The Sleep Disorders Centers at Morton Plant Mease HealthCare in Florida is participating in a clinical trial to determine if the aura6000 System can help obstructive sleep apnea patients, as reported by Tampa Bay Newspapers.
The Sleep Disorders Centers at Morton Plant Mease HealthCare are participating in a clinical trial to determine whether a novel medical device might help people who have moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea and who are not finding relief through positive airway pressure therapy or other treatments.
The clinical trial will test a method for treating obstructive sleep apnea called targeted hypoglossal nerurostimulation therapy. The study utilizes the aura6000 System from ImThera Medical Inc., an implantable device that delivers mild electrical pulses to the hypoglossal nerve, which controls the muscles of the tongue.
“As the nerve is stimulated, it increases muscle tone to the tongue so that it does not fall back into the airway,” said Dr. Mitchell Miller, principal investigator for the study site, in a press release. “This device is designed to make it easier for air to flow through the airway, allowing people to sleep with fewer interruptions.”
