The health tech company Nyxoah has raised €25 million in a funding round from two companies in the field for further development of its anti-snoring technology.
Nyxoah’s Genio system tackles the problem of sleep apnea, a condition that occurs when the sufferer is asleep. The muscles of the tongue and throat relax, causing the tongue to slip backwards over the airway. The sufferer begins to suffocate and wakes up.
That can happen many times a night, leaving the sufferer exhausted. The problem can lead to other complaints including heart trouble, depression and obesity. In less severe cases, sleep breathing troubles can cause snoring.
The conventional treatment for sleep apnea is a mask that delivers air under positive pressure, which helps prevent the relaxation of the muscles.
But the mask comes with an electric air pump which itself can cause sleeping problems, particularly for a sufferer’s partner.
The Genio system developed by Nyxoah involves a nerve stimulator in the form of a tiny chip which is inserted under the chin with two electrodes placed either side of the hypoglossal nerve under the tongue.
The chip is activated by the patient at bedtime, by placing a patch on the skin under the chin. That “wakes up” the electrodes, which then proceed to stimulate the nerve, preventing the tongue muscles from becoming weak and losing their tone.
The project has now received additional funding from Cochlear, a company based in Mechelen that specialises in implanted hearing devices.
The other investor is the American ResMed, a $25-billion company active in the field of respiratory problems, including seep apnea.
“Having ResMed, the global leader in sleep apnea, support this significant funding round along with our existing shareholders will help Nyxoah to further accelerate its development,” commented Olivier Taelman, CEO of the company.
Alan Hope
The Brussels Times
