Tien’s Sleep Apnea Syndrome Detector (SASD – 07)

The new device could help millions – most of whom don’t know they’re afflicted – sleep and breathe easier.

Dr. Hoang Anh Tien’s device, known as the Sleep Apnea Syndrome Detector (SASD – 07), fuses a digital recorder with a stethoscope to record a person’s breathing while he/she sleeps. The recording then is analyzed by everyday computer software such as Power Voice II to determine whether or not the sleeper has a problem.

Tien, 30, said the SASD has several advantages over equipment currently used in other countries. At less than US$500, the device is cheaper and simpler than similar machines currently on the market.

Dr. Tien first began presenting his research in the field at a Hue city University competition in January, 2007.

In May last year, the doctor introduced a prototype of the device at the 14th National Medical Schools Invention Conference. He has since won several local and national competitions for the invention.

At a scientific conference on cardiovascular health held by Vietnamese and German medical agencies last November, Dr. Nguyen Si Huyen from the German Vietnamese Association of Cardiology said Tien’s research was highly practical.

“Professor Huyen then said he will consider investing into a center for diagnosing and treating sleep disorders in Hue in the future,” said Tien, who now teaches at Hue Medical University and works as a doctor at the university hospital.

He said he plans to develop the device into a do-it-yourself at home monitor.

Sleep apnea

International studies show that two to four percent of the general population has sleep apnea.

Scientists say the disorder implies risks ranging from depression, irritability, loss of memory and lack of energy, to auto accidents and workplace injuries. It also puts patients at risk of having heart problems, or even a stroke, and can thus be considered life-threatening.

To detect the disorder, sufferers must often take a sleep test at a laboratory. Though some home sleep tests are available, they require sophisticated equipment.

While a lab test can cost as much as $1,500 and a night in the lab, scientists around the globe are trying to develop less costly home devices.

For example in 2007, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine approved a portable-monitoring system that patients wear as they sleep in their own bed. The system includes a small recording device, sensors, belts, cables and other accessories, the online news source Medical News Today reported.

In 2005, Canadian scientists introduced home oximetry monitors to detect apnea by following the body’s oxygen level overnight.

Scientists say sleep apnea’s signs and symptoms often include frequent silences during sleep, choking or gasping during sleep, loud snoring, sudden awakenings, and daytime sleepiness.

People who are overweight, have nasal congestion, blockage from colds or smoking are often at risk of sleep apnea.

Reported by Minh Phuong