These connected devices capable of supporting preventive sleep medicine

Count the number of apneas during sleep, calculate BMI, prevent cardiovascular risks, give figures for a consultation… connected objects dedicated to well-being and health today intend to be an integral part of our medical system. From simple playful gadgets to smartwatches and other sophisticated devices, the company Withingsfounded in 2008, is a ppioneer in the matter. Especially in the field of sleep medicine.

Since its creation in 2008, the company Withingsowned by its co-founder Éric CarreelFrench engineer, aims to help the healthcare system move forward in the processing of medical data. Especially those that may relate to sleep disorders. Often misdiagnosed, these phenomena can result in symptoms of sleep apnea, respiratory syndromes leading to headaches on waking or even cardiovascular complications.

On all the devices dedicated to the analysis of these problems, we find the Sleep Analyzer, currently available in Europe and developed by Professor Pierre Escourrou, sleep specialist in the Paris-Béclère hospital laboratory. The device has undergone a “battery of tests carried out on a hundred people for several years before its marketing”. The advantage of the device: analyze breathing, heart rate, snoring and movements to measure the intensity of respiratory disturbances during the night. It can also detect sleep apnea with medical-grade accuracy to determine its severity.

After his night, data is recorded if the free application has been downloaded beforehand HealthMate (iOS and Google Play). It allows you to keep an eye on the data recorded on the object and to make comparisons on the following days of sleep.

On the same principle, we find smart watches scan watchreal machines on handle marketed in 2020. A top-of-the-range model, baptized ScanWatch Horizon, has also been on sale since December 2021 in the European market. These new tech objects are able to detect irregular beats, respiratory disturbances. It also acts as an electrocardiogram on demand as well as a pulse oximeter. When waking up, the user benefits from a complete assessment that he can also find in the Health Mate application.

With these types of devices, we could already imagine the presence of a real connected domestic laboratory in all homes in Europe in the coming years. But the road would still be long, according to Marie-Françoise Vecchierini, neuropsychiatrist at the sleep center of the Hôtel-Dieu in Paris and hasformer president of the French Society for Sleep Research and Medicine (SFRMS). “What if someone has a device connected and the signal isn’t getting through? This is not going to replace a real diagnosis.”

From a functional point of view, the specialist also points to the reliability of these connected objects, the effectiveness of which has yet to be proven. Further analysis on a study of thousands of people should be considered to see more clearly. “It’s all about reliability. For the moment it is too messy but in the future, a large study of at least 20,000 people should be included to clarify all this. If we improve the analysis of this kind of devices, we will eventually be able to generalize them“.

Doctor Marie-Françoise Vecchierini says she is skeptical for the moment about the large-scale implementation of these devices among doctors and entry into the circle of Social Security. “It is certainly not for now. We do not yet know in what condition we will be able to bring the products under the conditions of Social Security. When do we consider reimbursement? When we diagnose a pathology? The cost of treatment or even the cost of the device should be taken into account.All this must be studied in the future.“.