Researchers have developed a way to detect and monitor sleep apnea using a compact device that can be worn on the wrist.
One billion people worldwide suffer from the most common form of sleep apnea. In this condition called obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA for short, the air supply is briefly blocked while sleeping. This can be partial or complete and it happens several times an hour. In severe patients, sometimes even dozens of times per hour. As a result, there is not enough oxygen in the body for a while and your body wants to correct that quickly. Where it does not wake up consciously, but with micro arousels briefly in a more awake state.
This sleep disorder can have several causes. For example, purely the anatomy of your body, but there is also a link with obesity for example and smoking and drinking also have an effect on it. The consequences can be quite severe: from daytime sleepiness to long-term cardiovascular disease.
Well, an estimated 80 percent of people with moderate or severe OSA go undiagnosed. In addition, patients with current techniques – a night’s sleep in a sleep center with quite a few sensors – cannot be followed for a longer period of time. A new wearable could possibly change that.
In this audio you can hear researcher Gabriele Papini from Eindhoven University of Technology. He conducted the research in collaboration with the Kempenhaeghe Center for Sleep Medicine. Read more here: A wearable with light to detect sleep apnea.
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