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Greenslopes joins global sleep apnoea implant trial

Sep 17, 2020

A revolutionary new device that could help the millions of Australians who suffer from obstructive sleep apnoea is being trialled at Greenslopes Private Hospital.

In a Queensland first, Ramsay Health Care’s team of experts has joined ‘The Better Sleep Trial’ by implanting two patients with the Nyxoah Genio Bilateral hypoglossal Nerve System - a medical implant which opens the patient’s upper airway during sleep.

The Genio implant is designed to help patients with obstructive sleep apnoea who can’t tolerate or have failed Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy, commonly known as CPAP.

The unique battery-free and leadless neurostimulator is implanted just under the patient’s chin. It is activated by a small rechargeable chip that is placed on their skin at night which provides energy wirelessly to the implant to stimulate the hypoglossal nerve to keep the upper airway open.

Ear, Nose & Throat surgeon Dr Leon Kitipornchai said it was wonderful for the Greenslopes Private Hospital team to be involved in such an exciting study.

“It’s groundbreaking surgery and groundbreaking technology and it opens up avenues of treatment for patients who otherwise couldn’t be treated,” Dr Kitipornchai said.

“It’s a fairly simple operation to implant the device and patients may experience very little pain. Then after six weeks we switch on the external activation chip to open up the airways. It’s easy for them to sleep with and so far, globally, the adherence data has been very positive with 80-90% of patients using it right through their sleep.

“Greenslopes Private being the first site in Queensland to join this study is really exciting and I think this device will definitely change the way treatments are prescribed going forward,” he said.

ENT Professor Stuart MacKay has implanted the Genio device in more than 16 patients in four other Ramsay Hospitals across Australia. He travelled to Greenslopes to be part of the pioneering study.

“It’s really simple for patients to use. It works by using wireless energy transmission from an activation chip so it just gets charged during the day and then it works on the patient at night,” Professor MacKay said.

The latest estimates from The Lancet show one billion people suffer from mild to severe obstructive sleep apnoea, making it more common than asthma or hay fever.

Doctor Charles Czank from Nyxoah said the implant has already been approved for use in Europe and another trial is currently underway in The United States.

“Patients have reported an improvement in daytime sleepiness and fatigue and snoring is decreased as well which is not only good for the patient but also good for the partner,” Dr Czank said.

“CPAP is the gold standard for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea but compliance is a major issue for some patients. The Genio therapy is an alternative for these patients and overall, we’re seeing a significant increase in their quality of life.”

The Greenslopes patients had their implant surgery in early August and their devices will be activated in September.

Nyxoah’s Genio implantable bilateral hypoglossal nerve stimulation for treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Image Credit: Nyxoah