Systems and methods according to the present invention use an electrical
pulse generator system, which may be external to or implanted in an
animal body, to provide therapeutically effective electrical stimulation to maintain or improve
airway patency, such as to treat
sleep apnea by the stimulation of target nerve(s) or their branches using one or more leads and one or more electrodes implanted in, on, around, or near the target nerve(s). Examples of a target nerves to be stimulated to maintain or improve upper
airway patency, preferably through upper
airway muscle reflex activation, are the internal
branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (iSLN), the glossopharyngeal nerve, and / or the
trigeminal nerve, and / or any of the trunks, branches, or divisions of such nerves.