Most snoring devices reduce snoring by opening the airways and allowing air to flow more freely through the nasal cavities. The latest snoring solution under development takes a different approach, letting the snorer snore all he or she wants, but using active noise cancellation to silence the sound. The indiegogo-funded Silent Partner claims to be the world’s first smartpatch to quiet snoring noise.
Silent Partner is triangular-shaped device with two speakers that are connected by a thin, flexible wire. The device also contains two resonance chambers, a sensor with a microcontroller and two small watch batteries that power the noise cancellation. The two speakers attach comfortably to the sides of the nose using a reusable medical-grade and hypoallergenic adhesive, which holds the device firmly in place while the user sleeps.
Once the Silent Partner is adhered to the user’s face, they simply turn it on and let the device do its work. When the wearer starts snoring, the Silent Partner senses the amplitude and frequency of the snoring sound and emits a countering sound wave in an inverted phase. This destructive interference effectively cancels out the sound of the snores and creates a 23-centimeter wide silent zone that makes it possible for the wearer and their partner to sleep without disturbance.
Work on the Silent Partner began in January 2015 with the first prototype device completed in October 2015. Development of the device will continue through the end of 2015 and into the first half of 2016. The team expects to begin sleep lab testing in July 2016 with the delivery of early units to beta testers in September 2016. The final product will be available to regular customers in November 2016.
People who are interested in the Silent Partner can purchase one for $59, a 40-percent discount off the expected retail price of $99. There’s also a bundle of two units for $125 and a $500 option that enters the purchaser into the beta tester program and secures their access to the device ahead of everyone else.
