The Oldenburg branch of Fraunhofer IDMT will present its application-specific service portfolio at the 30th annual conference of the German Society for Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine (DGSM) from November 10 to 12. The experts will present discrete and convenient sensor systems that enable sleep monitoring outside the sleep laboratory.
Long-term sleep problems are serious. Among other things, it increases the risk of daytime sleepiness. This is especially the case with breathing-related sleep problems, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is associated with narrowing (obstruction) of the airways. In this case, monitoring breathing during sleep can be crucial. Continuous monitoring of respiratory parameters can also detect a worsening of the patient's condition at an early stage in hospital and nursing care. However, this is not always possible due to the high effort involved. Moreover, the sensors, which have to be worn directly on the body, are often perceived as annoying.
In their project »REMUS« (Respiration Measurement Using Sensors), the experts at Fraunhofer IDMT in Oldenburg are working on a contactless, hygienic and easy-to-set-up monitoring of respiration and other vital parameters, such as heart rate.
The central component of a polysomnography, in short a detailed examination in the sleep laboratory, is the EEG, because the measurement of brain activity with the help of electrodes enables decisive conclusions to be drawn about sleep phases and specific characteristics during sleep. The sensor technologies developed by the Institute's Branch Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology HSA are designed to enable recording of the EEG outside the sleep laboratory - with equally high data quality. Easy-to-apply, discrete and flexible electrode patches are placed in the facial area and behind the ear. For the most meaningful data possible, in addition to EEG, eye movements can be recorded by an electrooculogram (EOG) and muscle movements in the face can be recorded by an electromyogram (EMG) in one application.
The solutions presented at the DGSM in Wiesbaden are aimed in particular at companies in the »consumer health« sector, manufacturers of medical devices for vital data acquisition, and clinicians who are considering out-of-home measurements and want to familiarize themselves with the new technologies. Also applicable in combination, they can significantly improve the care of people with sleep problems.
Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT