Keep It Simple: A Novel Technique For Measuring Airflow Using A Wireless Patch

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Stephanie Zandieh, M.D., M.S., Michael A. Kirschenbaum, M.D. , Harly Greenberg, M.D., Sonia Ancoli-Israel, Ph.D.

Brief Summary: This study evaluated Wesper Lab, wireless chest and abdominal patches designed to detect obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) by measuring respiratory effort and derived airflow. In 25 patients undergoing standard polysomnography (PSG), the patch-based system showed a strong correlation with PSG for apnea-hypopnea index, including both supine and nonsupine sleep positions. These findings suggest that the device patches provide an accurate and reliable method for assessing OSA and may offer a practical alternative for home sleep testing.

Study Objectives: Despite the growing use of home sleep testing for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), many patients face barriers that limit accessibility. This study aimed to evaluate a new set of wireless chest and abdominal patches for the detection of OSA compared with polysomnography (PSG) respiratory signals, while also assessing safety and signal performance.

Methods: Twenty-five patients (mean age = 51.3 ± 15.6 years) undergoing standard PSG evaluation for suspected OSA simultaneously wore two Wesper Lab patches on the chest and abdomen to measure respiratory effort and derived airflow. Respiratory data were collected from both the PSG and the device patches, using common SpO₂ and heart rate as reference signals. Apnea-hypopnea indices (AHI) were scored by a Registered Polysomnographic Technologist. Agreement between the patch-based system and PSG was assessed using linear regression and Bland–Altman analysis. Bench testing was also performed to evaluate signal accuracy across different body types.

Results: There was a strong correlation between the device patch and PSG for AHI (r = 0.979, P < .001; 95% CI: 0.952–1.00). Significant correlations were also found for supine AHI (r = 0.866, P < .001; 95% CI: 0.610–0.965) and nonsupine AHI (r = 0.983, P < .001; 95% CI: 0.954–1.00). Bench testing revealed no differences in respiratory signal accuracy across comparison groups, and no safety issues were identified.

Conclusions: The Wesper Lab patches demonstrated high agreement with polysomnography in detecting respiratory events and assessing airflow, suggesting they may serve as a reliable, noninvasive method for diagnosing OSA. These results support further evaluation of the patches as an innovative and accessible solution for home sleep testing.