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ApniBloc: A novel device to reduce apnea during endoscopies under sedation
- Program: Biomedical Engineering
- Course: EN.580.X12 BME Design Team
- Year: 2026
Project Description:
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder that causes the tongue and soft palate to relax and fall back into the throat, causing pauses in breathing. Under anesthesia, suppressed reflexes worsen this obstruction, leading to rapid oxygen desaturation. This is especially dangerous during endoscopies, where patients must breathe independently. As a result, OSA patients are 3.3x more likely to suffer critical hypoxemia and require ICU transfers. When patients experience apnea, anesthesia providers open the airway by manually pulling the jaw forwards (jaw thrust). While effective, this intervention only provides temporary relief and is physically demanding for anesthesia providers. ApniBloc is a novel device that continuously maintains an open airway by maintaining a hands-free jaw thrust throughout an endoscopic procedure. ApniBloc easily integrates into the existing anesthesia workflow, adding negligible cost and procedural time while reducing provider burden and improving post-operative patient outcomes.
Project Photo:
ApniBloc: Reducing apnea during endoscopies under sedation
