Innovative Tongue Pacemaker Prevents Pauses in Breathing, Helps Against Snoring

Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin was the first to establish the first tongue pacemaker all across Europe. This medical device controls pauses in breathing during sleep, thereby helps prevent snoring.

The device was used by medical professionals at the Department of Otolaryngology on a patient affected with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Extreme relaxation of upper throat muscles during sleep may sometimes lead to suspension in breathing or some life-threatening illness. This relaxation effect is followed by narrowing of parts of respiratory tract, causing uneasy breathing. The common snoring noises result when the patient exerts to inhale air via the blocked airways.

The neurostimulator is small in size and can be implanted beneath the collarbone similar to a heart pacemaker. An ultrathin cable extending from the neurostimulator is connected to the basal edge of the ribcage feasible for measuring the diaphragm movement as well as tracking the individual breathing frequency. Inhalation followed by contraction in patient’s diaphragm stimulates the pacemaker to transmit a weak electrical impulse to the hypoglossal nerve, through a second cable. This nerve is positioned right beneath the tongue and involved in the contraction of the tongue muscle. Upon stimulation, instead of relaxing or blocking the airway, the tongue remains in the sleeper’s uppermost part of pharynx, thereby preventing extreme complexities while breathing.

According to Dr. Alexander Blau, somnologist and sleep researcher, the neurostimulator is an excellent tool for treating sleep apnea. This solution enables patients to have normal nocturnal movements and found to be convenient and reliable than earlier therapies using special breathing masks.

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