A ten subject IRB controlled clinical trial was performed to prove the accuracy of the apnea severity equation that is based on pitch and roll angle of the head. Two subjects were eliminated; one for not having OSA and one for having central sleep apnea. Six of the eight remaining subjects were female, ranging from 32 to 64 years of age and BMI ranging from 24 to 49. Of the population, 75% experienced an average of 80% improvement in AHI and SPO2 de-saturation while 25% observe < 34% improvement, with the head roll angles <20° from the horizon. Another significant finding was that in the torso side position apnea symptoms can be severe depending on head position, proving that the torso position is ambiguous. In conclusion, most subjects have shown that their OSA symptoms are eliminated or consistently minimized with head position control.
The graphs below show measured vs calculated AHI (apnea hypopnea index) and measured calculated SPO2 desaturation vs head roll angle. The apnea equation predicts exactly and proves the theory of head pitch and roll. Points that fall off the calculated graph are points where apnea disappears
