Research Projects

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) that affects adult population in a major way, is caused by complete or partial obstruction of the upper airway. This results in repetitive episodes of shallow or paused breathing during sleep. The very cessation (apnoea) or reduction (hypopnea) of airflow can lead to morbidities like Hypertension, Diabetes, Heart Failure, Coronary Artery Disease and Stroke. A study showed that thirteen percent Indians are under threat of OSA and out of them only four percent go to the doctor with their symptoms. The current mode of confirmation of OSA is through Polysomnography (PSG) that requires hospitalization and a data collection process. This project investigates a novel approach towards development of an affordable, convenient, home-care option for OSA detection using multiple sensors. Besides monitoring and recording of apneic and hypopneic episodes, the system to be developed will attempt to generate appropriate alarm for clinical decision support.