Wearable patches are being developed to detect obstructive sleep apnea, which can cause an increased risk of drowsiness, stroke, heart disease, and memory impairment. Use this patch on your chest. The detection method is a combination of an algorithm through machine learning and a bioimpedance method that measures electrical signals passing through the body used for a body fat analyzer.
For obstructive sleep apnea measures, CPAP therapy, in which air is blown into the nostrils through a tube, and a tennis ball in the middle of the back and pillow, are commonly used. However, this comes with inconvenience. This patch measures the voltage inside the body when breathing and judges it as obstructive sleep apnea when a different voltage is sensed in machine learning. In humans, when the lungs are swollen by breathing and the chest expands, the impedance changes. It means measuring this.
As a result of testing on 25 subjects, the detection accuracy using this patch was found to be 73%. In fact, the device may have the potential to help detect other types of breath besides obstructive sleep apnea. It may also be able to detect asthma, colds, and pneumonia such as coronavirus.
Nothing is said about after the patch detects obstructive sleep apnea, but it can of course record sleep, vibrate, or even make a smartphone ring via Bluetooth. The developer (Onera Health) highlights that it has been featured in Business Insider as one of the 11 most promising startups in Europe. Its headquarters are located in California, but development is mainly done in the Netherlands, with an investment of $9.3 million. Related information can be found here .