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The Inflate Study; Defining the Soft Palate in the Upper Airway Flow Pathway

The Inflate Study; Defining the Soft Palate in the Upper Airway Flow Pathway

Status
Not yet recruiting
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06738589
Enrollment
50
Registered
2024-12-17
Start date
2025-03-25
Completion date
2027-08-01
Last updated
2025-03-05

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Focus of the Study is the Anatomy of the Soft Palate, Non-invasive Ventilation

Keywords

Soft Palate, MRI, NIV, Airway

Brief summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to understand the impact of the size and shape of the soft palate on gas airflow in the upper airway in healthy volunteers. Utilizing Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), this study aims to investigate: * How does soft palate anatomy change in different body positions? * What is the impact of positive pressure therapy, in the form of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) on soft palate anatomy? Researchers will compare MRI data without positive pressure to with positive pressure imaging to see if the addition of positive pressure impacts the size and shape of the soft palate. Researchers will also utilize measures of upper airway resistance to assess the impact of soft palate anatomy of airflow dynamics. Participants will be asked to: * Lie inside an MRI scanner for up to 90 minutes (including breaks), in different body positions * Undergo NIV therapy for 5-10 minutes while breathing normally inside an MRI scanner * Have their upper airway resistance measured, in different body positions

Interventions

DEVICEnon-invasive ventilation

Non-invasive ventilation adds positive pressure to the upper airway via a mask on the face.

Sponsors

The University of Auckland
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Fisher and Paykel Healthcare
Lead SponsorINDUSTRY

Study design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
SEQUENTIAL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Healthy adults aged 18+ * Willing and able to consent to the study

Exclusion criteria

* Contraindications for MRI (such as metal implants) * Contraindications for NIV (such as pneumothorax) * No history of lung or upper airway disease * Claustrophobia * Symptoms of a cold, flu, or significant congestion, within the last 3 days * Self-reported confirmed or suspected pregnancy * Palatal abnormalities or previous upper airway surgery (such as cleft palate and/or UPPP) * Prior major head or neck surgery with or without irradiation (such as radiotherapy of cutaneous cancers, robotic surgery for an oropharyngeal cancer)

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Volumetric change of soft palate airway size in delta millimeters cubed,Single 2 hour visitmillimeters cubed

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Impact of positive pressure ventilation on airway volume in millimeters cubed,Single 2 hour visitChange in soft palate airway size with addition of positive pressure ventilation, measured from segmented MRI data of soft palatal airway, and expressed in millimeters cubed, and delta millimeters cubed
Upper airway resistance measurementsSingle 2 hour visitChanges in upper airway resistance based on different body positions, measured using anterior rhinomanometry according to international guidelines and resistance units expressed as Pa/cm3/s

Countries

New Zealand

Contacts

Primary ContactJamie Miller
jamie.miller@fphcare.co.nz+64273032944

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026