Self-Supported Nasopharyngeal Airway Device for Treatment of Hypotonic Upper Airway Obstruction

Treatment of upper airway obstruction (UAO) in hypotonic patients is challenging due to diffuse multilevel obstruction with lack of muscular airway tone. Currently available treatment options, ranging from palliative care to tracheostomy, either do not effectively treat UAO, or introduce significant morbidity. This study developed a non-surgical self-supported nasopharyngeal airway (ssNPA) device comprising a patency tube to bypass the obstruction and a flexible securement attachment to hold the device in a proper anatomic position without the use of adhesive or strap-based delivery systems. The ssNPA device has been used in two children: an 8 year and 8 months old male and a 17 year and 4 months old female both with quadriplegic cerebral palsy and severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Results show that ssNPA has demonstrated the good tolerability and feasibility of effectively treating OSA in both patients, and Apnea/Hypopnea Index (AHI) was reduced by 92% and 88% for the 8 year and 8 months and 17 year and 4 months old patient, respectively. © 2020 The Authors.