NOVA Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Associates is proud to offer Inspire therapy. Inspire therapy is a mask–free solution for people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who have tried and struggled with CPAP. Through a simple–to–use system including the Inspire® implant, remote and app, Inspire therapy enables you to control your OSA treatment from the palm of your hand.

Inspire therapy is the only FDA-approved obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) therapy that works comfortably inside your body. The small Inspire® implant delivers gentle pulses to your airway muscles to keep your airway open so you can breathe regularly and sleep soundly.

• When we sleep, our airway muscles and tongue relax. For people with OSA, the tongue relaxes into a position that blocks the airway.
• When your airway is blocked you get less oxygen to your brain, triggering you to wake up to take a breath. This cycle happens repeatedly, preventing quality sleep.
• The Inspire implant delivers gentle pulses that move your tongue out of the way each time you take a breath, keeping your airway open while you sleep soundly. No mask or hose required

You may qualify for Inspire if you meet the following criteria:

• Over the age of 18
• Diagnosed with moderate to severe OSA
• Unable to use of get consistent benefit from CPAP
• Not significantly overweight

OSA affects 22 million Americans. When left untreated, OSA can cause vehicle and workplace accidents, worsening mood and memory, stroke, heart attack, and even death. It occurs when the airway collapses during sleep and blocks the flow of oxygen to the brain. The brain senses a lack of oxygen and wakes the body up just long enough to take a breath, then falls back asleep. This cycle repeats throughout the night and causes poor, disruptive sleep.

Inspire works inside the body with a patient’s natural breathing process to treat sleep apnea. Mild stimulation opens the airway during sleep, allowing oxygen to flow naturally. The patient uses a small handheld remote to turn Inspire on before bed and off when they wake up.

The Inspire system is implanted during a short, outpatient procedure. The system is placed under the skin of the neck and chest through two small incisions. Most patients return home the same day and take over-the-counter pain medications to manage pain as needed.