CSE alumnus offers a snore-free solution

Invention targets tongue and airway muscles

Anders Olmanson has a solution for loud snoring. The University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering alumnus invented a water-drinking nozzle that basically exercises the tongue. 

“The lightbulb moment happened when I saw my parents’ dog eating peanut butter out of a Kong toy," he said. "I thought, ‘What if we can get people to exercise without realizing they’re doing it.’

Olmanson, who earned a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering, turned that idea into a startup after completing the medical device innovation program at the Technological Leadership Institute on the Twin Cities campus.

He launched REMastered Sleep in December of 2020. Three years later, it won the MnCup General Category and was named a runner-up in the grand finals. 

“Compared to other snoring solutions for sleep apnea patients, our product goes after the underlying conditions,” he said. “It's targeting the muscles in your mouth and throat with exercise to tighten up the soft tissues to reduce the risk of vibration.” 

Mayo Clinic is conducting a clinical trial of on patients with mild-moderate obstructive sleep apnea and snoring. And, recently, Olmanson and his team launched a kid-sized version of his invention.

Read more about his journey to startup founder on the TLI website.

Editor's note: Olmanson appears in our College of Science and Engineering fall 2024 MedTech-themed Inventing Tomorrow magazine—see "Recent alumni in MedTech startups."