A study showed that sleep apnea severity, assessed by BresoDX^®, a portable sleep apnea diagnostic device, is reproducible from night to night in the majority of patients. However, in a minority of patients there is significant night to night variability in sleep apnea severity, especially between the sleep laboratory and home environment related to differences in sleeping position.

 Toronto, Canada, May 1, 2018 – A new research study showed that sleep apnea severity assessed by BresoDX^®, a portable sleep apnea diagnostic device, is reproducible from night-to-night in the majority of patients. However, in a minority of patients there is significant night to night variability in sleep apnea severity, especially between the sleep laboratory and home environment. This variability was greatest in those in whom severity of sleep apnea was dependent on sleeping position.  These findings were published in the Sleep Science journal and are available for public readership.

The data presented are from a study of 40 subjects using BresoDX^® while undergoing a simultaneous overnight laboratory sleep study (polysomnography, PSG) on the first night followed by two nights using just BresoDX^® at home. The results indicated a strong (93.4%) correlation between PSG-derived apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), an index of sleep apnea severity, and BresoDX^®-derived AHI. While two thirds of the subjects experienced consistent AHI over three nights, the study found that the AHI varied significantly among nights in one third of the subjects. This night-to-night variability in AHI was greatest in those whose AHI on the first night was much higher when supine than non-supine, i.e. supine-related.

This is the first study to demonstrate a relationship between supine-related sleep apnea and inter-night variability in the AHI. Dr. Hisham Alshaer, the Chief Scientific Officer of BresoTEC Inc., the maker of BresoDX^®, said that this high night-to-night variability in the AHI means that, in some individuals, PSG results may not reflect the home environment, and that multiple night sleep testing may be necessary to provide an accurate assessment of sleep apnea severity. However, this would be impractical using PSG because of its high cost and inconvenience for patients.  Yet, this issue can be addressed by BresoDX^® which allows patients to be tested in their home for multiple nights at much lower low cost.

Invented at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, BresoDX^® is the world’s first cordless, personal, home sleep apnea testing device. It records breath sounds and movement using an open face frame over the mouth and nose. BresoDX^® aims to provide a simpler and more accessible sleep apnea test without compromising accuracy.

The research behind the study was supported by the Ontario Centers of Excellence (OCE), MaRS Innovation, Ontario Brain Institute (OBI), Johnson & Johnson, National Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Federal Economic Development Agency Ontario (FedDev), and the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation.

About BresoTEC Inc.

BresoTEC, a Canadian company based in Toronto, develops and commercializes products for the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea and related health conditions.

BresoTEC’s first product, BresoDX^®, is an innovative and simple home sleep test that uses acoustic and movement analysis technology to aid in the diagnosis of sleep apnea. BresoDX^® received regulatory approval from Health Canada (license) in December 2014 and from the European Commission (CE marking) in February 2016.

The BresoDX^® technology was developed at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute of the University Health Network (UHN) by Dr. Geoff Fernie, Dr. Douglas Bradley and Dr. Hisham Alshaer. The technology was licensed to BresoTec; founded by UHN and MaRS Innovation in 2012.

About sleep apnea

Sleep apnea is a condition characterized by repetitive cessation of breathing that disrupts sleep and leads to excessive daytime sleepiness. It affects approximately 10% of the adult population globally. It is treatable, but less than 15% of people with the condition have been diagnosed. Left untreated, sleep apnea leads to serious health complications, including a three-to-four times higher risk of developing hypertension, stroke and heart failure. It is also associated with a similar increase in the risk of traffic accidents due to sleepiness.

The low rate of diagnosis is mainly due to the lack of access to, and the substantial cost and inconvenience of undergoing overnight testing in a sleep laboratory as well as the complexity of existing home sleep tests. BresoDX^® is designed to meet the need for a reliable, simpler technology for sleep apnea diagnosis.

For more information, please contact:
Julie Brogren
Chief Operating Officer
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (+1) 647 985 9239