Watch-PAT from Itamar Medical

Gary Sagiv
Vice President
Itamar Medical, Inc

PRACTICAL DEVICE FOR SLEEP APNEA ASSESSMENT

The Watch-PAT is a most practical device for assessing sleep apnea and sleep quality. While the system can reliably record all the necessary data at the patient’s home, when a technician is not in attendance, it can also effectively diagnose sleep apnea in hospitals and sleep labs. The assessment of sleep time and quality, including determining the amount of REM sleep, generally requires EEG and EMG measurements, which are not practical outside the sleep lab or a hospital’s clinic.

Detection of apnea and hypopnea events requires the use of pressure cannula, an intrusive measurement that is prone to failures when conducted in an attended setting. The Watch- PAT, using algorithms based on changes in arterial tone and, actigraphy and oximetry, has been validated and demonstrated to provide clinically comparable information using a small number of probes, all attached to fingers and the patient’s wrist, providing accurate measures of AHI, RDI, ODI, heart rate, sleep time, sleep and wake states and REM/NREM sleep.

More recently, we have added measurements of snoring and body positioning. The ability of the Watch-PAT to assess both respiratory disturbances and quality of sleep at patients’ homes makes it an ideal technology that offers the option of CPAP, oral appliance or surgery, without requiring the patient to go back to a sleep lab to undergo further evaluation.

PATIENT-FRIENDLY DEVICE FOR CONFIRMING SLEEP APNEA

Practitioners perceive the Watch-PAT to be the most patient- friendly device for ruling out or confirming sleep apnea. It is the only device that does not require a nasal cannula to identify apneic events, and does not require EEG electrodes to monitor sleep patterns. It is light-weight, self-contained and mounted to the patient’s wrist. Its single button operation and lack of wires leading to facial or chest mounted sensors reduces the level of intimidation for patients undergoing such studies, and allow for a more natural sleep and thus, more reflective data of actual patterns of patient’s sleep.

The interface simplifies the tasks of technicians when explaining to patients how to mount and operate the device. It requires considerable shorter time to do so, and providers of the Watch-PAT reported they save a considerable amount of technician time when using the Watch-PAT.

The data that is analyzed by the software provides for fast turnaround and ability to initiate therapy without further delays. Finally, with the growing focus on monitoring efficacy of treatment, the Watch-PAT provides an excellent tool to assess apnea and sleep quality at any point of time post intervention, and compare it to baseline measures.

INCREASING PATIENT COMPLIANCE AND THERAPY

We consider the end-user to be the patient. The Watch-PAT is very simple to use by patients in their own home. Neither patients nor bed partners are interrupted in any way during the study, ensuring most representative data to analyze presence and severity of sleep apnea, as well as assess actual sleep quality and patterns, including the important REM phase. Patients can conduct the study immediately after visiting with their physicians and if needed, can initiate treatments without further delay. We recognize that many patients are reluctant to undergo sleep study, whether in a sleep lab or at home, as they are intimidated by the process. The Watch-PAT eliminates this factor, allowing more patients to be diagnosed and treated, and we also recognize the tremendous improvements in patients’ quality of life and at times, other morbidities, once they initiate therapy.

AN EXCELLENT TOOL FOR PHYSICIANS TO TREAT PATIENTS WITH

There is growing demand to diagnose and treat patients with sleep apnea, many of them suffer from obesity, diabetics, cardiovascular disease and overall poor quality of life. The demand can be satisfied by providing more opportunities and options to clinicians to effectively reach such patients and perform the initial diagnosis and track them over time. The Watch-PAT is the first significant technology that provides clinicians with extensive relevant information, but at a fraction of the complexity.

CONTINUING TO IMPROVE LIFE AND HEALTH FOR SLEEP APNEA PATIENTS

The Watch-PAT has captured the fascination of the sleep community, leading to broad acceptance by major providers and to extensive peer review publications and scientific presentations. In effect, with over 35 publications in major scientific journals, the Watch-PAT has more validation data than any other device presently on the market. We recognize the importance of education and invest in these areas considerable resources as well as in continuing research and development, as we continue to pursue our goal of improving the life and health of patients with sleep apnea.

For more information, please visit www.itamar-medical.com

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