Nyxoah, a Belgian-Israeli start-up company, has announced that the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is issuing 11 patents for Nyxoah's obstructive sleep apnea technology.
The first eight granted patents were published today on the USPTO website. Three more granted patents will be published in the coming weeks.
Nyxoah developed an ultra-small implant that stimulates the tongue muscle to prevent airway blockage.
In a short outpatient procedure, a flexible implant the size of a coin and thinner than a few sheets of paper is inserted under a patient’s chin with a minimally invasive small incision.
Then, before bed each night, the patient places a disposable adhesive battery patch on the underside of the chin, to wirelessly deliver energy to the nerves around the tongue throughout the night, completely preventing airway blockage during the night’s sleep.
Nyxoah co-founder CEO and inventor Dr Adi Mashiach noted there are many groundbreaking aspects to the company’s solution.
"Being able to stimulate the tongue muscle all night using a small disposable battery patch is a major innovation. And our ability to enable minimally invasive implantation in a quick outpatient setting should open the procedure to a significant percentage of the affected population.
"The fact that 11 patents were allowed less than a year from the date we filed them, is a testament to the uniqueness of our solution," Dr Mashiach added.