Prevention of Airway Obstruction Events

The standard for treatment for people suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome involves the use of Continuous, or Automatic Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP, APAP) machines, which work by delivering air via tubing and mask to a patient at pressures of up to 20cmH2O. This increased pressure is meant to stabilize the airway to reduce obstruction events. APAP machines are generally more effective and more comfortable for patients than CPAP machines because these devices automatically adjust pressure to treat an apnea. However, this treatment is reactive and often ineffective since the necessary pressure is applied seconds after breathing has already stopped; The results of a previous study performed showed strong indications for predicting an apnea before it occurs using measurements collected by existing sensors of the CPAP and APAP machines. If apnea events can be predicted before they occur, the air pressure required to treat them could be supplied ahead of time, preventing the apnea from occurring. The hypothesis to be tested is whether obstructive sleep apnea events can be prevented, by predicting their onset ahead of time and adjusting the airway pressure accordingly.