Sleep screening: Sleepiz is your contactless at-home sleep laboratory

People around the world suffer from sleep disorders and problems. Some conditions like sleep apnea or chronic respiratory disease can lead to serious health problems. Patients require medical long-term monitoring, but it’s currently not an easy feat. Graduates of ETH Zurich (a public research university in Zürich, Switzerland; editor's note) and the University of St. Gallen plan to change that and developed Sleepiz, a non-contact device that monitors sleep with medical grade precision. Last year, visitors to the MEDICA START-UP PARK exhibition hall were able to get a close-up view of the mini sleep lab.

In this MEDICA-tradefair.com interview, Chief Financial Officer Max Sieghold explains how the device works and talks about a promising collaboration the company hopes will continue its success story.

Mr. Sieghold, Sleepiz is a mini sleep lab for at-home monitoring. How does it work?

Max Sieghold: Sleepiz tracks the respiratory rate, pulse rate, and body movements - without contact. The device uses low power electromagnetic waves to detect movement based on the Doppler radar effect. Along with advanced algorithms, the hardware measures these vital signs with medical grade accuracy even when users are in sleepwear and under the covers in their bed. The technology is not only able to measure parameters but can also identify sleep stages or sleep disorders such as sleep apnea.

You collect data anonymously and analyze it using an algorithm. How does the algorithm and machine learning help detect sleep disorders or chronic respiratory diseases?

Max Sieghold: Our analysis tracks an irregular sleep-wake rhythm, an abnormal sleep architecture and anomalies in breathing patterns to deliver insights into various sleep disorders. We primarily focus on breathing-related sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and nighttime monitoring of respiratory function in patients with chronic respiratory diseases. You can use a trend analysis to predict the exacerbations of COPD patients, for example.

How can affected patients access the device to monitor their sleep?

Max Sieghold: People who suffer from sleep problems can request Sleepiz online at apnoe-screening.com or at apnoe-screening.ch and simply place it next to their bed for three nights. The device subsequently monitors nighttime respiration with 99 percent accuracy. The generated data is instantly transmitted to a cloud platform and analyzed in the form of reports and trend analyses that can be reviewed with an expert. Apart from being easy to use, patients also don’t need to buy the device and can send it back after use.

You recently teamed up with Infineon and utilize its XENSIV™ 60 GHz radar technology. How does the collaboration and expertise of a company like Infineon advance the product?

Sieghold: We benefit from Infineon's expertise in radar technology and microelectronics. Infineon also provides new access and enables us to reach a wider customer base and companies in the consumer electronics sector. We hope this partnership allows us to integrate the intelligence we developed and honed with our product over the past five years into new products in the consumer segment, such as smart speakers or smart home devices. In this setting, Infineon delivers its electronic knowledge, and we provide the software and data analysis expertise.

What prompted your collaboration with Infineon?

Sieghold: We first touched base with Infineon a few years ago. A partnership made sense for both parties, given that Infineon is a global market leader in radar technology, and we are now one of the leading manufacturers of "contactless monitoring" medical devices. Together we plan to bring this technology to the global smart home market.

Sleepiz also took part in the MEDICA START-UP PARK. What advice would you give other startups to become as successful as you are? How did you benefit from the trade fair visits?

Sieghold: The MEDICA START-UP PARK helped us to showcase our product and present our developments to an international group of prospective customers and business contacts. It allowed us to have a conversation with many relevant interested parties in a relatively short time. While we didn't attract hundreds of new customers at the trade fair, we still created some very important partnerships. It’s imperative to consider your target group in product and market development and focus on creating the biggest value for them.