Society

In the search for effective treatments for sleep apnea, a new step has just been taken in England.

The innovation? An electronic chip to be implanted in patients affected by the disease. In the United Kingdom, nearly 8 million Britons suffer from sleep apnea. Worldwide, this figure reaches one billion.

Sleep apnea occurs when the airways become blocked during rest. As Les Numériques points out, if the phenomenon lasts for several minutes, it can be fatal. A device called Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is then essential to avoid any complications. The problem is that this machine is bulky and requires wearing a mask in order to have continuous air pressure in the airways during the sleep phase.

Today, however, two alternatives are available to people affected by the disease: Genio by Nyxoah and Inspire. The Belgian company Nyxoah (specializing in sleep quality) has, in fact, developed a device called Genio to treat sleep apnea. It's a neurostimulation device, much more comfortable than CPAP. This treatment requires a small operation on the chin in order to implant a chip. A device is then attached to the chin, easily controlled remotely, via a remote control or a smartphone.

The Inspire chip, on the other hand, requires a more invasive operation; with the implantation of devices in the chest and chin, specifies Les Numériques. In order to avoid blockage, the airways and the tongue are stimulated during the night.

In the United Kingdom, the first tests were carried out by the British National Health Service (NHS), limited to patients who are not able to use a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine. The Inspire device has been used for almost 10 years now. Its recent adoption by hospitals today marks a turning point in its large-scale use.

(MH with AsD - Source: Les Numériques - Illustration: Unsplash)