I was diagnosed with severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea, (OSA), and snoring in 1987.  I began using CPAP back in 2003 and tolerated it for approximately 3 yrs.  The CPAP was unattractive, uncomfortable, required repositioning whenever I shifted sleeping positions and I had to make sure I took it with me whenever I didn’t sleep at home.  I underwent three surgical procedures to treat my OSA, a Pillar procedure, a submucosa resection of right inferior turbinate, and a Laser Assisted Uvuloplasty (LAUP).  This process was repeated again to remove tissue further back in my throat a couple months later because I was still snoring and experiencing the same symptoms of OSA.  Unfortunately, all these procedures simply didn’t work.

In 2006 I tried using a mandibular oral appliance.  I used it for approximately 6 months, but it immediately caused problems and pain with my jaw joint and I had to chew gum every morning to re-establish my bite.

In 2008 I woke up in the middle of the night and thought, “tongue depressor” went to my kitchen and started experimenting and bending kitchen spoons.  The first tongue depressor was made from a kitchen spatula and parts from ACE hardware.  I removed the adhesive from clear gel foot inserts to cushion the metal on my tongue.  I used over the counter throat spray for sore throats to reduce the gag reflex effect.  However, subsequent design improvements have eliminated the possibility of triggering the gag reflex completely.   After almost two years of trial and error, I finally developed a simple acrylic mouth piece that features a tongue depressor.  It directly addresses the major problem with snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea, the tongue.  I have been using the PIVOT SOLUTION device successfully for over 14 years now.  I’ve had to buy additional stainless steel kitchen knives because I’ve used most of them to fabricate improved tongue depressors.   I keep a second appliance in my overnight travel bag.  It’s simple, small, easy to use and maintain AND 100 % effective.

Sleep studies have proven the remarkable effectiveness of The PIVOT SOLUTION and now I want to share this great idea with the world.

As a final note, after serving in the Marine Corps, I spent 24 years welding on and installing gas mains in Southern California.  I enrolled in law school at the age of 50 and represented clients for 13 years who had become disabled and unable to work and were applying for social security disability.  Although I’m “retired” now, I still love to tinker in the garage and find any excuse to weld or make helpful around the house gadgets.  My adult children and even their friends have coined the phrase “lube rig-it” when something needs fixing.   I never gave any thought to producing a commercial product or applying for a patent.  I just wanted a good night’s sleep.  At my age I should be sitting on my front porch with my feet up and watching the grass grow.  Instead, I’ve applied and successfully been granted two patents.

I’m doing this because I believe in it and I want to share this innovative solution with the world.