Team: Joana Cabrera, Samir Hossainy, Nikki Tjahjono

Client: George Su, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, San Francisco General Hospital & UCSF, San Francisco

Problem: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a clinical syndrome with significant associated mortality and morbidity. It is estimated that over 22 million patients suffer from OSA in the US. Current major therapeutic options include positive airway pressure (PAP) and mandibular advancement devices that stent or reposition pharyngeal structures to mitigate airways collapse during sleep.

Unfortunately, PAP devices are often described as unwieldy, cumbersome, and uncomfortable (they require external masks, hoses, and pressure units); and mandibular advancement devices can cause side effects such as chewing fatigue, dental malocclusion, and temporomandibular junction (TMJ) pain. As such, overall rates for adherence to either therapy are poor, severely limiting clinical benefit.

Outcome: Students designed a device that would promote higher compliance than PAP or mandibular advancement devices to transform care, health, and well-being for patients with OSA.