# Non-Invasive Oropharynx Appliance to Maintain Airway Patency

> **NIH NIH R41** · ANEMED INC · 2020 · $299,743

## Abstract

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a serious condition that affects about 4% of the
population. During sleep, the tongue can fall into the oropharynx and occlude the airways
Patients with this condition suffer many instances of apneas (complete cessation of
breathing) and hypopneas (period of abnormally low respiratory rate). The apnea-
hypopnea index (AHI) gives the number of such episodes per hour and indicates the
severity of this condition (AHI<5 is normal while AHI>30 is severe). Abnormal AHIs are
associated with significant decrease of oxygen saturation leading to severe co-morbidities
such as stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, epilepsy and cardiac arrhythmia. The cost
to the society of OSA-related illnesses ranges between 60 and 160 billion dollars
annually. The current standard-of-care is the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)
device which has a low compliance of around (50%). There are also other therapeutic
modalities either invasive or non-invasive but none are very effective. There is at present
no non-invasive solution that can ensure both patient compliance and efficacy. A new
start-up, ANÉMed proposes to develop and test a novel non-invasive oropharynx
appliance (OPA) capable of providing both efficacy and compliance. This new appliance
addresses the problem of OSA by placing a tongue retaining device directly into the
oropharynx preventing the tongue from obstructing the airways. The new design can
prevent obstruction without causing a gag reflex and still allowing swallowing. It is
designed to be more effective that other oral appliances such as the mandibular
advancement device. If successful, the OPA could become the first line of defense
against OSA for over 25 million Americans with a diagnosis of OSA.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9906411
- **Project number:** 1R41HL150933-01
- **Recipient organization:** ANEMED INC
- **Principal Investigator:** DOMINIQUE M DURAND
- **Activity code:** R41 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $299,743
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-05 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9906411

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9906411, Non-Invasive Oropharynx Appliance to Maintain Airway Patency (1R41HL150933-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9906411. Licensed CC0.

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