Wearable device effectively diagnoses sleep apnoea

A recent clinical trial has tested a disposable wearable patch that can be used to detect obstructive sleep apnoea.

Sleep apnoea occurs when the muscles in the throat relax to cause a blockage of the airway, resulting in reduced airflow for 10 seconds or more.

The trial tested medical diagnostic company, Somnarus’ wearable SomnaPatch device. The device detects nasal pressure, blood oxygen saturation, pulse rate, respiratory effort, sleep time and body position. The device only weighs around 28 grams so it’s unlikely to affect wearers’ sleep.

The trial showed that the total rate of clinical agreement between the patch and standard in-lab polysomnography was 87.4% with 95% confidence interval of 81.4% to 91.9%.

Polysomnography is used to monitor the changes of the body and brain during sleep.

Maria Merchant CEO of Somnarus said: “Our study provided clinical validation of a new wearable device for diagnosing sleep apnoea. It was most surprising to us how well this inexpensive miniature device performed in comparison with in-lab sleep studies."

“Most home sleep diagnostic devices are difficult for patients to use and are disruptive to patient's sleep. Our study showed that this wearable home sleep monitor is very comfortable, easy to use and does not negatively affect sleep."