New Technology Could Replace CPAP For Some

[MaggiePD]

Anyone try this yet?

http://www.sleepguide.com/profiles/blog ... ks-to-give

[packitin]

I'm not convinced. One can find hundreds of devices on the Internet, all claiming to do so and so for the apnea sufferers, and with prices running from $15 to several hundred. Why isn't this breaking news into the medical journals and health professionals? I'm sorry to be so skeptical, but I, like others here, have agonized over our condition, talked to many trained professionals and no one has mentioned this.
I pray that I am wrong. We'll have to wait and see.
Jay

[MaggiePD]

I think this thing just hit the market, and that most docs don't know about it yet. It has been peer reviewed in scientific journals for effectiveness, i know that much...

[jnk]

What happened to the clinical trial?

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00772044

[miggity]

The article says that the manufacturer claims it was cleared by the FDA... doesn't that mean it has passed all clinical trials necessary to get to the public?

[Slinky]

Yeah, but .... I sure can't argue with this quote:

... The conventional estimate is that about 50% of those who are prescribed CPAP have trouble with it, get frustrated and give up. Although I believe the vast majority of these people would succeed with CPAP if their doctors and DME providers would do a better job of educating them on CPAP use, ...

Hmmm, kinda like a glorified Breathe-Rite strip for the interior of the nose? Hold the nasal passages open wider? Or maybe it has something to kinda increase the air pressure a bit as we inhale thru it?

[miggity]

looks to be about the size of the breathe right strip, but it's not a strip..... it's inserted into nostrils, and has some mechanism that increasing air pressure in there, forming a "splint" a la CPAP... or so they say...

[Slinky]

D*mn! One of the clinical trials is at Wayne State University here in Michigan! This isn't the only sleep study I've seen Wayne State involved in. They must have a pretty good sleep center, you think? I see Mayo, Rochester, is also conducting this clinical trial.

[jnk]

I'm not sure, but I think the general idea behind it is that it is designed to be easier to inhale through it than to exhale through it, until a certain pressure is reached to hold the airway open. And I think phase 4 studies are post-market studies, so I would assume it must be on the market somewhere. But wouldn't a prescription be needed? I am confused!

[Slinky]

Thanks, jnk. I was gonna do a google search on it to see if I could find more info, just curious, you know. But ... think I'll go to bed instead.

[Julie]

JNK, if you're right, I don't think I like the premise. And what about people with turbinate issues, etc?

[thimarine]

I am convinced that in this age of nanotechnology that we will, one day, carry our cpap equipment in our pockets and no longer be tethered to blowers, tubes, power cords and electrical sockets. I am impressed with how far the technology has come since I was diagnosed. Whether this product is the answer is unknown. Until I see a medical review article and a scientific study, I will remain skeptical just like I am about the ads for dental devices. If we can create devices that hold hours of music with no moving parts and fit in the palm of your hand, we can do the same for a device to power a blower to splint the airway.

[Raj]

Rather vague, but this gives the general idea: http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/pdf7/K071560.pdf

Hard to believe this wouldn't impact O2/CO2 balance in a bad way, but I'm sure we'll learn more later.

[jnk]

JNK, if you're right, I don't think I like the premise. And what about people with turbinate issues, etc?

Well, I'm just guessing, really.

The thought of sticking something in my nose doesn't sound all that great, but neither did the idea of blowing air up into it, either--until I started enjoying the benefits.

I can see the idea of 'why use a machine to generate pressure when the body could do it for itself.' But I can't imagine doing anything that won't generate some data for me to be able to prove efficacy night-to-night.

And if it is only for mild-to-moderate apnea, it wouldn't be for me anyway.

[john_dozer]

Yeah, I was guessing it allows you to inhale easily, but requires a minimum pressure to exhale. Open your mouth one bit, and the pressure built up would be gone, though.

I've seen devices used to help keep only a slight pressure in power steering pump systems. They keep the reservoir slightly pressurized. They work, but I don't know how precise they are.

I think the biggest problem with a device like this would be consistency.

Even though they are probably designed to be easy for inhalation, I could see them being restrictive to a deep breath. I wonder if that may alert your brain as a problem.