System and Method for Treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea

ChangeBridge: Patent Grants - Prosthetics (A61F)

Published March 31st, 2026

Detected April 4th, 2026

Summary

USPTO granted US Patent 12,589,246 B2 to The Cleveland Clinic Foundation for a neuromuscular stimulation system to treat obstructive sleep apnea. The system includes a power source, controller, and electrodes configured to deliver therapy signals to tissues controlling the posterior base of the tongue. The patent contains 25 claims.

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What changed

The USPTO issued Patent No. 12,589,246 B2 titled 'System and Method for Treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea' to The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, with inventors Francis A. Papay and Anthony V. Caparso. The patent covers a therapeutic system using a neuromuscular stimulator with electrodes that deliver signals to target tissues controlling the posterior base of the tongue. CPC classifications include A61N 1/3611 (electrical therapy for muscles), A61N 1/378 (implantable power sources), and related monitoring classifications. The application was filed September 6, 2023, as Application No. 18462278.

Patent grants establish intellectual property rights and do not impose compliance deadlines or regulatory obligations on third parties. Healthcare device manufacturers developing similar sleep apnea therapies should review this patent to assess potential freedom-to-operate implications for competing products. The 25 granted claims define the scope of protected subject matter in the electrical stimulation treatment field.

Source document (simplified)

← USPTO Patent Grants

System and method for treating obstructive sleep apnea

Grant US12589246B2 Kind: B2 Mar 31, 2026

Assignee

The Cleveland Clinic Foundation

Inventors

Francis A. Papay, Anthony V. Caparso

Abstract

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a system for treating obstructive sleep apnea in a subject. The system can include a power source and a neuromuscular stimulator in electrical communications with the power source. The neuromuscular stimulator can include a controller and at least one electrode. The controller can be configured to receive certain power and stimulation parameters associated with a therapy signal from the power source. The at least one electrode can be configured to deliver the therapy signal to a target tissue associated with control of a posterior base of the tongue of the subject.