Unobtrusive Monitoring of Sleep Apnea (UMOSA)

Despite sleep apnea being one of the most common sleep disorders, it often remains undiagnosed, or even unnoticed, due to both unawareness of its symptoms and the flaws and complexity of current diagnostic methodologies. Patients are required to sleep at a specialized sleep institute where, overnight, a number of obtrusive sensors attached to the body are necessary, negatively impacting the patient’s sleep. This project addresses three contactless measurement principles: speckle vibrometry, remote photo-plethysmography and remote thermography.

In a first stage, these technologies will be developed to guarantee continuous, accurate and robust measurement of heart rate, respiration rate, arterial oxygen saturation, nasal flow and pulse transit time. In a second stage each technology will be clinically validated at a sleep-institute. A successful outcome of this project will have a direct impact on current sleep medicine diagnostics at sleep centers by making PSG significantly less obtrusive. The nature of contactless technologies also realistically places home monitoring of sleep patients on the horizon. Lastly, the technologies will have an impact far beyond sleep by benefitting other patient groups; e.g. those in intensive care unit settings.

More information?

You can find more information on this project at https://www.nwo.nl/onderzoek-en-resultaten/programmas/htsm/projecten/2018/2018+-+17117.