Technician Invents Sleep Apnea Patient Demonstration Model

By Kim Molinaro

Posted Nov 19, 2015

In 2009, one of Charles Lloyd’s dentist-clients asked him if he could make a patient demonstration model to explain obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) treatment. Nine months later, the Airhead™ was born. The 3D model of the patient’s head and airway rotates to clearly illustrate the effects of OSA and the benefits of an oral appliance.


“It’s a very niche item and I won’t be getting rich or famous with it,” jokes Lloyd, Owner of TMD Technologies, Inc. in Snellville, GA, who has been involved in the sleep appliance market for over a decade. “But it attracts the attention of TMD/sleep dentists at the sleep conferences I attend and gives me the opportunity to then talk about my expertise in the field.”


Lloyd invested $17,000 to develop, patent and manufacture the product—which he has made one at a time in a resin material and then handpainted. So far, he has sold 400 Airheads which retail for $385. “Sleep dentists...

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About The Author

  • Kim Molinaro

    Managing Editor at LMT Communications, Inc. · West Hartford, CT

    In her 25+ years with LMT, Kim has managed to combine her creative flair—infusing energy into our content and orchestrating some of our most popular theme issues—with the practical focus of keeping our processes...

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