Method and apparatus for treating sleep apnea

Abstract

An oral appliance is disclosed that provides electrical stimulation to a patient's tongue in a manner that prevents collapse of the tongue and/or soft palate during sleep. More specifically, the appliance may induce a reversible current or currents in a lateral direction across the tongue in a manner that shortens the patient's Palatoglossus muscle, which in turn pulls the patient's soft palate downward towards a base of the tongue and/or decreases a volume of the tongue.

1 - 31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A device for providing electrical stimulation to an oral cavity of a patient, the device comprising:
 an appliance having a portion positioned to protrude from the patient's mouth, the appliance including first and second lateral arms, each terminating in a free end;   four electrodes carried by the appliance and arranged as a first pair of electrodes and a second pair of electrodes, the first pair of electrodes including a first electrode and a second electrode, the first electrode carried by the first lateral arm, the second electrode carried by the second lateral arm, and the second pair of electrodes including a third and fourth electrode;
 wherein the first and second electrodes are positioned to orient angularly with respect to a floor of the patient's mouth, and face partially upwardly toward opposite sides of the patient's tongue; and 
 wherein the third and fourth electrodes are positioned to be on opposite sides of a superior surface of the patient's tongue; and 
   a control circuit operably coupleable to the four electrodes to direct an electrical current in a lateral direction across the tongue via at least the first and second pairs of electrodes.   
     
     
         33 . The device of  claim 32 , wherein the first and second electrodes are positioned to orient at an acute angle with respect to the floor of the patient's mouth. 
     
     
         34 . The device of  claim 33 , wherein at least the first and second electrodes are elongated along an anterior-posterior axis. 
     
     
         35 . The device of  claim 32 , wherein the control circuit is carried by the appliance. 
     
     
         36 . The device of  claim 32 , wherein the control circuit is configured to vary a waveform applied to at least the first and second electrodes. 
     
     
         37 . The device of  claim 36 , wherein the control circuit is configured to reverse an electrical current applied between at least the first and second electrodes. 
     
     
         38 . The device of  claim 32 , further comprising a sensor. 
     
     
         39 . The device of  claim 38 , wherein the sensor includes a respiration sensor. 
     
     
         40 . The device of  claim 39 , wherein at least one electrode is operable the respiration sensor as well as an electrode. 
     
     
         41 . The device of  claim 32 , wherein at least one of the electrodes is operable as a sensor as well as an electrode. 
     
     
         42 . The device of  claim 32 , further comprising a transceiver carried by the appliance, the transceiver being coupleable to an external device to transmit at least one of control information or data, between the appliance and the external device. 
     
     
         43 . The device of  claim 42 , wherein the transceiver is coupleable to the external device via a wireless connection. 
     
     
         44 . The device of  claim 42 , further comprising the external device, and wherein the external device includes a display. 
     
     
         45 . The device of  claim 42 , further comprising the external device, and wherein the external device includes a storage device. 
     
     
         46 . A device for providing electrical stimulation to an oral cavity of a patient, the device comprising:
 an appliance having a portion positioned to protrude from the patient's mouth, the appliance including first and second lateral arms, each terminating in a free end; and   multiple electrodes carried by the appliance, including a pair of electrodes that in turn includes a first electrode and a second electrode, the first electrode carried by the first lateral arm, the second electrode carried by the second lateral arm, the first and second electrodes being positioned to orient angularly with respect to a floor of the patient's mouth, with the first and second electrodes facing partially upwardly toward opposite sides of the patient's tongue.   
     
     
         47 . The device of  claim 46  wherein the first and second electrodes are positioned to orient at an acute angle with respect to a floor of the patient's mouth. 
     
     
         48 . The device of  claim 47  wherein the first and second electrodes are elongated along an anterior-posterior axis. 
     
     
         49 . The device of  claim 46 , wherein at least some of the multiple electrodes are generally planar. 
     
     
         50 . The device of  claim 46  further comprising a second pair of electrodes that includes a third electrode and a fourth electrode. 
     
     
         51 . The device of  claim 50 , wherein the third and fourth electrodes are positioned to be on opposite sides of a superior surface of the patient's tongue. 
     
     
         52 . The device of  claim 46 , further comprising a control circuit operably coupleable to the multiple electrodes to direct an electrical current in a lateral direction across the tongue via at least the first and second electrodes. 
     
     
         53 . The device of  claim 52 , wherein the control circuit is releasably received by the portion of the appliance protruding from the patient's mouth. 
     
     
         54 . The device of  claim 52  wherein the control circuit is carried by the appliance. 
     
     
         55 . The device of  claim 52  wherein the control circuit is configured to vary a waveform applied to at least the first and second electrodes. 
     
     
         56 . The device of  claim 52  wherein the control circuit is configured to reverse an electrical current applied between at least the first and second electrodes. 
     
     
         57 . The device of  claim 52 , further comprising a power supply operably coupleable to the control circuit. 
     
     
         58 . The device of  claim 57 , wherein the power supply is releasably received by the portion of the appliance protruding from the patient's mouth. 
     
     
         59 . The device of  claim 57 , wherein the control circuit and the power supply comprise a single unit that is releasably received by the portion of the appliance protruding from the patient's mouth. 
     
     
         60 . The device of  claim 46 , further comprising a sensor. 
     
     
         61 . The device of  claim 46 , wherein at least one of the electrodes is operable as a sensor as well as an electrode. 
     
     
         62 . The device of  claim 46 , further comprising a transceiver carried by the appliance, the transceiver being coupleable to an external device to transmit at least one of control information or data, between the appliance and the external device. 
     
     
         63 . The device of  claim 62 , wherein the transceiver is coupleable to the external device via a wireless connection. 
     
     
         64 . The device of  claim 63 , further comprising the external device, and wherein the external device includes a display. 
     
     
         65 . The device of  claim 63 , further comprising the external device, and wherein the external device includes a storage device. 
     
     
         66 . The device of  claim 65 , wherein the storage device includes memory. 
     
     
         67 . The device of  claim 66 , wherein the memory includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.