A consumer wearable device for tracking sleep respiratory events

Area of Science:

• Sleep Medicine
• Medical Device Technology
• Respiratory Physiology

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) diagnosis is time-consuming due to reliance on instrument, operator, and time-dependent methods, leading to long waiting lists.
• Technological advancements offer opportunities for remote health monitoring, including sleep studies, potentially improving accessibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a wearable device (WD) for diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in individuals at high risk.
• To compare the diagnostic performance of a WD against standard cardio-respiratory monitoring (CRM).

Main Methods:

• A cohort of individuals at high risk for OSA, identified via questionnaires and clinical evaluation, participated in the study.
• Subjects underwent simultaneous overnight cardio-respiratory monitoring (CRM) and assessment with a wearable device (WD).
• Data from both monitoring systems were compared to assess the WD's diagnostic capabilities.

Main Results:

• The study included 20 individuals (60% male, mean age 57.3 years).
• The apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) measured by CRM was 23.1 events·h⁻¹, significantly higher than the 10.3 events·h⁻¹ recorded by the WD.
• Correlation analysis showed weak agreement for AHI (r=0.19) and moderate agreement for oxygen saturation (r=0.4076) between the two methods. Accuracy for OSA severity was 70% for OSA cases and 60% for moderate-to-severe cases.

Conclusions:

• Wearable devices offer a potential solution for reducing costs and waiting times associated with sleep investigations for suspected OSA.
• Despite promising potential, the diagnostic accuracy and reliability of the evaluated WD require further rigorous validation through extensive testing before commercialization and clinical adoption.