Device for tackling sleep apnea gets FDA nod.

The AP (5/2) reported the FDA approved a “pacemaker-like device” for people suffering from sleep apnea, a “first-of-kind device” that helps keep the air passages open by delivering an electric current. The device, from Inspire Medical Systems, has been approved for sleep apnea patients “who have trouble with the current standard of care: machines that blow air through a bedtime mask,” the article noted. Data from NIH indicate 12 million to 18 million people in the US have sleep apnea, according to the story.

        The Minneapolis Star Tribune (5/2, Alexander) provided details of the device, noting Inspire Medical’s “Upper Airway Stimulation” therapy “uses an implantable, pacemaker-like device” that sends mild shocks to a nerve in the neck “to keep breathing passageways open without waking the patient,” citing Tim Herbert, the company’s CEO. The device costs $30,000 the article noted.

        The news was also covered by the Minneapolis-St. Paul (MN) Business Journal (5/2, Subscription Publication) reports in its “TechFlash” blog, as did HealthDay (5/2), MedPage Today (5/2) and Medscape (5/2, Lowes).