Cibir patents a customizable system for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea

The Biomedical Research Center of La Rioja (Cibir) has announced the patent of a new adjustable and customizable mandibular advancement system, specifically designed to improve the choice of treatment for obstructive sleep apnea through induced somnoscopy. Currently there are 5,000 Riojans diagnosed and treated by the Sleep Unit.

At the public presentation of the patent, this Friday, in which the Minister of Health and Social Policies, María Martín, was present; the managing director of the Rioja Health Foundation, Juan Carlos Oliva; and the director of Cibir Research, Eduardo Mirpuri, Álvaro Pérez, biomedical engineering researcher at Cibir, and Pablo Montes Fernández-Micheltorena, maxillofacial surgeon from the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery unit of the San Pedro University Hospital, have participated, in addition to Carlos Ruiz , head of the Pulmonology Service at the San Pedro University Hospital. Similarly, researchers from Cibir’s Biomarkers and Molecular Signaling unit have also participated.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a common disease that causes interruptions in breathing during sleep due to the collapse of the upper airway, a situation that prevents the passage of air. This condition causes a variety of distinctive symptoms, including snoring, interruptions in breathing during sleep, and frequent nighttime awakenings.

Precisely, one of the treatment solutions for this condition is mandibular advancement, which helps advance the soft tissues to widen the upper airway and thus reduce the frequency of these apnea episodes. Thus, for successful treatment of the pathology, it is essential to determine the minimum mandibular advancement necessary to effectively free the airway. Unlike other devices, the Cibir’s patented innovation allows for progressive micrometric adjustment from the outside while the jaw is held in occlusion.

This solution will allow physicians to activate the advancement mechanism while observing the airway endoscopically, setting the optimal position when correct airway release is achieved. At that point, the calibrated device provides an accurate measurement of the distance advanced from the rest position. In this way, the new device offers greater precision and effectiveness in prescribing a completely personalized treatment for each patient.

To demonstrate this hypothesis, a project has been proposed to the Carlos III Health Institute that is expected to begin in the coming months for the in-vitro and in-vivo validation of this device and its effectiveness in prescribing treatment. The device has been registered in the Spanish patent office under the category of utility model.