Sleep monitor with adjustable pillow could prevent dangerous sleep apnea and excessive snoring
HKUST professor Zhang Qian develops device that detects serious sharp falls in oxygen intake as a person sleeps
A sleep-monitoring device which comes with an automatic adjustable pillow could be the answer for people who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea or simply snore too much.
Every year, more than 3,000 people worldwide die of sleep apnea-related issues – a disorder where a person stops breathing or experiences instances of shallow breathing while asleep.
These episodes could last from seconds to several minutes – the longer, the more dangerous.
University of Science and Technology professor Zhang Qian said more than 90 per cent of people who snore have breathing issues at night and could develop sleep apnea.
Zhang, a Tencent professor of engineering, developed a small device which is attached to a person’s finger to monitor sleep quality and whether there is enough oxygen in the bloodstream – a telltale sign of inadequate breathing.
When such an episode happens, the device triggers the adjustable pillow, which moves and tilts the person’s head into another position, effectively reopening the breathing channel.