Session S64.1

A Sleep Apnoea Keeper in a Wearable Device for Continuous Detection and Screening during Daily Life

G Angius*, L Raffo

Università di Cagliari
Cagliari, Italy

Sleep apnoea syndrome is one of the most common sleep disorders which affects around one out of every 100 people. There is some evidence that sleep apnoea may be linked to hypertension, strokes and heart attacks. The aim of this work is to develop a wearable biomedical system for the continuous and real-time monitoring of the sleep apnoea disease at home.
Embedded in a comfortable glove, the wearable device acquires the photoplethysmographic (PPG) signal coming from a standard SpO2 wrapped sensor placed in one of the fingers. The device calculates in real-time the percentage of oxygen saturation in blood and performs an heart rate variability analysis from RR intervals measured in the PPG signal. Applying a threshold at the frequency analysis of the heart rate variability, the device can continuously detect if a sleep apnoea event occurs and can activate an alarm if the sleep apnoea period and the SpO2 value cross a guard level. Through a radio frequency link in the ISM band, the smart glove communicates with a internet module connected with a remote monitoring station (RMS) for the continuous data analysis, monitoring and alarm catch.
This easy to use wearable device allows the continuous and real-time monitoring of the respiratory disturbance index in patients with sleep apnoea disorder during daily life. Thanks to a wireless link with an internet module, the wearable device allows a long time continuous monitoring by the RMS, which can help the patients in case of dangerous sleep apnoea.
Based on a battery-powered wearable device built around a high performance microcontroller, the system developed allows the remote, continuous and real-time monitoring of the sleep apnoea disorder during daily life, and can trigger an alarm if the state of the disorder can be considered dangerous. Thanks to this useful and easy to use system, the continuous and long time monitoring of the progression of this common disorder, could significantly increase the patients’ safety.

(Abstract Control Number: 199)