Most devices that treat sleep apnea are in the form of high-tech, oxygenated face masks – but a Minnesota startup is taking a different approach, building an implantable device that treats the common breathing disorder.
Respicardia (Opens in a new window) has raised $25 million (Opens in a new window), with about $20 million of that coming from the Milan-based Sorin Group (Opens in a new window). The Italian cardiac devicemaker which has the exclusive right to buy Respicardia and the rights to distribute the device in parts of Europe (Opens in a new window) for the next five years.
The company’s Remede system (Opens in a new window) works a bit like a pacemaker, but it’s implanted in a vein that’s near the phrenic nerves that run between the lung and heart to the diaphragm. It generates small electric pulses that stimulate a response in the diaphragm that regulates breathing – so patients don’t stop breathing, at random, in the middle of the night.
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The device has been cleared for sale in Europe starting next year – having received a CE mark in 2010 – and Respicardia’s in the process of winning over U.S. regulatory approval. It’s currently in the midst of an IDE trial. (Opens in a new window)