Non-continuous positive airway pressure therapy for obstructive sleep apnea

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has been the most consistently effective and recommended therapy for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome, but as a treatment strategy it is hampered by the need for measurement directed titration of treatment pressure, and by suboptimal treatment adherence. The desire to optimize effective pressure while mitigating against pressure related side effects has promoted a wide variety of imaginative and exciting technological advances in airway pressure delivery. We will examine the theories behind and methodologies employed in the different non-CPAP devices for OSA, and provide a review of the clinical literature regarding use of these new technologies.