INSP

Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.

A medical-devices company making a mask-free alternative to CPAP machines for people with obstructive sleep apnea. Its device, sometimes nicknamed a "tongue pacemaker," is surgically implanted under the skin of the chest; during sleep it senses each breath and sends a mild pulse to a nerve that moves the tongue forward, keeping the airway open. The company was founded in 2007 as a spin-off from Medtronic, and it takes its name from the way the system acts on each breath's inspiration.