Decision Tool

A personalized, preference-weighted guide to help you understand which hypoglossal nerve stimulator may best fit your priorities

How It Works

This interactive tool helps you explore which FDA-approved hypoglossal nerve stimulator—Inspire or Genio—may align with your individual preferences. Rate what matters most to you across key tradeoffs, and the tool will generate a personalized fit score for each device based on your priorities.

This is an educational aid, not a medical recommendation. Your physician will determine clinical eligibility based on your specific anatomy, sleep study results, and medical history.

Evidence-Based Anonymous 5 Minutes FDA-Sourced Data

Decision support | Not medical advice

What OSA Implant is Best for Me - Inspire vs Genio

Rate what matters to you (0 = not important, 10 = very important). Your ratings convert into fit scores for each device.

Step 1: Safety (optional) Step 2: Rate priorities 0-10 Step 3: Review fit scores

0) About you (optional)

Optional, anonymous info to help us understand who prefers Genio vs Inspire. Please don’t enter your name, email, phone number, or any contact info.

Age range Sex assigned at birth Race and/or ethnicity (select all that apply)

American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Black or African American Hispanic or Latino Middle Eastern or North African Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander White Prefer not to say

Country State (US only) BMI range (optional) ?

Help me calculate my BMI (optional)

Enter height/weight to calculate BMI. We do not store height or weight—only the BMI range you select.

Height (feet)

Height (inches)

Weight (lbs)

Insurance (optional) CPAP experience Where are you in the decision? How did you find this tool? I agree to share my anonymous answers for analytics and aggregate reporting on this site.

1) Safety (optional)

Skin reactions to medical tapes/patches?

This only affects scoring for the device that uses a nightly adhesive patch.

2) Your priorities (0-10)

0 of 9 priorities rated above 0

Rate your priorities, then tap See My Result to calculate your fit scores.

Results

Inspire fit 0/100

Genio fit 0/100

Why this recommendation

What could change the result

Labeling highlights (short): Inspire = fully internal; MR-Conditional — Inspire IV/V allow full-body 1.5T and 3T scans under conditions (older models are more limited). Genio = leadless submental implant, nightly adhesive patch; MR-Conditional at 1.5T and 3T. Patch irritation can occur. Values aid only.
Curious how your priorities compare? See what 128 other patients said →

Continue Your Research

Your decision tool results are just the starting point. Explore these resources to deepen your understanding.

Compare Options Side by Side

See detailed feature-by-feature comparisons of Inspire and Genio, including eligibility criteria, device design, and clinical outcomes.

View Comparison

Patient Handouts

Download printable guides to bring to your next appointment, including preparation checklists and questions to ask your surgeon.

Browse Handouts

About Dr. Nord

Learn about Dr. Ryan Nord's experience with 500+ Inspire implants and his role as a Genio clinical investigator at VCU Health.

Meet Dr. Nord

V1.0

About This Tool

V1.0 of this decision tool is a preference-weighted educational aid, not a medical eligibility test or insurance-approval tool. The fit summary is driven mainly by the user’s own 0–10 ratings across the tool’s tradeoffs, so factors you rate as more important have more influence on the final score; the only explicit safety modifier in V1.0 is adhesive/patch sensitivity, which lowers Genio fit because Genio requires nightly disposable-patch use and its patient labeling lists temporary local skin irritation as a very common device-related adverse event (refs 1–4).

For the content behind those tradeoffs, source weighting was hierarchical: FDA labeling/SSEDs were treated as the highest-priority sources for indications, contraindications, MRI status, and device design; Medicare coverage criteria were used as a transparent U.S. benchmark; and major peer-reviewed outcome studies and the AASM guideline were used to summarize effectiveness, durability, patient values, and care-path considerations (refs 1–10).

References (AMA Style)

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation – P130008/S090. Published July 13, 2023. Accessed March 13, 2026.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Summary of Safety and Effectiveness Data (SSED): Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation, PMA P130008/S090. June 8, 2023. Accessed March 13, 2026.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Summary of Safety and Effectiveness Data (SSED): The Genio® System 2.1, PMA P240024. August 8, 2025. Accessed March 13, 2026.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Genio® System 2.1 Patient Manual. Accessed March 13, 2026.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Local Coverage Determination (LCD): Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (L38310). Accessed March 13, 2026.
Strollo PJ Jr, Soose RJ, Maurer JT, et al; STAR Trial Group. Upper-airway stimulation for obstructive sleep apnea. N Engl J Med. 2014;370(2):139-149. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1308659.
Woodson BT, Strohl KP, Soose RJ, et al. Upper airway stimulation for obstructive sleep apnea: 5-year outcomes. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2018;159(1):194-202. doi:10.1177/0194599818762383.
Thaler ER, Schwab RJ, Maurer JT, et al. Results of the ADHERE upper airway stimulation registry and predictors of therapy efficacy. Laryngoscope. 2020;130(5):1333-1338. doi:10.1002/lary.28286.
Kent D, Stanley J, Aurora RN, et al. Referral of adults with obstructive sleep apnea for surgical consultation: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guideline. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021;17(12):2499-2505. doi:10.5664/jcsm.9592.
Woodson BT, Kent DT, Huntley C, et al. Bilateral hypoglossal nerve stimulation for obstructive sleep apnea: a nonrandomized clinical trial. J Clin Sleep Med. 2025;21(11):1883-1891. doi:10.5664/jcsm.11822.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Bring your decision tool results to your consultation with Dr. Nord at VCU Health.

Compare Treatment Options Patient Handouts

This tool is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendation. Individual results and eligibility vary. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider for personalized guidance.