Sleep Apnea Detected with Infrared Technology
A research team from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston presented research findings detailed detection of sleep apnea at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians. An article about the research was published in the Washington Post.
The Houston team employed remote infrared imaging (IR-I) to record heat signals from both the mouth and nostrils in a sample of 13 patients. The camera to measure heat is placed six to eight feet away from the patient’s head, minimizing any interruption of sleep.
The current method most often employed to diagnose sleep apnea entails attaching sensors within a patient’s nose. Those measure nasal pressure, or carbon dioxide and temperature (nasal-oral thermistor) to determine airflow. The limitation with this approach is that it can be uncomfortable for patients, so much so that it can disrupt sleep. This method was compared to IR-I.
Nasal-oral thermistor detected the most events of apnea, 22. IR-I captured 20 and nasal pressure documented 19 of the disordered breathing events. Benefits of the IR-I device include that it is less intrusive and the tool is portable. An additional benefit is that data recorded during sleep can be reviewed after the recorded sleep session is complete.
This preliminary data provides incentive for the research team to further refine and evaluate the technique. Following such, broader clinical trials to assess validity will be planned.
October 26, 2007 Related topics: Pulmonary, New Technology & Innovation, Diagnostic