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Innovation, Design, and Development of a Novel Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Prevention Device
Tim Haats1, Prakash Naidu2
1Carleton University, Canada; 2SleepLabs
Individuals suffering from sleep-related breathing disorders, such as sleep apnea, exhibit moderate to excessive snoring which is often ignored or neglected. This neglect can increase the risk of more severe health problems such as stroke, hypertension, chronic heart failure, diabetes, and many others. Moreover, an Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) episode – characterized by periodic and repetitive collapsing of the upper airway during sleep – can be life threatening. Although solutions exist to treat sleep-related breathing disorders like OSA, such as Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) and oral appliances including Mandibular Advancement Devices (MADs), there are several issues relating to cost, comfort, and convenience with the products that are on the market today. This applied design research project, in partnership between SleepLabs and Professor Tim Haats of Carleton University, explored the development of a novel snoring and obstructive sleep apnea prevention device that addresses these issues. Various design concepts, configurations, and production processes were investigated to address the needs of the target user, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements of the business. The project concluded with a set of innovative design solutions and new intellectual property that has led to patent applications as well as new long-term partnership opportunities.
