%-25% of the population suffer from obstructive sleep apnea and the vast majority are untreated. This condition can lead to a host of health problems including hypertension, heart attack, stroke, depression, diabetes, and impotency, among others.

“Because I am not a physician, my creativity was not bound by preconceived notions. It seemed to me that the existing devices, CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines and Mandibular Advancement Devices, were overly complicated and addressed the problem in a roundabout way”, Cutler said. “I decided approach the problem from a completely different, more direct, approach. I  utilized a soft palate lifter in working in concert with a tongue retainer to keep the respective tissues in their normal positions, relative to each other, as when the patient is awake and not having apnea events, or snoring”, he continued. “Since I was my own guinea pig, I could test prototypes directly and make changes and improvements immediately during the development process. It was a system of “trial and error” that took place over 4 years with the help of two highly credentialed sleep apnea physicians, both Diplomate Members of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine.”

The resultant device, the RespireAide Sleep Apnea Solution, is fully adjustable and anchored by a soft silicone mouthpiece. It does not require wearing a mask, and does not exert pressure on the teeth, or jaw. It can be adjusted by the end user with, or without the aid of a physician. Recently tested in overnight sleep studies at an accredited sleep lab, the RespireAide appliance succeeded in reducing apnea events by up to 95%.

It is available via http://www.RespireAide.com for less than 10% of the cost of the other therapies. It comes complete with a storage case, retaining strap, cleaning brush, a velour overnight/travel pouch, and a 30 day money back guarantee. Visit the website for more detailed information.

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Universal, highly effective, inexpensive oral appliance for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and heavy snoring.