Home-Based Monitoring Addressing High-Risk Cardiovascular Conditions and Sleep Apnea

Summary Sleep may trigger a variety of adverse conditions in patients with heart and/or respiratory ailments. While numerous sleep apnea monitors have been developed, a critical unmet need exists for effective nocturnal monitoring of cardiac events in high-risk heart disease patients and severe sleep apnea sufferers.

Dr. Allan Hobson, a leading psychiatrist and sleep expert at Harvard Medical School, has developed a home-based, wearable system for detecting adverse nocturnal events associated with sleep apnea and high-risk cardiovascular conditions. The invention uses a portable processor to synchronize, record, and analyze eyelid, head, and heartbeat signals in a sleeping subject. Unique to this invention is that it includes assessment of cardiac and respiratory contributions to adverse sleep events, by extrapolating respiratory patterns from heart beat signals. This unique signal combination shows promise to correlate highly with sleep state-dependent autonomic and hemodynamic profiles, thus enabling the detection of cardiorespiratory states linked to cardiac complication and sudden death.

Applications
§ Nocturnal monitor for high-risk cardiac patients (e.g. hypertensive, CHD, post-operative heart attack patients), individuals with severe sleep apnea, and infants at risk for SIDS
§ Ambulatory systems for assessing cardiac and respiratory risk
§ Outpatient system for sleep disorder diagnosis

Advantages The ability to assess cardiorespiratory risk at an affordable cost point –- in conjunction with rising cardiac complications and tightening reimbursement pressures -- suggests a compelling case for a reimbursable device used in the home-care setting. Distinctive features over the prior art include the extraction of key respiratory patterns from cardiac readings, and the development of a monitor that is self-contained, wearable, and non-invasive to patients.

Market It has been estimated that 20% of myocardial infarctions (MI) and 15% of sudden deaths occur between the hours of midnight and 6 am. Moreover, sleep apnea, which affects nearly 50 million Americans, has been strongly implicated in a battery of cardiovascular complications (e.g. hypertension, ischemia, arrhythmia, MI). A portable, monitoring unit capable of sensitive cardiorespiratory measurements would be highly desirable.

Partnership Opportunity Harvard is seeking a development partner with significant clinical experience for commercializing the home-based monitoring system.

Patent Status US patent #5,902,250 has been issued, entitled: “Home-based system and method for monitoring sleep state and assessing cardiorespiratory risk”. Related patents: US patent # 5,566,067 has been issued, entitled: “Eyelid vigilance detector system.” For Further Information Please Contact the Director of Business Development Michal Preminger Email: [email protected] Telephone: (617) 432-0920

Inventor(s): Hobson, J. Allan

Type of Offer: Licensing



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