New WatchPAT™ Sleep Apnea Scoring Guidelines Unveiled at SLEEP 2018

Evidence-based guidelines based on a large-scale sleep apnea study demonstrate WatchPAT’s efficiency and accuracy

Diagnostic device company, Itamar Medical Ltd., is to unveil its WatchPAT Scoring Guidelines, a streamlined approach for reviewing and editing WatchPAT™ data that integrates automated scoring with visual oversight for sleep apnea testing.

Background

Itamar Medical develops, manufactures, and markets non-invasive diagnostic medical devices for cardiology and sleep related breathing disorders. The company’s WatchPAT is an FDA-approved portable diagnostic device that uniquely uses finger-based physiology and innovative technology to enable simple and accurate sleep apnea testing while avoiding the complexity and discomfort associated with traditional airflow-based systems.

Sleep apnea contributes to the development and progression of highly prevalent co-morbidities including atrial fibrillation, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and congestive heart failure.Latest surveys estimate that up to 1 billion patients around the world may be suffering from sleep apnea and over 80% of them are undiagnosed.

As a device for Home Sleep Apnea Testing (HSAT) based on Peripheral Arterial Tone (PAT™) signal, WatchPAT has revolutionized the approach to sleep apnea testing since it was introduced over a decade ago as an easy to use, yet comprehensive alternative to traditional diagnostic methods.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Sleep Disorder Center have developed evidence-based guidelines, which will be presented June 5, 2018 at a lunch symposium hosted by Itamar Medical at SLEEP 2018, the 32nd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS). The meeting is taking place in Baltimore June 2 – 6.

WatchPAT technology is unique among HSAT devices in its ability to render a fully automated, validated report, which was proven to have high correlation with gold standard polysomnography. Despite the potential benefits that full automation may offer, methods for implementing guidelines for scoring and review of WatchPAT recordings have not previously been available. The WatchPAT Scoring Guidelines have now addressed this.

The WatchPAT Scoring Guidelines were developed from a large patient sample in the COMPASS study at Johns Hopkins Sleep Center. The cohort included patients with co-morbidities such as atrial fibrillation, morbid obesity and heart failure.  The Guidelines outline the physiologic background for the scoring approach, provide methodology for verifying, reviewing and editing WatchPAT recordings with simple, step-by-step procedures for sleep clinicians and technologists.

Developer comments

“We found WatchPAT to be a cost-effective, easy to use and reliable HSAT method,” said Alan Schwartz, Professor of Medicine and the Director of the Sleep Disorder Center at Johns Hopkins and an author on the guidelines. “Its accuracy in diagnosing sleep apnea is enhanced by its ability to estimate actual sleep time rather than total recording time. Our goal in developing Scoring Guidelines for WatchPAT was to leverage its technologic advantages with methods that maintain its accuracy and diagnostic efficiency.”

Company comments

“As a company dedicated to realizing the broad potential of PAT technology to improve the quality of healthcare, we recognize the importance of developing innovative solutions to real world clinical needs,” said Gilad Glick, CEO of Itamar Medical. “The new WatchPAT Scoring Guidelines should facilitate the use of this powerful HSAT device, enabling the identification and treatment of OSA in a broad population while potentially significantly reducing cost to the healthcare system. We are grateful to the team at Johns Hopkins Sleep Center for their efforts and their rigorous approach and commitment to developing practical tools for helping underserved patient populations.”

Source: Globe NewswireItamar Medical Ltd.

published: May 31, 2018 in: Cardio, Clinical/Educational, News, Thoracic/Respiratory

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