Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Awards 2021

10 GHP / Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Awards 2021 , Conventional treatments for snoring and sleep-disordered breathing have seen little change in the last two decades. Most products need to be worn during sleep, consign the user to lifelong use and are often uncomfortable. London-based company, Signifier Medical Technologies, is driving innovation in the form of the world’s first non-invasive daytime treatment. Best Global Sleeping Disorders Medical Device Development Firm 2021 Most of us will snore at some point in our lives, but for many, it’s a nightly occurrence. Snoring can interrupt our sleep, and often disrupt our partner’s sleep too. This can leave us tired and groggy for the day ahead. So why do we snore? When we sleep our tongue and throat muscles relax. In this state, the tongue can fall back in the mouth, which results in partial obstruction of the airway, and the resulting vibration in the mouth and throat as we breathe creates the snoring sound. Occasional snoring is not usually a worry - it could be due to allergies, a cold or even alcohol consumption, and will quickly pass. But although we may think that regular snoring is harmless, it does increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks, diabetes and strokes. Regular, loud snoring may even indicate a more serious disorder known as sleep apnoea. This is when, due to the restriction of air through the mouth or nose, the sleeper may stop breathing for a few seconds. This can result in the sleeper jolting awake. Having your sleep disrupted Jul21619 in this way can have a serious impact on your health and quality of life. There are many treatments for snoring, from nasal bands and oral appliances through to surgical procedures. Whilst many conventional treatments are seen to provide the subject with some benefits, without surgical intervention they will not cure the problem. Devices are often uncomfortable to wear and can even contribute to further sleep disruption. Professor Anshul Sama, co- founder of Signifier Medical Technologies (SMT), practices in rhinology, with a special interest in sleep-disordered breathing. Over the years he has seen many devices but found most to be less than satisfactory. Understanding that the key to reducing obstructive sleep apnoea and snoring is to improve tongue muscle function, SMT set about designing a device to correct this. Wanting to develop a product that did not have to be worn during sleep, the company brought together a team of skilled medical and product development specialists. After three years of effort, they launched eXciteOSA®. A major milestone in sleep treatments, the revolutionary eXciteOSA® device focuses on addressing the root cause of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). It is the world’s first daytime therapy for OSA and snoring. The device strengthens weak tongue muscles and retrains the subject’s airway against collapse. The eXciteOSA® sits in the mouth and using safe electrical currents, stimulates and improves muscle function in the mouth and tongue. It’s portable, USB rechargeable and uses a proprietary iOS/Android application to guide patients through therapy. Understanding that the key to any successful therapy is regular use, SMT designed the app with patient motivation in mind. The “light touch” design requires no fitting and the system includes digital connectivity between patient, bed partner and provider. Accurate sleep tracking enables the user to assess and adjust treatment as required. While other industry-standard devices only ease symptoms temporarily, eXciteOSA® retrains the body to be able to maintain a patent airway during sleep. The device is designed to be used for 20 minutes a day for the first six weeks and then twice a week after that. What’s more, the effects of the therapy endure even when an occasional session is missed. As a result of the therapy, tongue muscles are strengthened and no longer block the sleeper’s airway. The body can rest and recuperate normally, and the sleeper wakes up bright, refreshed and ready for the day ahead. SMT states its mission is to improve the lives and health of hundreds of millions of people who suffer from primary snoring, OSA and its comorbidities. The company’s vision is to become a global leader in providing easy-to-use, accessible, clinically proven, data-driven and cloud- based solutions for diagnosing, treating and managing sleep- disordered breathing. The team at SMT is committed to investing in clinical trials to further prove the validity and efficacy of eXciteOSA®. So far, the reported results are impressive. 89% of bed partners reported a reduction in their partners snoring, and 90% of patients themselves reported a reduction in snoring time. Add